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Quar Residence

VENETIAN VILLA

in the Venetian countryside

Countryside is always amiable, always full of attractions for the souls nobly willing " ( Petrarca )

View of the Villa del Quar with the park and the surrounding countryside. On the left in the background: Porter Villa St. Sophia built and designed by Andrea Palladio

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Dominicale Palace of Villa del Quar exposed to south

Black: Venice s history Green: Verona and Valpolicella s history Red: Quar s history Underline: how research has influenced restoration work

Short Preface

Villa del Quar is a monumental building complex, with a park and a vineyard in Valpolicella, situated in a wonderful, planted with trees, place along a street of Roman period valued very important : the Claudia Augusta Padana . The country residence it s only 5 km from Verona, the city famous for its local artists, both Italian and foreign (especially Shakespeare, world celebrated for his works of genius: "Romeo and Juliet"; "The Taming of the Shrew" and "Much ado about nothing" comedies). Verona, the city of love , is now part of UNESCO's preservation.

The residence has become recently a luxury five-stars hotel with gourmet restaurant, owned by Montresor family, restored and managed by the same.

This Venetian Residence, like most of the 4000 region Veneto s villas, has been proclaimed by Ministry for Cultural and Environmental Heritage, National Monument. It is considered a respectable work of art inclined to be protected and restored in case of need, not giving importance to the architecture, but bringing back the whole villa-gardens-orchard-country to its ancient glory. I understood than I had to recover most of the aspects that had linked it to the country. Productive and landscape functions even in correlation with the surrounding territories. I tried, then, to empathize myself in the family who had built, owned and lived in the residence, trying to live

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according to my way of being, only then I realized how our ways of life were similar. My habits are more modern but with similar problems and similar spirit of love for countryside. Seasons influences are really felt here, true values are very evaluated and love for the animals it s very important. I must confess it, I was scared because I was invested by a great responsability which made me more careful in choices, I needed the support of experts and friends who were particularly sensitive to these issues, to make no mistakes: the choices were always very important. I owe to the Time s Superintendent and to the Superintendent s officials of Verona and to Rome s Ministry BBAA, in the '80s, the worthiness if a farmer-rancher, who had a neighbouring property, just 15 meters from the Baroque church, didn t can build a stable of 20,000 cubic meters: it would be the end. It has been hard, expensive, long lasting almost 10 years, but the Residence and the surrounding area have been preserved. At the time City Administration issued the building permit with easiness. After few days, Verona s Superintendent and the Ministry made the miracle. Then I made request to the TAR and to the Council of State: they was great: the villa owe a lot to them. There were different times, however, by the ones the villa had to face several hazards, perhaps not too serious but that marked my destiny as Foreman ( Proto ) in the Villa. I was 16 years when I lived few miles from here, I came often in Quar' s countryside with my parents. I remember that already at that time were made brick work with cement floors to run two barns with stables above. The villa hadn t yet been subjected to the environmental constraint, but already in 1974, the Superintendent proposed that it was affixed to the relevant Ministry, with my great happiness. However at the time I didn t like the two floors yet. We met the same surveyor, a family s friend who had made by the two invisible floors, I was very careful and especially mistrustful about his solutions. It had to make two bathrooms for the sharecroppers

families. The surveyor advanced to realize them cantilevered outside the building. I wasn t agree and I suggested a different solution, realize them under the existing stairs. It was my first idea like future architect. I opposed, hereafter, the extension of the Claudia Augusta's home and the implementation of municipal sewage treatment plant, helping Administration in its negotiations for the acquisition of a more appropriate area near the railroad. Then the negotiations with three families of sharecroppers who cultivated the campaign of our property. At the age of 18 years with my uncle Francis Quinatrelli which one I was very close, I was able to persuade the first family to leave sharecropping by money remuneration. Then have been several hard wars with the remaning families for the same problem. By the help of Confagricoltura powerful official Mr. Giavoni, we released the ownership by the end selling a part, the most distant, an area of 20,000 square meters. I was enough free in moving myself, because before any change of Satus quo was a source of controversy even heavy (the peasants at that time had a hunting dog called Leo, certainly not as tribute to my name) . I hated the peasant mess because I like the cleanliness, rationality and order, so everything seemed to me suddenly better. The fights with farmers, because of law about agricultural' s rents De Marzi Cipolla, cheered me about the matter that since 1400s the struggles with the peasants had been cruel and bloodshed. Fortunately, although I was very young and without experience, they always cleverly, maybe hardly mistrusted me but they were correct. They ever respected me. Living of citizens and farmers together in the same house, was not easy, there were continuos quarrels. Please note that in 1425 there were riots in the countryside and the Vicar of Valpolicella was killed during the riots while he was trying to bring peace between peasants and landlords. Even Victor Emo, a Venetian patrician, was killed in battle, by the peasants in the fields, while he was sharing the harvest. Venetian government was forced to ask strict measures. The same Leon Battista Alberti in the family s treaty wrote:" Every action of them is intended to deceive

they are never in mistake. They are always looking for every opportunity just to get something from you

Doing everything to retain the best parts.. In contentions all problems are never charged to them. " For guests who want to sojourn in the residence, these are past curiosity about the surrounding area and the following historical, architectural, cultural information show a small preface of them.

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Information also allowed me to set up restoration works, which have been influenced by traditions and I have duly refered to them. In the Tea room also is located a small library with books in several foreign languages available for tourist in order to focalize every matter we re going to deal in succession. The text is shared in sentences written in three different colours, each color is linked to a different territory. The proposed analysis is a continuous cross-historical relationship between Venice and its territory, the Valpolicella Verona and Villa del Quar. The different colours make the text easy to read and provides a tool for comparison in every moment. Many customers, especially foreigners, informed about the future publication of this theme, have already asked me to send them the text by e-mail, to know better Villa del Quar's history, to come back with more curiosity and information. I come to conclusion the best way is publishing on my website of Villa del Quar the text to make it available to anyone would to read it: www.hotelvilladelquar.it

The Restoration

I attended the University of Architecture in Venice, where I graduated with Rector Prof. Carlo Scarpa. I have been influenced by his way of teaching architecture, his method of restoration, his architectural details and his modern furniture. I ve been Architect since 1972. In the first period of my occupation I worked with a cousin of mine who was very kind and taught me the work like a father. His name is Pietro Zorzi, he is very good in designing of modern villas, he design them with typical connotations of our territory and he is very good to give particular attention by placing them in local environment by using local building materials. We designed together and built public buildings such as nursing homes, hospitals in Italy and Brazil and buildings of funerary art. Then I have started my work opening an office at Villa del Quar and I have designed big and small building complexes that reach the 1000 homes.

I really loved restoration works, to private customers, but I especially liked restoration forVilla Quar s Family. I used up all my knowledge about materials, but especially I have restored recovering old materials, easily available in Italy, and I have a philological restoration. I viscerally love this Villa and I am deeply close to this territory. I trasmitted my passion to my wife and together we have tried to restore our Villa in the best way possible. Doubtful at the beginning, but more and more involved and convinced she followed and spuring me during the restoration work, bringing her valuable and critical (constructive) contribution. The works were carried out in relation to our economic possibilities, but mostly did according to our culture and our sensitivity. The Villa is owned by our family, The Montresor, since first years twentieth century. It was purchased by the Grandfather Alfredo Danese in the first 1900s at Venice Casino from a Lord who had just won it at game. I must thank my grandmother and my father for having inherited the property. They have driving me appreciate joys and values of countryside life. The agricultural fund (fundus) were grown from three farming families who lived there and step by step we convinced them, by a signed agreement, to leave buildings and fields, free for moving on it. Because of it I had to give up a part of ownership like inducement, luckily it was a land outside the walls of the roadholding.

