Castello di Roncade

An ancient moat and strong battlemented mediaeval walls, with squat square towers at the corners and well-proportioned round towers at the entrance gateway, surround an austerely elegant sixteenth century Venetian villa. This has a loggia with two tiers of arches and is considered to be one of the earliest Venetian villas architecturally. The garden is within the walls, in an almost square space with an avenue around the perimeter onto which face the rooms of the present wine producing enterprise. A small army of seventeenth century statues representing infantrymen from the Venetian army marches along the central avenue from the entrance gateway to the villa. The open space seems much larger than it really is due to the presence of four monumental trees - two Magnolia grandiflora and two Cedrus libani planted symmetrically – which have a grandiose, extensive spread. The specimens of Lagerstroemia indica which border the stairway facing the villa are also more than a century old.

An Italian style formal garden attracts the visitor towards the private chapel containing terracotta busts of the first owners, the aristocratic Venetians Gerolamo Giustinian and Agnesina Badoer. Behind the building the garden continues a short way with large, imposing trees including Taxodium and cypresses along the moat. A little further on they are replaced by open countryside with rows of vines, evidence of the present occupation of the owners.

The branch of the Giustinian family which had lived in the villa for centuries died out at the end of the nineteenth century and the abandoned villa was bought by Baron Tito Ciani Bassetti in 1930 who optimised the land with vineyards. Today his grandson Vincenzo and great-grandson Claudio share the work of conservation of the property and the production of excellent wines as well as offering hospitality to international guests in the bed and breakfast in one of the corner towers.