Villa Molin

Villa Molin was built in 1597 for the important politician Niccolò Molin, an ambassador of the Venice Republic and of an illustrious noble family. When Nicolò wished to erect a villa for summer use that would be suited to the family’s standing, it was natural to turn to Scamozzi, first among Venetian architects at the time. It is located in an ideal position between Padova and the Euganean hills. elegantly facing the Canale Battaglia. Villa Molin welcomes you in its magnificent interior to let you walk through the centuries, feeling the union between art and nature. It can host every kind of event: wedding, business meetings, photoshoots both in the garden and inside the villa

Municipality:Padova
Region: Veneto

Contact the abode

Located between Padua and the Euganean Hills, Villa Molin looks out in all its glory onto the waters of the Bacchiglione river and remains perfectly faithful to Scamozzi's original design. The Villa was built in 1597 for Niccolò Molin, a senior magistrate or ‘Savio di Terraferma’ (meaning ‘Wise Men of the Mainland’) and ambassador of the Republic of Venice at the court of England, and also husband of Doge Alvise Grimani’s daughter. It was common at the time for patrician Venetians to compete with each other when it came to the construction of opulent residences, so when this important politician decided to build a country residence for his family, he called on the most prestigious Venetian designer of his time: namely, Vincenzo Scamozzi, official architect of the Serenissima and creator of the Procuratie Nuove buildings in St. Mark's Square.

The skilful and expert hand of its developer created clear and elegant lines and a layout that had extraordinary geometric coherence, centred around the quadrangle determining the shape of both the Villa and the central hall. The decision to involve Scamozzi and the concrete embodiment of the desired results, which make the residence similar to houses of antiquity, testify to a desire for the Villa to be elevated to the highest social level, and for it to blend in with the architectural features of similar properties customarily seen in cities.

 

The history of Villa Molin
Some of the most important noble families of Padua resided in the Villa over the course of the centuries, either by marriage or by the transfer of ownership. After the Molins, the Villa passed to the Capodilista family and then to the Contis in 1672. It is to them that we owe the splendid frescoes in the central hall, as evidenced by their coats of arms emblazoned in the vaults. The exceptionally high-ceilinged salon is entirely decorated with faux architecture and festive scenes, resulting in a jaw-dropping grandiose ensemble that is reminiscent of the spa halls studied in Scamozzi's youth. In 1772, the Capodilista family repurchased the villa and commissioned the beautiful neoclassical stuccoes that can be seen in the rooms on the first floor. After further changes of ownership and marriages, it then passed to the Dondi dell'Orologio family.

During World War I, the villa served as a military command headquarters and was the site of preliminary negotiations that led to the signing of the Austrian-Italian Armistice of Villa Giusti on November 3rd 1918. In 1955, it was purchased by industrialist Igino Kofler, who carried out major restoration work that restored the villa to its former glory. Villa Molin has aroused the interest and admiration of important scholars and architects over the centuries. Inigo Jones in fact declared that he took his cue from the building for the columns resting on the floor of the loggia of the Queen's House in London, without a pedestal, quoting that he did: " the same as I did at Greenwich, in the loggia facing the park, and as I had seen at Ponte della Cagnia near Padua in that most excellent Villa Molin".

Facilities and services 
The residence is located just a few kilometres away from the centre of Padua and is conveniently situated for nearby ring road exits and motorway junctions.

Villa Molin offers a bespoke service for organising all the finer details of your private event. Its spacious premises, consisting of a magnificent hall adorned with Baroque frescoes and several reception rooms that are all individually furnished and decorated, provide ample flexibility for hosting many different types of event. The Italian-style garden and romantic grounds are available for outdoor events and weddings. The historical, artistic and architectural qualities of the Villa make it the perfect setting, whatever the occasion.

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Territory: Colli Euganei

services

Experiences

Territory: Colli Euganei

Grounds
disabled access
External use
Internal use
Garden use
Event salons:2
Numbers of seats for events:180
wedding reception rooms:2
Places for weddings:180