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Photos of the 60s of the east front of the complex of Villa del Quar with manure

Photos of the 60s and part of the park of Villa del Quar Brolo

The first challenging work was restoring Owner s Palace in order to live in it at the first and second floor, second engagement was opening the architecture office at the ground floor. We immediately transfered ourselves (1982) in the country, at beginning of spring and immediately realized the beauty of living here. I enjoyed the cycle of seasons, the joy of spring incoming, first signs of the revival after the winter break of plants and flowers. It was really great live in this way among difficulties of being alone and with few comforts. We surrounded ourselves by animals, the got the first giant black Schnautzer dog called Tundra and after its incoming we always will get giants Schnautzer dogs. For not to leave it alone we got another dog and then a cat. We were in a great company. Even a owl was always present in our property and we judged it a sign of luckiness. After the opening of the Hotel and the Restaurant everything magically got better and we were contacted by people from all over the world.

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In 1990s restoration work started and ended in 1992, although, I must confess it, restoration work never ends because during closing days, every year, we work in order to make Villa del Quar ever better. So we have removed the feeling of isolation and we are now immersed in a steady connection between different cultures and way of thinking: this factor helped us to obtain a open-mindedness to world. The restoration was philological type and was made by recovering ancient materials, furniture, old doors and beams: all original from the past, we reproduced the lost atmosphere of the past. All the buildings were stripped of antiques furniture during two world wars that followed, few ones were left, but with effort we were able to buy other ancient and contemporary furniture in the surrounding territory, so we could recreate authentic atmosphere, as it should be in the the 700s and in the 800s, about furniture and finishes. The main style is both Italian and French empire . In order to restoration work the basic thing was understand our past and our national culture, to afford making rights choices in restoration. Studying the past has indeed supported me in making choices and encouraged me in discovering that even at the times of past there were the same problems and while I was finding the solutions, to solving present ones incidentally, I noticed that the same solutions were adopted in the past: it s fantastic.

Then, like owner of the villa, the more I was immersed in studying, the more I recognized the thoughts of those who had preceded me and had experienced the same feelings, first place there was

relationship between art, architecture and countryside.

Below you can find tales of story, painting, architecture, literature, politics, territory with them transformations. We would let you understand why some of the solutions adopted, without going down too much into details, were very difficult to explain in these pages, especially to foreigners with a different tongue. It will be my care, if claim by guests, trying to explain personally in a deeply way the reasons of choices.

The Venetian Villas

They were born in Veneto region as landowner investment as alternative at business investments of Venice city in the seas. They also arise as a need of the Venetian Republic to secure self-sufficiency at war time in order to guard against famines, using products of the surrounding cultivated fields. In addition, Venice, which has never been invaded by barbarians, saw increase their awareness of being heir of the ancient Rome, so Venetian villas are inspired by the ones built in Roman provinces, and also those of the high Adriatic sea. The Palladio's Villas illustrate the complexity of "civilization" of the villas that are inspired by the study of texts and monuments of the Romans with elements derived from both traditional Venetian farms both forms and elements from medieval castles.

The Villas at the time of Rome and the Country's myth

The Villa's ideology since the ancient Rome's days, has taken shape as a myth, cultivated by the urban middle class, the benefits and pleasures of country life, not at random have been written the "de rerum naturae", the Bucolics, the Georgics . The essential program of the Villa has remained unchanged for over 2000 years since it was defined by the Rome's patricians, meeting a need for ideological and psychological, that the citizen who sees the countryside as well as a possible use of capitals, a place for fun, relaxation, meditation and study.

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The first inhabitants of the Valpolicella and the Roman time

Verona s territory belonged to the tenth region of Italy, Transpadana. The city of Verona in 88 BC was a Latin colony ascribed to the tribe Publilia straight until the age of Augustus by a Roman proconsul. Two headstones found by Scipione Maffei testified that the ancient inhabitants were, in those days, called Arusnates and were probably of Etruscan origin. The historian Theodore Mommsen in his book claimed that the Arusnati's origins were rhaetian and that Pagus Aerusnatium depended on the Veronese Republic. The inhabitants of Pagus had their deities such as "Minerva Augusta", then recovered as a sign of protection in the sixteenth century to the eaves of the east frieze of the Villa del Quar.

Picture of the sixteenth century frieze under the eaves with Minerva represented guise of a warrior of satyrs and a dancing little angel .

At that time Valpolicella was inhabited by a population with a very advanced civilization, composed partly of nobles and land-owning families to witness the fact at that time the Valpolicella already would have been a favourite place for vacationing, in fact devoting themselves to the agriculture was regarded "noble thing" by the Romans. Arose "Vici" probably around large farms owned by noble families who were at the head of the tribes and their dependencies were slaves or settlers tied to the soil. The agricultural tradition, which is the pride and the characteristic of fertile land of Valpolicella, it also has a long history. It seems that in Valpolicella Mario has fought the Cimbri, who took refuge in the mountains, then closer, and that Stilicone, Onorio's general defeated there the Visigoths of Alaric.

The Quar in Roman times

In Roman times the important Via Claudia Augusta Padana road was passing near the Quar it was a major road and via trade with the neighbouring Germany. The Quar was founded as a fortified Roman Castrum, with its fundus, organized to defend against marauding Barbarian. Date back to this period, as elements still present, the mullioned window of the south facade of the manor, the old cellar, built on the border of the Via Claudia Augusta, albeit at a lower level, with its beautiful vaulted ceiling, niches and the floor of the same, the latter made of stone found in the Adige river that flows nearby. Most likely the lowest part of the "Brolo" 's wall back to Roman definition of the size of the Castrum.

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"Bifora" Roman-era gothic insert located in the "Dominicale"'s building

Inside view of the cellar with the "faces" of the Roman period

Towards the feudal structure: the Castle

The complex Roman agricultural's organization was replaced by the estate that has its expression in the castle, perched and closed, structure that was created under the influence of the culture of northern peoples. A complex structure isolated that arises in a defensive attitude toward the outside, to protect farmers. The villa is a rather extrovert complex, which integrates with surrounding area where owners and farmers don t fear invasions and sieges. With the beginning of barbarian age and the succession of invasions, Valpolicella's information were lost completely. We known that in the lombard period there was a Lombard Rothari Castrum, perhaps by the name of Rotari which was king of lombards since 636 to 652 and they speaks about the famous St. George ciborium erected at the time of King Liutprand.

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It also reminds Charle Magne, who always brought the siege from the Valpolicella's hills to the brave and unfortunate Adelchi who locked himself up in Verona, fortitud and best equipped to save the fortunes of the Lombard kingdom. Also Berengario, with the famous 905 diplomas dated might have possessed a villa located in the likelihood of St. Florian. The name "Val Polesela" appears for the first time in a decree of Frederick Barbarossa in 1177.It is also present in another diploma of Emperor Frederick I of 1178. Between the eleventh and twelfth centuries Verona s area was split into small rural towns independent each of others and they themselves formed around some "villas" near or on the basis of the ecclesiastical parishes. Valpolicella s area is full of these churches of Romanesque period: The Pieve of St. Floriano, St. Giorgio, Negrar and Arbizzano in addition to other smaller . At the time of the Lombards Verona s territory was divided into "sculdascie" corresponding to "quarters" of the age pre-communal. With the raids of the Hungarians became necessary the building of castles made by the inhabitants of "Vici" (the neighbours), who built a "Castrum" in a territory already noble and made by the Lord to protect them as exchange for assumption of obligations. It is interesting to see a photographic copy of a map taken in the sixteenth century at the Vatican Museums and placed well in the hotel lobby from which it appears that all aggregations built were structured as castles. With the spread of feudalism, Verona s old organization was broken, and most of royal rights were assigned to individuals. In 1311 Valpolicella was made up in fief by Federico della Scala, Ghibellino noble, was detached from of Verona s town and became a great political and strategic value, because it was physically located on the border with Trentino.

