Palazzo San Bonifacio Ardit (Villa di Villa), in Villa Estense, is an imposing building from the second half of the 16th century built for Ercole San Bonifacio atop a medieval tower. Completed in 1597, it develops along a front axis with two lateral wings, with facades marked by pilasters, five arches, and a loggia, reminiscent of the Palazzina Chigi at Lungara in Rome.
The interior features tempera frescoes by Giovanni Carlo Bevilacqua and his workshop, with designs of upholstery, amphorae, heads, and false chests; the central hall is decorated in neoclassical style with marmorino and Ionic columns. The floors display Venetian terrazzo and pastellone.
The complex includes Barchessa, Cedraia, Granai, Cantina, Giardino, Cappella-Oratorio, and Brolo, while the kitchen retains period utensils.
The Mannerist chapel, decorated in 1782, serves as the family crypt.
Designated as a National Monument since 1927, the Barchessa housed carriages and valuable horses.
The garden, originally Italian in style with eight 17th-century statues, avenues with gates, and statues of Minerva and Mars, has transformed over time into a lawn with roses, oleanders, lilacs, hydrangeas, and peonies. The over 300 roses include historical and collectible varieties, dedicated to historical and artistic figures, with evocative names like Heatcliff, Mozart, Variegata di Bologna, and Banksia alba, offering a botanical and cultural journey through art, history, and landscape.
