Last month, The World of Interiors, my favorite decorating magazine, published an article about the Caffè Pedrocchi, a 180-year old café in the heart of Padua. While I’ve walked past this café countless times (and even once arranged a dinner for clients there), I never truly gave it much thought.
My mistake.
The “beating heart” of the café is the Sala Rossa, where you’ll find an enormous curving bar of fawn-colored marble that resembles a Roman vasca.(Photo World of Interiors)
A few years ago, when I was still living in Florence, a friend returned from a business trip in the Veneto in northern Italy with a magnificent set of dishes, which have stuck in my mind ever since. Oversized and finely hand-painted, these plates, serving dishes and bouillon cups were decorated with a random scattering of colorful tulips and roses.
Detail of the handpainted rose, a classical 18th century motif
The day I went to visit Frassanelle, the owner, Francesca Papafava, took Katharina and I for a leisurely late lunch at the Parco delle Colline Ristorante located on the Golf Club of the estate.
Having lunch at the Frassanelle Golf Club with the owner Francesca Papafava
Piazza delle Erbe in Padua with the Palazzo della Ragione in the background (skyscrapercity.com)
Visiting La Montecchia, the owner, Giordano Emo Capodilista, told me of his family’s long-standing commitment to supporting and promoting the arts. In addition to the impressive Quadreria donated in 1864 to the Musei Civici degli Eremitani of Padua, nearly thirty years earlier, in 1837, the Emo Capodilista family wished to share another of its treasures with the city: a wooden horse sculpture. Technically, the sculpture still belongs to the Emo Capodilista family but it has been entrusted “sine neglexerint” to the Patavini, the citizens of Padua. Giordano’s description of this artwork triggered my curiosity. I decided that this horse was not to be missed.
Italian Wedding
Towards the end of last month Villa Emo Capodilista in the Veneto, about 45 km from Venice, became the backdrop to one of the most beautiful weddings we have had in our villas. Giordano Emo Capodilista the owner of the villa was thrilled: “it was like in a dream…we were all floating”
One of our jobs is to help home owners improve the decoration of their houses to make them more attractive and comfortable. I thouroughly enjoy bringing out a rooms potential. What satisfaction to turn a drab and sad room into a happy and pleasant one! This is how we work when suggesting improvements to our clients. This particular proposal was made for an estate I do not yet work with, an extraordinarily beautiful and authentic place near Siena. I haven’t had an answer from the owners yet, let’s hope that they like my suggestions…..
Venetia is a rich and attractive sightseeing destination which also offers many fun things to do with children.
A charming cruise, through nine swing bridges and five locks real “water lifts”, allowing the descending of an almost 10-metre high water slope between Venice and Padua.
The guided cruises usually include boat trips from Venice to Padua or from Padua to Venice; the boat stops at the Villa Gradenigo of Oriago, the Villa Widmann or Barchessa Valmarana of Mira, the Villa Pisani of Strà ot the Villa Foscari Malcontenta. The most informative website we could find is Batelli del Brenta.
Italy is home to the greatest number of World Heritage Sites to date with 44 sites inscribed on the list. On Wikipedia you will find a complete list of the sites.
Villa Rotonda, designed by Palladio
By the way Italy is UNESCO’s most notable donor in terms of voluntary contributions. In 2007, Italy donated over USD 56 million on an extrabudgetary basis to UNESCO
Read more on the Unesco website
The amazing Villa Emo Capodilista
have been undergoing restoration under the aegis of the ministry of culture for the past two years. Count Emo Capodilista, owner of this remarkable piece of architecture – a Gesamtkunstwerk designed by Dario Varotari in the 16th century - has asked me to underline how important the rental incomes are for this project.
In fact this one of the deeper motivations of our work. We find it highly gratifying that our clients, while having a good time and getting to know a wonderful country, are contributing to the restoration and upkeep of our cultural heritage.
Link to Villa Emo Capodilista
Work on the frescoes
The restorers at work
Initially the idea of starting a blog frightened me. I didn’t see the point, what on earth could I write into a blog which might interest my clients or potential clients? Not to forget that anything I put onto my website has to be written in THREE languages… Was this worth the effort? However, slowly but surely I found many topics buzzing in my head . The possibility to tell people about the true motivation of our work – contributing to the saving of an outstanding rural cultural heritage – suddenly seemed exciting.
Corzano e Paterno
Italy Tutto
Lospicchio
Memorie di Angelina
Truffle Pig