The Quar s structure became, in that period, even more fortified and more wide in the extension. It was a castle, with outer walls made by stones of Adige, brought to light during restoration work in 1980 and currently visible in the west porch, built with the same construction method of Old Castle in Verona.

The Quar is documented since 931 AD, which Vicus belonged to the Valpolicella. There are other subsequent documents that attest to the existence of this place called Vicus, locus, or fundus and cited by the following names: Arquade, Arguara, Argaris, Coari (which is by the Roman Coari emptied the horn of the ox which was stuck to the sharpening stone the blade of the scythe), Arquadre (before assuming its present name): Quar.

In the Middle Ages, some people have characterized this area by their actions. At the beginning of the thirteenth century some of the Quar's land belonged to Albertino Gambarini who grew wheat, millet and rye.

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Detail of masonry "fishbone" stone Adige 1100/1200 Certainly dates at this time the ancient well located in the bathroom of Room No. 4 called, of course, the Well , who made self-sufficient the community. The depth is 26 meters, the diameter is ml. 1.20, a lamp lights it up, highlighting the perfect circular structure made of brick. In the walls you can see the seats of wooden poles that were placed either to drop during the construction work, to allow make maintenance and reclamation works.

Detail of the ancient well inside the room n ° 4

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Detail of a mortar in the masonry of the Middle Ages found during restoration work

The Doge Sebastiano Ziani (1172-1178 )

The Venetian architecture of this period was not different from those seen on mainland, the buildings were almost devoid of openings to the outside, without windows, fortified, inaccessible. But when they realized that Venetians walls and ramparts were the ships and the value of the fleet, then came the open architecture of the Venetian: porches, balconies, interconnected courtyards .. Not gonna change over the psychology and the safety of those who live in this city, the only one in Europe that has never been invaded or occupied for a millennium, these concepts will keep abreast of the arts, forms, paintings, architecture, the opened Villas in the Venetian countryside. In the Arab world very high walls surround a rectangle of green, where the centre lies with the jet

of a fountain: closed Islamic paradises, advances of the joys of heaven. The cult of the gardens is mainly from the East, the countries of Islamic culture. The Alhambra, inaccessible to the outside, has inside sources, patios, gardens, that are now accessible. The Venetian Villa will be based on Islamic art, but will be a step ahead from their buildings. The changed political-military conditions helped to create a new thought with a new way of living and being. "The taste for nature flourishes when you forget nightmares of the Middle Ages." It was necessary that man's consciousness became more free to enjoy the gifts of nature and life., It was necessary that in many families were widespread affluence and optimism that brings with itself peace and prosperity .

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The birth of the Lords

In Villas will survive the noble ways of life typical of feudal tradition, influenced by the close relationship that Veneto had with the courts of France, cradle of civilization and spirit of chivalry "courteous" On the bumpy structure of the Roman Empire had begun to operate next to feudalism, monasticism heir of Roman organizational spirit .. Centre of this activity was the Abbey, which often results from the complex architecturally closed rural Roman called "fundus".

The abbey complex is organized around series of cloisters: the roof one for the recreation of the monks, to accommodate the rural countryside and the botanical products in which the monks grew medicinal plants and fruit, thus perpetuating the taste of the garden, so alive in antiquity. Venetian Villa also received suggestions from the near East. Then joined them by another religious organization the political and military orders one. We remember the most important ones such as the Templars and the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem that along the tracks of the surviving Roman roads, paths used by pilgrims and merchants, built hospices and shelters, where later in time, by following same disposals, will arise Villas of the Venetians nobles.

The signories and court culture

The Signories will replace the communes and enhance the distinctive features. In Verona Vicenza and in others border towns they will give special impetus to military art. Wealth and power tended to concentrate in the hands of a few gentlemen who soon loved being surrounded by its own court

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where he developed a more refined way of life. The Scala family, heirs of the feudal system of Nordic origin, linked politically to the transalpine world, they loved living in luxurious palaces, castles, festivals banquets, tournaments, surrounded by artists and intellectuals. It will be promotion of culture in the signories, including Verona s one, to be a model to which the Serenissima will inspire to enhance its prestige: one of the deputies place show this culture will be just the aristocratic Villa. In the fourteenth century the Quar's lands belonged to a Notary, wanted by Quar, well versed in the Scaligero s power, with assignments such influential in the Inquisition Office and in the Canons Chapter. At the end of the fourteenth century took over the Family Trivelli, who bought much land in the Quar and became during time one of the most powerful and noble families of the period. The heirs have continued the work of lands acquisition and one of the heirs in the fifteenth century became Vicar of Valpolicella.

Capital Scaliger found at Villa del Quar stored in private Lapidarium

Particular fourteenth boundary of a window

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Frieze cusp of the side gate entrance to the Villa.

Scala family fall in 1387 and where succeeded by Viscontis till 1404 and then by Francesco Novello da Carrara. But he didn t last for long because Venice who was forming a vast domain in the mainland joined forces with Francesco Gonzaga, lord of Mantua and caused a war that ended with the spontaneous dedication of Verona and Valpolicella to Venice in 1405. Serenissima republic found the rural municipalities already formed in "vicariati", an organization that remained until the fall of the Venetian Republic itself. Venice, thanks for the geographical location of Valpolicella on the border with Trentino, granted special privileges to its inhabitants including the possibility of electing their own vicar, and that lasted till the seventeenth century.

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Stone elements dating back to 1400 found in the walls of Villa del Quar

On the right, local stone capitals "Prune", on the left red shelf of Verona

The cartography in the sixteenth century of Valpolicella

Another contribution to the knowledge of Valpolicella at this time may be provided by the cartography's study: there is a wonderful paper and watercolour manuscript about Verona, of 1440s at State Archives in Venice and others ones including one of 1573s.

The cartography of the sixteenth century that depicts the Quar location

One of the wonderful maps painted on the walls of the Vatican Museums is the sixteenth-century Veneto, Verona and Valpolicella. A photograph of a part of it is exposed as a copy at Villa del Quar. From the same, showing the importance of this area because it is not represented and highlighted other now well-largest and most important.

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This particular picture from the hall of the Vatican Museums Maps showing the Quar

Detail pictures taken from the map room of the Vatican Museums

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Humanism: Petrarca (1304, 1374)

Petrarca, was a poet contended from all the great personalities of the era. He ended his life in Veneto hills, in a recollection that only countryside could offer him: "To me it does not offer any time of year that people cluttered, dust, mud, din , rubbish. Instead, country is always amiable, always full of attractions for the souls nobly willing ": Because of the new way of considering the campaign Petrarca could be valued the true patriarch of the civilization of Venetian Villas.

Andrea Mantenga ( 1431 , 1506 )

On the background of a fresco in Mantua in a Bridal room, outside of a perfect medieval city, among the ruins, we can see a rising building of white marble: a Classical Villa, with forms that a century after Andrea Palladio will make revive in his splendid Villa architectures.

Andrea Mantegna, Outside the walls of the city, the Roman Villa Mantegna depicts an ideal that seems to anticipate the shape of the Palladian villas.

Giorgione ( 1478, 1510 ) with rediscovery of Landscape

Giorgione, in his painting "The Tempest" depictes the amenity of the secluded place (locus amoenuus), water presence and the ancient buildings ruins that seem to suggest the perfect setting for a Humanist' s villa. The Venetians from the views of ports and cities, only after Cambrai, regained wealth and stability, feel the longing to return to their provinces where their parents had left.

