The experience

The Villa is famous not only because the last Doge of Venice, Ludovico Manin, lived there, but also because, for more than two months, he hosted Napoleon Bonaparte. Stay that ended in 1797, with the signing of the Treaty of Campoformido, the ‘agreement between Austria and France that changed the destinies and borders of Europe.

The construction of the complex was desired by Count Antonio Manin as a testament not only to his wealth but to his high loyalty to the Most Serene Republic of Venice. Originally from Florence and having fled during the clashes between Guelphs and Ghibellines, the Manin Counts settled in the Friulian countryside and between 1650 and 1660 began construction work on the Villa. The entire complex as a whole harkens back to Venetian architectural features of the period: from the plan of the central building to the layout of the barchesse, from the Palladian-inspired exedra to the courtyard of honor to the materials and variety of decorative elements. The current appearance of the complex is that which resulted from the renovations the villa underwent in the 18th century. Its interior houses splendid works of art, such as Ludovico Dorigny’s tondo.

Two museum collections can be visited by the public: a prestigious armory and a collection of period carriages. Suggestive park attached to the Villa. Characterizing its French flavor are rare botanical species, ponds and hills with sculptural groups of mythological nature.
Over the years, the Villa has been the setting for numerous events and exhibitions of national and international appeal, and now, precisely because of its collaboration with major museums around the world, it is a major venue for contemporary art exhibitions.