A Castle Changes Dress

Castello Cini is an example of excellent transformism: noble residence, fortress and then Venetian Villa.

But it was in 1405 that, under the domination of the Serenissima, the castle became the property of the Marcello family, who began the construction of the famous Ca' Marcello as well as renovations involving the Ezzeliniana Tower, built by Ezzelino III da Romano in the 13th century. Other additions and renovations also contaminate the library and the Venetian Courtyard until the birth of the family chapel in the 18th century. It was here that the complex began to collapse under the weight of neglect, passing from hand to hand after the fall of the Serenissima, each time losing a piece of its ancient magnificence. The end seems to have come when, as a result of World War I, the Castle dies for good, plundered by the senseless use for military purposes and is stripped of all its wealth.

It was only in 1935 that the Castle found light again, thanks to the providential intervention of Count Vittorio Cini, a personality guided by a high intellectual and human caliber. The Count worked hard to recover the original furniture and furnishings that he donated to the Castle, which shone with a timeless light and returned to its ancient warmth, finally shaking off its dusty oblivion.

DISCOVER MORE