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Giorgione, The Tempest. The beautiful secluded place, the presence of water and the ruins of ancient buildings seem to suggest the environment

Villa is ideal for a Humanist

Tiziano ( 1480 , 1576 )

Tiziano with his country Concert represents Giorgione s ideals: the pleasures of life in Villa, indicating confidence and harmony between man and nature.

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In the country Concer Tiziano takes the ideals Giorgione representing the pleasures of life in the Villa

Paolo Veronese (1528 , 1588 )

Paolo Veronese's painting has always impressed me. Born in Verona, adopted from the lagoon, enhances with his work the myth of Venice. Venice in '500 lives a figurative and architectural change, moving to culture and Byzantine and Gothic architecture inspired by the classicism of the Romans according to Florence and Tuscany renaissance. Veronese s painting reaches wonderful suggestion in decorations ceilings with an unparalleled brightness colour.

The spatial organization of his paintings is conducted through the use of more architectures' levels referring to classical architecture in their structural components. He also had a penchant for bright iridescence, bright colors and direct lightings.

His painting had Bold foreshortening, three-dimensional figures in space with the risk of a hard reading from below. It was a perfect study aimed to obtain a set in which painting, architecture and space combine to give a special performance by using scenic backgrounds with different architectural style and architectural characters. If that painting of Andrew was called the Palladium architecture, Paolo Veronese painting, in my opinion might be called the Palladium architecture interior painting and decorating .

The sixteenth century: the use of firearms

The Venice's trend of expansion in the fifteenth century had led to the conquest of Veneto, Friuli and East Lombardy threatening the domains of Papal Rome.: Spain, France and the Empire, moved by Pope Julius II joined in alliance in Cambrai against the Republic .

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The coalition army defeated the Veneto's army at Agnadello by penetrating the territory of the

Venetian Republic to the edge of the lagoon. But only with the Treaty of Brussels (1517) Venetian could regain possession of its former domain. After Cambrai decisions that Venetians were forced to take will be basic for three centuries, till the end of republic and will propitiate one of the most beautiful of its history that will lead to the birth of civilization as a result of the Venetian Villas commitment to a policy of direct intervention and widespread in its provinces. The decline of Levantine trade, plunged into a crisis by the discovery of America, by Atlantic routes and increasing competition of the Turkish power, will accelerate this process.

Fortified cities and countryside safe: Michele Sammicheli

After Cambrai the Serenissima Emperor Maximilian from Asburgo poured a strong sum of money to getting free his subjects from Empire, Venice reorganized the army and at the same time committed itself in the fortification of the cities. The works will be designed by Fra Giocondo from Treviso, Michele Sammicheli from Verona, and Palladio throughout the region, in order to resist at any enemy attack. The old defensive system has revealed inadequate to bear the brunt of the artillery. Fortification works were carried out "so that should rise to the thought come to her enemies to fight, ... they had to serve, not even in self-assurance and comfortable, but with some ornament." The major interventions were carried out in Verona by Michele Sammicheli attentive to present examples of Romans in Verona and in Rome where he will work side by side with Antonio from Sangallo, by gaining a fervent classicism. These great works, took on extraordinary importance for the dissemination of technical and architectural styles common in all the provinces of Veneto region.

A style born for war, as evidenced by the preference for the strict bosses and the massiveness of the structures, will also feature some villas including Palladio's Santa Sofia in Pedemonte (only 500 meters from the Quar). (see page no. XX)

The fortification of mainland has favoured a common architectural language. The civilization of the Villa will find its highest expression in the fourth decade of the sixteenth century. After Cambrai the towns also became responsible for the safety of the countryside, controlling them economically and culturally. Thanks to these cities and their system of power have departed a new aristocracy that has given birth in countryside an increased flowering of feuds. This explains the increment everywhere in the plains, along rivers and on hills, not of fortified castles, but of processing in construction of new villas with open architectures.

The villa in Verona.

Since 1500s Mediterranean world has changed. New trade routes, the discovery of America influenced the changes, especially in Venice. The city catered to mainland where its capital could be profitably invested. So there was a large flow of money from city to country and Venice organized its land. It built the Venetians of the Veneto region, which let it a well-defined region, with its own unique characteristics, with its typical landscape, its culture, its politics, its architecture and painting. In Verona's area differences compared to wards other cities in the Veneto, because in Verona, by more municipal solid traditions, were less strong the feudal survivals and being more distant from Venice having had a different development, by building a different personality. There are more than 400 villas in Verona with different distribution in the territory depending on the value of the same environmental conditions.

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In 1419s Poet Guarino Guarini owned a Villa in Corrubbio locality. He praised the climate of Valpolicella: "Here the climate is so mild that it seems that spring has elected its headquarters in Valpolicella . Guarino liked hearing stories told by old people "here there are many people who come to old age in full possession of their mental faculties, who don t escape to any effort .... We must wonder why advanced age does not warn in them some disorders of old age .... I come to them to know in which circumstances have been destroyed close-knit Scaliger castles... " Another important aspect was the will of the Lordsand the rich bourgeois who owned the city's Palace to buy villas in Valpolicella and becoming landowners for not only enhancing by the construction of the villas, but also by making it better as possible and by recovering people uneducated. The noble families owned houses in which they went on holidays but also for monitoring agricultural work and sale them. Estates also were able to be a guarantee for misfortunes, to guarantee loans and also achieved prestige. So were born castle-villas, farm-villas, palace-villas, pleasant sites, suitable to move to a better climate than the city for few months during the year. They went there with the whole family to receive relatives, friends, writers, beautiful women (a famous courtesan of the time was Veronica Franco ), and people in the business relationship. The factors that determine the distribution of villas in the area were mainly associated with the acquisition of farmland by the nobility. Please note that this race to the acquisition of lands by the nobles had already begun at the end of 1400s despite of communal lands and Scala s farms, in order to creating new productive forces and enhance areas that traditionally were forested or pasture or meadow. Besides that, during this time much land becomes available because of refurbishment of the progni (normally dry watercourses used during rains of great autumn or during summer storms that rain water drainage) is made by the municipalities from Monasteries. It's even witnessed towards the end of 1500 to a real race to land property with a substantial increase in acquisition's cost. It is not always easy determining the exact date of construction of villas, because of many changes made in the time, but we can say that most of construction of villas was in the '500, mainly in the hilly area and the adjoining plain, thickly built by Veronese nobility, while the number of eighteenth-century villas is certainly major in Verona's plain. Alvise Cornaro on behalf of the Magistrate of the uncultivated goods favoured such a enhancement policy of agriculture to curb the depletion of Venice, which had to import cereals to meet the needs of a growing Venice's population. For several centuries the villas became an economic support and social structure of Valpolicella. The Verona area is now emerging such as studied, modified by humans and these changes have materialized because of presence of the Lords living in houses that have sought to acquire land in areas best served by roads, no more than a day's drive far by carriage from the city and next to residential areas close to place of labour necessary to life of the villa and the surrounding countryside. Already in the '500s they advised to buy the land with some characteristics "to buy an estate, the first and most important thing is that she takes in the site is good air, ... .. absence of this much-needed, much madness is too buy it ... ... .. then should Torla healthy bottom ... ... ... because the possessions situated on the hills well clothed with woods, do olives, fruit trees and others, are the most accommodated, and useful of all the others, since usually make anything. "The lords choices fell on the lands suitable for vineyards, orchards and cereals, with great attention to the availability of water and protection from flooding. The houses prefer the base of the slopes of the valleys, the first hills that dominate them, areas not with the risk of flooding rivers, the villages or the existing buildings. Last and not less important consideration is the availability of water for both domestic and agricultural use, both for gardens vegetables by cultivation of the orchard. Villas have become then more and more difficult for outsiders to penetrate and transformed in progressive isolation of the Palace: an iron gate, an independent entrance ... .. the progressive transformation of the orchard from a geometric orchard to a garden.

