Villa Moro Malipiero, now owned by the Conti Rigoni Savioli, is the most well-known Venetian villa in Abano Terme, both for its proximity to Padua and for its history. It was commissioned to the great architect Nicolò Malipiero in 1557, built in pure Palladian style, and richly frescoed by Giovanni Battista Zelotti, a pupil of Veronese. During World War I, from November 1917 to September 1919, after the retreat from Caporetto, it was the headquarters of the Artillery and Engineering Command of General Armando Diaz, who directed the victory of Vittorio Veneto from here, marking the completion of Italian unity as remembered by the marble plaque still visible embedded in one of the pillars of the secondary gate of the villa. Curiosity: at the time of the war, to avoid being an easy target for enemy bombers, the building was camouflaged by painting the external facades in a dark color.
The façade of Villa Rigoni Savioli features four semi-columns of the Ionic order, supporting a large pediment; the grand staircase leads into the central hall of the noble floor. On the ground floor, there is the cellar, with vaulted ceilings, and other service rooms. The ballroom once occupied the central part over two floors, but after the French Revolution, it was divided in half, leaving the upper part intact while the lower part was divided into five rooms. The villa, equipped with porticoes, is surrounded by a garden (of 20,000 square meters) and three orchards, and in the back orchard there is a dovecote tower and a thermal water well, which was damaged during the last war (1939-1945). Another architectural gem is a small church (dedicated to the Patronage of the Virgin Mary), still consecrated, located at the end of the property, facing Via Diaz.
The frescoes, well preserved, evoke scenes from the Bible such as David and Goliath, Moses, as well as the chivalric epic of Angelica and Rinaldo; symbolic scenes like Envy, Strength, and mythological ones such as the fall of Phaethon. All of this is framed by stuccos and monochrome figures.
Information:
Guided tours on Saturday and Sunday only for groups of at least 10 people by reservation. Tours last 50 minutes from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM.
Price € 10.00 per person.
