May, 1919
The Park
On the southern edge of Saonara, in the tranquil plains of the Padua countryside, lies the estate of Villa Cittadella Vigodarzere, an extraordinary landscape shaped by the vision of architect Giuseppe Jappelli. Beginning in 1816 and continuing throughout his lifetime, Jappelli transformed the grounds into a refined example of romantic garden design, commissioned first by Cavaliere Antonio Vigodarzere and later by his nephew and adopted son Andrea Cittadella.
Antonio Vigodarzere dedicated nearly 13 hectares of the estate to the creation of a grand park, planting over 35,000 trees to frame and elevate the residence. Beyond its beauty, the project also carried a humanitarian purpose, offering employment to the local community during a time of hardship.
Today, the park unfolds as a poetic journey through curated landscapes and evocative scenery. From the entrance, pathways lead either toward the rustic courtyard or into the heart of the gardens, where a vast elliptical lawn opens beside the villa. Gentle hills, wooded groves, and artfully placed ruins create a sense of timeless elegance, while a secluded tunnel carved into rock leads to a serene, irregularly shaped lake.
Along its western shore, a small peninsula reveals traces of a once-enchanting world, romantic ruins, a chalet, and the memory of hidden grottoes lost to history. Nearby stands the neo Gothic Temple Chapel, rich in symbolism and atmosphere, housing a striking sepulchral space crafted from fragments of the ancient Church of Saint Augustine in Padua. Beyond it lies the circular Chamber of Judgment, crowned by a domed ceiling and once connected to an underground passage leading to a dramatic grotto.
Every corner of the park invites quiet discovery, a place where history, imagination, and nature converge in an atmosphere of rare and understated luxury.
The History
The villa was commissioned in the early 19th century by the nobleman Antonio Vigodarzere, a distinctive figure of landowner and patron, with the remarkable aim of providing work for the local community during a time of severe famine. He entrusted the design of the park to the renowned architect Giuseppe Jappelli, dedicating seventeen hectares of family-owned countryside to the creation of what would become an extraordinary landscape.
Following Antonio Vigodarzere’s death in 1835, the estate passed to his nephew and adopted son, Andrea Cittadella Vigodarzere, who completed the project in 1838, continuing the collaboration with Jappelli. The villa was later inherited by his son Gino, and subsequently by his granddaughter Pia di Valmarana, who transformed the residence into a vibrant cultural salon, welcoming artists and literary figures such as Gabriele d’Annunzio. She later passed the estate on to her nephew, the current owner, Lodovico di Valmarana.
During the Second World War, the estate was occupied by both German and British troops, resulting in significant damage to the interiors of the villa and, most notably, to the park and its architectural features. In the years that followed, careful restoration efforts gradually returned the estate to its former beauty, with works continuing through to the present day.
Giuseppe Jappelli
Giuseppe Jappelli (Venice, 14 May 1783 – Venice, 8 May 1852) was an Italian engineer, architect, and landscape designer, regarded as one of the leading figures of Neoclassical architecture in the Veneto. He gained particular recognition for his imaginative approach to garden design, especially for his romantic and symbolically rich landscapes.
His artistic formation was likely influenced by his cousin Luigi Jappelli, a painter and decorator active in the Veneto and later in Spain. In 1798, following the death of his father and under the guidance of his uncle Filippo, a prominent ecclesiastical figure, he enrolled at the Accademia Clementina in Bologna, where he studied architecture and figure drawing, showing notable talent in scenography.
Upon returning to Venice, he continued his studies in Padua under the cartographer Giovanni Valle. From 1803, he contributed to the renowned map of Padua created by Valle. After qualifying as a land surveyor, he worked on hydraulic regulation projects along the Piave River, collaborating with the engineer and fortification expert Paolo Artico.
Following the fall of Napoleonic rule and the dissolution of the Kingdom of Italy, Jappelli temporarily lost his citizenship and was compelled to remain in Lombardy. There, he devoted himself to redesigning the gardens of Villa Sommi Picenardi near Cremona in the English style. The originality and sophistication of this project established his enduring reputation as a landscape architect of exceptional vision.
In 1815, Jappelli returned to Padua, where he designed a spectacular scenographic installation inside the Palazzo della Ragione on the occasion of Emperor Francis I of Austria’s visit on 30 December 1815. He later went on to design and transform several important parks and gardens in the Padua area. His first major opportunity came in 1816, with the creation of the grand park of Saonara, commissioned by Antonio Cittadella Vigodarzere.
A supporter of Enlightenment ideals and a member of Freemasonry from 1806, Jappelli developed a visionary approach to design, aiming to integrate architecture, landscape, and urban life into a single harmonious system. Despite his forward-thinking vision, only a few of his broader urban projects were ever realised, with most remaining unbuilt due to the political and administrative constraints of the time.