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The villa's distribution pattern has a square or rectangular with a central garden, the background, prospectively lifted in evidence as the palace with north-south plant and south-facing main facade, it has an architecture much more rich than rustics placed on both sides in frame, sometimes with pigeon tower. Therefore, the Palace was in the centre of life and based on geometry of the villa, there came products of the ground and was enriched with spaces, under necessary control for conservation by the master, for example: the cellar, the seles (open space, lined with brick, with light baulatura ( land s trend ) for the drainage of rainwater, facing south to enjoy the maximum irradiation and allow for better drying of grain, the barns, granaries. With the spreading of the resort in the '500s architecture of the Palaces have changed, loggias features have given way to an architecture no longer made of solid and void but made by facades impressive, full of architectural elements, almost in an introspective wealth. Ceilings, wall frescoes, trompe l'eil, paintings and sculptures adorned and enriched the interiors.

The Chapel

There are at least thirty chapels in Valpolicella s villas. It 's a building generally built by the Lord for give prestige and for devotion. Normally ends a wing of the barn, or is a chapel built inside the palace. Surely it has two entrances: one for people and the other situated in directly line from the villa for exclusive ladies' use .

The Garden

It was born with the villa, for the villa, in continuos contact with it and the surrounding countryside. In the '500s was enhanced with geometries of boxwood, with straight paths, scattered with sculptures and the order of a typical Italian gardens. Between the '600s and '700s became artificial in sharp contrast with serenity of the landscapes painted in the halls. Nature is moved inside the building as if it were a continuation of the exterior, while the transfer takes place in moving the buildings into open air. The villa led to a great organizational effort by the rationalization of space with outdoor terraces supported by walls of stone lookout, tree-lined avenues, intensive farming, so organized and so geometric. In the '800s the ratio was completely reversed : the Palace becomes a human scale, exclusive, the garden becomes less built, less contrived, less baroque, more essential, an English park, more romantic. Now the park is developed in a more natural spread of the orchard with tropical plants and aviaries (cedar of Lebanon, deodar cedars, palms).

The Rustics

They are a link between Town and country: stables, chicken houses, cellars, ovens, granaries, barns. The workers don t live all in villa s complex (Villani farmers), because the Villa of Valpolicella is primarily economic-productive entity. They need spaces with completely different characteristics for use they were oriented: the stables on the ground floor, of course, cellars, barns well ventilated in order to allow perfect ventilation and best drying of hay for cattle and horses . The assumption of not perfectly dry hay produces infact irreparable damages to horses. In barns were also raised silkworms, mulberry leaves were their necessary food, and were essential for this economy.

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The Cellar

Under the Palace or under the barns cellars have always been very important for the economy of villas. Placed under the ground level, they were undergrounded to maintain a constant temperature and humidity inside (essential for the perfect preservation of wine). The cellar or caneva, is very often cited in deeds, infact an act of the late fourteenth century states. "Cun torculari a Magna cum suis ab uvis aparamentis" The villas could keep inside wine and oil to be sold products, more profitable than wheat, subsequently organized by their cultivation, have produced a transformation in agriculture which is compared to arable land or meadow.

The Brolo

The Brolo was the part of cultivated land in direct contact with the villa, it was surrounded by a high wall made of local material, a part of it was grown like orchard with fruit trees. It seems that in Valpolicella there was no houses without a Brolo. It could even be there before the plant of villa and it was a plot of land with relevance and enjoyment for only the ownery for food needs of him and his family. The fence with a high wall was used with several purposes, including protection against animals, against thieves, also for establishing a unique domain. In a short time part of it was used as garden, or park. Other distinguishing features were the fish pond with carp and tench, cedar greenhouses, the giassara for preservation of pressed snow and ice lying off underground in order to preserve foods and beverages. Considerable importance was given to the presence of water: current, water sources and by wells.

The Countryside

The Valpolicella's villas have possession in average of about 70 fields in Verona (square meters per 3,000), corresponding approximately to 21 hectares.

When Grandfather Danese acquired it, roughly it had this size, but after his death was divided between the two sisters, leaving to his daughter Assunta (my grandmother) the villa and about 12 hectares. Her sister Clelia inherited the remaining fields and the workers' houses placed across the prognosis. During the recent refurbishment workers' houses have emerged during excavation works of the foundations of Roman houses. In fact part of the territory of Valpolicella was donated by Rome to the soldiers who fought in wars: the organization of the territory was called the land division. The new owners, the bourgeois, will introduce machinery for the conducting and the cultural specialization of the lands and will introduce plants like grapevine thanks to favourable climate, the process started since the middle of 800s. A more rare type of conducting, that was practiced was the directly conducting by the Lord through the use of labourers (already in 1653 Serego Alighieri practiced a mixed management).

The Lords of the Villa

Lords occupied the central space of villas, the most representative place, the highest, the dominant, the richer in architecture and full of architectural and scenic elements. The rejoiced in the country going hunting, doing horse riding, by the "academies" in gardens and slotts, by dramas, games, lunches, dinners. City fashions were moved to campaign: the ceremony of coffee, the chocolate, the wigs, the fops, the salons. They directed and administered the villa although having a rounder: the steward.

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The main Villas of Valpolicella in the sixteenth and seventeenth century

- Villa Saibanti Monga or Villa Constance from the second half of 1600 - Villa Pullè Galtarossa of the second half of 1600 - Villa Santa Sofia in 1500-the work of Andrea Palladio and Sammicheli - Villa Giona-Beans from the end of 1400 - Villa Acquistapace Castellani of the 1500 school of Andrea Palladio - Villa Perez Bertani Montresor 1500/1600/1700 attributed to the school of Sammicheli - Villa Amistà attributed to Sammicheli - -Villa Bertani in Novara - Villa Bertoldi - Villa Zamboni - -Villa of the Sisters Arbizzano - -Villa of Torre 1500 Julius Roman and Michele Sammicheli - Villa del Bene 1500 Sammicheli - Villa Mosconi in Novara

The Quar is located in a strategic position for trade; the orchard is bordered in south and west side by Claudia Augusta street and his pre-existence is certainly of Roman. It's bordered on the west and, in part, to the north by the prognosis of Negrar, and especially in the northern side was in serious danger of flooding once in full of the prognostic effect of large and constant rains, causing floods and it's just for the pre-existence that this position was maintained. It has to be said that they formed from the prognostic along the property more easily lead to flooding in the west site where there were the homes of workers, therefore saving the Villa and these are considerations that led me at present day to must doing them. The water's availability was secured from an old source (sixteenth century, but perhaps far more ancient) flowing in the extreme west of the property at the foot of the hill that leads to Corrubbio and well in the courtyard of the villa that water an aquifer at a depth of 22 meters. The environmental conditions are very interesting. Today like in the past, the annealing in the summer is 5-6 degrees lower than in the city. During the day, the air warms and rise towards the hills (south-north direction), creating a pleasant breeze. In the evening when he reaches over the odds' cold and cooling and falls (in a north-south) it creates a flow of fresh air that lasts all night with no less than 8-10 degrees cooler than the city. The hill's environment or the first plain are the most coveted by gentlemen, both at landscape level and aesthetically level suitable to receive from the man s hand such modifications for villas increasingly important from the point of view of art and environment. These lands were wanted for their variety of cultures that thrived in it, in part because during the cold seasons, almost never were enveloped in fog and temperatures rarely during the day with sunlight, fell below 10 degrees. In these areas it was much easier and profitable cultivation and was therefore also coveted by the workers. Interesting from the first plains to the hills the construction of terraces supported by dry walls of local limestone blocks that make this area distinctive. While the construction of villas was considered have the important environmental factors, was calculated the exposure of the facades (south) to receive the best possible radiation, especially for colder months. Also in the south facade of the building were made sundials, ancient sundials wich have a good precision.

Even in the Palace of Villa del Quar, there is a sundial that works perfectly but it has one defect: does not provide for daylight-saving time.

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The location of villas is also determined by the position of very important ways, the seniority of wall hangings profound reshaping of existing buildings also their total oblivion. The mapping of the settlements was characterized at the end of 1300s by small isolated villages fortified, as well represented by a copy of the map area of Valpolicella painted in fresco on a wall of the Vatican Museums, which sets out clearly that villages have been fortified only for defence and thy were dominated by castles of feudal lords (of medieval origin) to protect them basket case as refuges. At that time there were the first dwellings, some remained witness. Derived by the architecture and urban renaissance they are characterized by a portico with columns and arches at ground level and a string of warping to the next level with a rhythm, which normally correspond to a period of two arches at ground level of the upper level. In the barn there was loft, at the first house there was at ground level cellar, stables and warehouses. Very often pre-existences or coeval are constituted by century dovecotes or watchtowers which Valpolicella was rich, placed at a distance that communicate with each other and call in case of invasion of enemy troops. They were called dovecotes because the top floor were bred pigeons to send news useful when other communications systems could not be used (such as dense fog or smoke caused by fires). The existence in the facade of the Villa del Quar of a mullioned window of the Roman era, the size of the building in depth, the hypothetical line in its present form defined by the rain that would give a basis almost square, and finally the current positioning of windows would consider the seniority of a tower since Roman times. At that time the rural house began to abandon the medieval patterns with wooden buildings with thatched roofs, replacing it with masonry and roof tiles. Many villas come from the reworking of an existing villa, sometimes can arise next to it, in other cases it is the transformation of old castles, mainly of Scaligero s period. Villa del Quar is no exception: during the restoration works were brought to light stone masonry with herringbone made like a round stone of precisely, ordered tyrol herringbone alternating with a row of "terra cotta" tiles to give more texture to the wall. These artifacts were found in all the walls of the Quar and they show the probability that in Scaligero s time it was a castle. An amazing thing in my opinion, is that at first the walls were made by a double wall separated by a great old as insulation system made with thickness of 10 cm of rice husks. The layout of the buildings at the floor plan shows very interesting things:

1. The defensive arrangement made by the creation of a courtinternal with all the walls of Scaligero's period.

2. The construction of the villa was built on Roman pre-existences, because the west wing of the villa (now Barchessa) is not parallel to the east wing because it followed the direction of the important Roman road going along it .

In the hills and in the foothills villas are not centres of attraction, unlike of the plains, and this for the fact that they were more populated, with villages scattered along the existing roads. Houses of peasants were allocated like it was necessary by the fragmentation of farm and sharecropping type conduction properties of the lords. The type of occupancy was mainly the "lavorentia" a similar form like sharecropping, it was maintained and contracts changed till the end of the last century and in some cases they were not few. The lavorentia since 1500 gave 2 / 3 of money to the laborer, and 1 / 3 to the master, with management directly from the master but not followed by a figure who acted as an intermediary between the two parties: the steward. Completed the architecture of the Palace the infrastructures necessary for the activities of production: the cellar (or caneva tinasara) stables, barns, chicken houses, barns, styes, seles, porches and barns, spaces for palace life s needs. In practice, the villa became s a real business centre, getting greenhouses sheltered from cold, repairing the delicate citron lemon trees, taking "bigattaie" for sericulture (the Danish grandfather was able to handle well in the early years of the 900 mills for 8 silk).

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To complete these business complex there was the fish kettle which provided fresh fish mainly carp and tench, the only fish that could survive in the water not fed by rivers, the giassara ( a place where the ice was preserved before twentieth century ) and the lisciara (which was done a few times at year, by using water and ashes for tissues washing). Finally, they also surround additional labour related to maintenance of the manor house and farm as the gardener, the coachman, the carpenter and the blacksmith that makes this extraordinary reality almost self-sufficient economic and socio-cultural and productive.

Villa del Quar

Detail of a sixteenth-century plaque inside the Barchessa at Villa del Quar

A plaque in the Western Barchessa contains the following inscription: "Adi 5 Mazo 1539" and to this period belong the same Barchessa, with features on columns and pillars of the porch, part of the building which houses Dominicale south-facing windows at ground level, squared with contours in tuff and moldings typical of the sixteenth century. Also the building's structure belong to the sixteenth century, it was used as a hotel facing east and west, with two beautiful ashlar portals, which suffer from the influence of the aforementioned military fortifications with wooden ceilings of the porch, which connects the two rusticated portal, decorated with contemporary designs and beautiful friezes below the eaves-graffiti, both in the front of east side and in the west side, depicting cherubs and satyrs dancing in masks, dated back to the mannerist iconography. In the same frieze depicts two important signs of the Villa and security of the entire complex: Minerva disguised as a warrior with sword and shield and an Aegis with a Gorgon's head, another important sign of protection of the Villa. Verona's people were very devoted to Minerva, it is witness by the fact that many places are consecrated to her, for example: Minerbe, Manerbio.

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Detail of the frieze's eaves represented Gorgona with two satyrs

Detail of the frieze below the eaves with Minerva represented in the guise of a warrior of satyrs and little angel.

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Window of Villa del Quar in Mannerist era

Il Doge Gritti (1528-1538)

Doge Gritti consolidated the organic restructuring of the provinces after the peace of Bologna , with bureaucratic efficiency in the administrative leadership of all the territories of the Venetian Republic. With the fall of Rome (1527) and Florence (1530) Venice was the only Italian state able to preserve its ancient liberty. From that time took refuge in Venice artists, writers and intellectuals who saw their natural lagoon in the city shelter, including two men from Tuscany: Pietro Aretino and Sansovino. Venice has now conscious of having duty to represent the entire Italian Renaissance culture with a wave of Romanism that dominated the culture of the humanists and artists of that time.

Alvise Cornaro ( 1467 , 1566 )

It will be thanks to the Alvise Corsair whether capitalism will decide to open up to acquire land reclamation and many, who will lead the Venetian Republic to give life to that "Magistrate over uncultivated Heritage" which is the stage for understanding the foundation and the luck of the secular Venetian Villas. Taking advantage of the bankruptcy of his family business experience had drawn the belief that agriculture is no longer on the sea but had sought prosperity and the future of the state. He sought support in the classical culture which had excellent results and for which he was recognized "as the only free man, honourable and lawful activity: agriculture." He acquire funds "not with weapons and means of others or damage to the means of passing the seas with infinite dangers so that a single purchase order laudable." Writer and patron, he loved to accommodate around them "men of great intellect." "Take pleasure in visiting with friends, being with them and arguing with men of great intellect with architects, painters, sculptors, musicians, farmers".

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So the Venetians found the agreement between the culture of the ancient and renascent life, between the study and the contemplative life (otium) and the active life (the negotium). In one or in another Villa were held the convivial and literary meetings with music performances and plays, but also with practical discussions on the new crop, the style of architecture, the iconography of the frescoes. One lucky moment saw them together so that they can consider the father of civilization of their own villas and will be friends of the Cornaro that favours the work of Palladio. The Veneto's gentleman familiarly considers his peasants also participating with them to the main events during the year mark the life of the Villa. Also because after Cambrai the farmers who had sworn allegiance to San Marco and Venice had fought for the hours are just as valuable and necessary to remedy the economic situation in the region. The old controversy between town and country now has a moment of respite.

Andrea Palladio ( 1508 , 1580 )

Andrea Palladio, Villa Santa Sofia in Pedemonte 500 ml from Villa del Quar.

Palladio was very pleasant in conversations with gentlemen and lords who were his clients, as well as with the workers, who worked for him, he kept them happy so they could work in joy .

Sammicheli and Sansovino s villas, while presenting noble forms of classicism, are rare and isolated incidents. Those of Palladio summarize and sublimate, translating in terms planning and architectural ideals, old and new inspirations .. they interpret with absolute balance peculiarities of the site and needs of the client without this one skews the unique style and unmistakable poetic .. They became a viable model to being also removed outside Veneto and Italy. Palladio s work was influenced by political, economic, social and cultural factors, but its architecture is not an erudite sublime abstraction of a great architect. It is not only a model of absolute beauty, because its buildings are designed in a specific natural environment, are deeply tied to land, climate, landscape, history of that place, to owner. Palladium is a magician of light colour, Paolo Veronese representation of architecture.

Venetian Villas represented a revolution which changed the meaning of human life. In medieval time Christianity had taught to evaluate everything in relation on its moral values, to consider the universe in relation to religion, artistic creations allowed were works for community. Their function was to exalt God. When the New Man will regain confidence in himself, when history will

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recognize the value of honouring genes of the past, when he will get the awareness that he as like destination the reputation, he will valorise fame and glory on earth and will enhance ancestors and offspring and he will believe he can survive through his sons, became guardians and followers of his works.

Religion will be humanized and man will feel the need to rise himself. He will recognize to artists the task of capturing his ideals. He will see in architecture works which is building the "Monumentum", the testimony of himself by which he will continue to communicate with men .. passing his ideals to them. The place where this man was born and wich has ennobled, identifies with him, has become his ideal home, often takes his name.

Goethe felt in Palladio the presence of two components: historical concreteness and ideality. With the coexistence of these two components was born the poetic essence and true charm of Palladian art. Palladio means Villa as a beauty that gladdens, like nature and art, is seen like a symbol of man dominating nature. Venice s teachings were considered a model for many people, perhaps this fact explains why the Palladian architecture, especially that of the City, had had so much luck in England and America. Probably his architecture depicted the humanization of architecture and the adaptability to succeed at the same time comfortable, useful and important for many spectacularly powerful men. "Si cupis animum domini conoscere aspice et respice domum " if you want understand the

personality of the client, observe and consider carefully every aspect of his abode. Palladio means Villa as a beauty that gladdens, as nature and art, art as a symbol of man dominating nature. The teachings of Venice were considered a model for many, perhaps this explains why the Palladian architecture, especially that of the City, has had much luck in England and America. Probably he depict the humanization of architecture and adaptability to succeed at the same time comfortable, useful and important for many spectacularly powerful. "You know Cupis domains animum lobster et respice domum" if you want to understand the personality of the client, and observe carefully considers every aspect of his abode. They said that the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, a great admirer and imitator of Palladio, has led to Ponticello in Virginia samples of herbs and plants of Berici, to recreate in those places of America, a similar environment to that of original Palladian's Villas. Thomas Jefferson had understood that, to make revive the art of The great architect was necessary first trying to reconstruct the indissoluble unity between Monument and Nature.

Villa del Quar in the Sixteenth Century

Built on pre-existences Villa del Quar is presented as a typical patrician residences, Roman and thirteenth-fourteenth century, constitued of several buildings erected at different times, arranged around a U-shaped garden. Much of the structure belongs to the sixteenth century. The central part of the complex is dominated by a second and more majestic Dominicale building, probably from the sixteenth century four-expanded and modernized in the seventeenth century. From the sixteenth century pillars are part of the portico that now is part of Hotel Lobby.

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Photos of the 60 in front of the south of the complex of Hotel Villa del Quar with the Dominicale Palace

French invasion in 1796, caused the fall of the republic of Venice, and determined a turning point in Valpolicella's life. Venetian rule lasted, for four centuries, life was peaceful and serene and few damages were caused by the brief periods of war. The hard-working people, dedicated to agriculture and commerce, favoured by well-known privileges, had reached a considerable degree of comfort, albeit land was a ownership in the hands of noble families. Only in mountain areas there was the smallholder farmer and sharecropping. Dialectical expression named Filò indicate the meeting and the vigils in winter farmers' barns, it refers to the work of spinning with mantis shrimp and the spindle: very ancient art. The farm cottage was the core of a complete economic activity. There were present several flocks of sheep for wool and even silkworms by which we produce canvases and fabrics very elegant .. In this economic system, the master courts in plains represented much of the industries necessary for life. When Napoleon entered in Verona in 1796, Valpolicella's inhabitants gave 'extreme test of loyalty to Venice (Pasque Veronesi 1797) with volunteers commanded by Earl Perez, man owner of an ancient courtyard next to the Quar. It was decreed by the Campoformio s treaty the definitive disappearance of republic of Venice and the suppression of Valpolicella Vicariate. But with Austrians return in 1798 vicarage was restored. In 1805 with the Peace of Presburgo, Veneto returned under Napoleonic rule and Vicariate disappeared permanently and Valpolicella lost its secular benefits. On the 30 of March in 1799 the Austro-Russians, taking advantage by the absence of Napoleon in Egypt, attempted the comeback. General Sérurier, commander of the division, rejected the Austrians but in front of Parona found a strong resistance and the Austrian General Kray forced the French people to retreat.

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The locations of the troops

A press of that period is present now in the Hotel and shows the location of French and Austrian troops, in the same we can see the presence of a battalion of Austrian troops right to the Quar which became the seat of control.

The locations of Austrian troops in orange and yellow against the French and Piedmontese troops respectively in blue, white, red and blue

Villa del Quar was infact an headquarters of a division of the Austrian troops as evidenced by this map.

Design choices was influenced at architectural and organizational level by the office , influenced by the analysis of villas, the owners, the relationship with the countryside, the organization of the orchard and vegetable garden, the park, the recovery value of the fish, although with a different use at the assertion of the vineyard. They are all common elements characterizing the villas and mainly

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villa del Quar, now became hotel and restaurant. But hospitality isn t today not much different from that of yesterday and aren t the values always the same?

The villa-home "parva sed apta mihi," the culture that spawned it, the conditioning of historical and socio-economic events and enabled it to thrive for 4 centuries, emerge retrieving values never appeased, never forgot, that I learned to know, to live and to love. I recognized myself in the choices of those who preceded me epitomizing, unconsciously beginning their way of living and thinking and being. I just tried without architectural disruption and perhaps cultural to make revive the peculiarities of a modern villa-home in a current context. Sometimes I sit in the lounge chair in the evening and I relax myself by reading a book. Sometimes I'm filled with sweet and heady scents. Is perhaps a way of communicate, by people who lived here, a serenity or an endorsement?

After this reading will become clear all the elements that influenced the choices and the organizational design. This is not the case to explain them one by one, nor to repeat the philosophy of the philological restoration: every one is well aware that "understands" in his own way. The work of restoration, the life in villa , recovery values even if I adapted them to modern times, I have marked strong emotions, a deep attachment: they have given a new meaning to my life as architect. I often wonder if my daughters will think by the same way, globalization leads to a detachment of the values linked to own territory. But I think that in their hearts, our life in the villa is always present and I believe that it has given to them many emotions. Maybe now this feeling is still hidden in their hearts but will emerge powerfully over time as a sense of responsibility too.

Villa del Quar: the project

From this study, perhaps not very depth, but enough to understand the whole matter where are derived works of restoration, the design choices, in recreating the atmosphere.

We are fully aware that "The Venetian Villas were born with this vocation of being reception sites that combine taste of comfort, grace and refinement with noble and simple beauty of antiquity. Here, long time ago, people talk about politics, poetry, culture and I like thinking that our guests

could appreciate the same presence of taste" .

"Our ideal guest is anyone who loves life in the open air, someone who understands the country, who loves our culture, who appreciates courtesy, discretion and hospitality."

The furniture is in mostly part original and in neo-classical style, of Napoleon s period, which goes well with luxury finishes, not al lot modern, otherwise it would be a violation, an act of technology, an act forced against the past or against the spirit of Villa, I have full respect for the tradition.

Important people have had summer vacation at Villa del Quar: the famous Chinese cellist Yo-Yo Ma, we know because of the movie Memoirs of a Geisha , the stars: Lenny Kravitz, Vasco Rossi, Zucchero, the director Sydney Pollack, the Coen brothers, the baritone Renato Bruson. Also many politicians as Robert McNamara, a queen of an Arab country, Arab princes, sheikhs, ambassadors, consuls, nobles of several nation. About their presence at Villa del Quar you can know it now, after they have left, you will never know about their sojourn before they arrive because privacy it s too important in our professional competence . They could return only if they have been satisfied of our protection.

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And then could happen memorable evenings here , like that time when were sit at the same table a British Ambassador, a U.S. Senator and an Italian one. They are beautiful people, there aren t no doubt about it, people from all the world, like during the civilization period of the Venetian Villas, time that we want to make revive in guests sojourn.

"This is a National Monument where you feel strong ties with the past. We want our guests feel it, live and share. We try to convey a taste for simple things, hospitality, so many people have claimed with our honour, feeling here like being in their home.

The whole atmosphere has a typical Venetian imprint, sown with the floor and walls of a light beige spatula; the centre of the hall, over the bar which is actually a wooden faux marble painting of the eighteenth century, dominated by the "King Sun, "the first real act of recognition Gourmand, then a giant mirror gilded Louis XVI style gilt framed two festoons and garlands. Wherever antique furniture and gilded mirrors, Italian and French Empire beds, closets, segreter, psyche, como ', paintings, prints, gold tooling, twisted empire, Murano chandeliers and applques, canopy beds, antique doors, floors sown terrazzo, old beams and planks of the old floors.

The sound level meters in size on the walls curiously made from old doors found no change at all like the original size. The comfortable sofas and armchairs that decorate the hall are covered with heavy damask linen in bright colours characteristic of Venice: yellow and red, with a touch of blue. Many details of comfort and class. "Don t forget we are in a haven of quietness, in a place where it's possible isolating from the external environment ,briefly, in a paradise for romantics and also for business people" who wish to relax after a tiring day.

THE BROLO

The garden, the park and the vines are protected by a high wall that borders the old "Brolo" which runs along the south side of Claudia Augusta street, an ancient way of trade situated between Verona and Germany. It seems that the Quar was at that time a post horse. Another transport route was established near the Adige river, crossed by rafts pulled by horses along the shore. The Brolo, with walls raised from the brickwork of the existing fundus, of Roman period, it is the most protected and more organized part of the villa. There were the garden, the vegetable garden, fruit trees, ornamental plants coming from the East. At Villa del Quar in the park situated in the orchard there are essences from the Mediterranean and tropical woods such as cedar of Lebanon, the deodar cedar and several very high trees, they seem monuments. At the centre of the park there is a hill whose summit is reached by a stone staircase now shattered by the roots of nearby trees. Might conceal the famous giazzara , but I could not find the entrance yet. When the owner wanted to close a deal he used to bring the buyer or the seller in this Brolo and, impressed the last one by so much magnificence, he was "rigged". The orchard should be a generous plot of land, sufficient for the owner and his family's need, they cultivate medicinal plants, seasonal vegetables such as zucchini, cabbage, broccoli, beet, lettuce, radicchio, tomatoes, pumpkins, hops and wild asparagus. They grow also generous fruit: apricots, cherries, cherries, marascas , plums, peaches, plums, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, blackberries, brambles, blackberries, mulberries, medlars. Fruit to be kept dry, the other to be kept in granaries placed on mats until late autumn. And then potatoes, horseradish, Jerusalem artichokes, beets and red beets. And spices from the East brought by

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Venetian merchant fleet. Many of these products are used in the coloured menu of Quar 12 to commemorate this culture and this way of living in the country of our ancestors.

THE VINEYARDS

There will be a complete reorganization of the vineyards, which after the finished works will cover an area of 4.5 hectares. Will be realized with native vines such as Rondinella, Corvina, Corvinone and Merlot. All plants will be built according to the method Gujot (French) with steel painted with green, made by the Profile of Alsace. The routes will be made according to classical geometries. We will produce about 40,000 bottles of wine of high quality, ruby red colour. The label will take the image of the mask graffiti Mannerist era in the eaves of the building to the east and is a satyr and happy drunkard.

The Two Gardens

Further works are planned to complete the structure, such as completion of a large iron and glass greenhouse, and an expansion of the hotel with the creation of 12 new suites and spa below.

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THE FAMILY and illustrious ancestors

That may have influenced my choices

On behalf of my mother Teresa Salgari:

EMILIO SALGARI writer Fantasy and Adventure

Emilio Salgari was born in Verona on August the 21, in 1862. In 1878 he enrolled at the Royal Technical Institute and Nautical "P. Sanchez "in Venice. As a seaman he made a few trips on board of a training ship and later made a school trip on the freighter "One Italy", which sailed for three months for the Adriatic. He never visited the countries, perhaps only by his imagination, but he was able to well describe them in his famous novels. In 1883 she began working with the newspaper "New Arena", about his city of Verona and the same pages appeared serialized in his first novel called "Tay See", then printed with the title "The Pink of Dong Giang". In October of the same year came out the first episodes of the "Tiger of Malaysia", one of his works. Thus began his successful and tormented career as writer, that includes about fifty novels to his credit and a still undetermined number of adventures and stories: The Black Pirate, Pirates of Malaysia, The Tigers Mompracem the mysteries of India . Killed himself on April the 25th, in 1911. His work have remained alive to feed with all its charm the imagination of generations of boys and men.

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On behalf of my father Luigi Montresor:

LUIGI MONTRESOR teacher and senator Diplomacy and Classicism

Senator Luigi Montresor and his wife Countess Paradisi Migoni

Luigi Montresor, great uncle of Leopoldo, current owner of the Quar, born in October the 20th, in 1862 in Bussolengo. He attended with profit as a student of the Seminary of Verona, the Episcopal High School Gymnasium and then studied literature at University of Pisa and at School of Education, completing his studies in Archaeology at the University of Rome where he devoted himself enthusiastically to the chair of Italian Literature and History Institute Massimo D'Azeglio teaching there for more than thirty years. Devout Catholic was called in Parliament to represent the College of Bardolino for two terms since from 1909 to 1919 and then became Senator and have been it for more than twenty-five years. Appreciated supporter of the dignity and freedom for private school, he became president of the National Federation of Educational Institutions and president of the Catholic Insurance Company and Cattolic Bank of Veneto. When he advanced in age he couldn t afford the intense political activity, so he lost himself in his passions: music, readings of poems and classics. Accomplished organist, she performed at home for a small circle of friends, among whom we could count, in course of his life, energetic and full of modesty, Pius XI and Margherita from Savoy. Senator Montresor died in Fontechiari (FR) the 22nd of September in 1948 at the age of 86 years.

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My paternal great-grandfather:

The Mills

ALFREDO DANESE

Entrepreneurial activity

It was a great entrepreneur, who in the early twentieth century managed to create the first industrial action in our area: the mills, six in province of Verona and one in Trentino region. In order to begin the activity he obtained a guarantee in the bank of his grandfather by his mother Salgari behalf who in Negrar's countryside cultivated mulberry tree (whose leaves are the main food for silkworms). They told me that in this occasion my parents met. The great Danish grandfather bought for each of five children an important villa. They said that he bought Villa del Quar in a "black box" without ever had seen it, he bought it from a lucky man who had won it at Venice Casino and donate it to his Danish daughter Assunta, my paternal grandmother. .

Leopoldo Montresor