Casagrande: Venetian life at it's Best

Welcome into one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, located a mere 60 minutes away from Venice, set in a landscape with the most spectacular Palladian renaissance villas in a Sixteenth century palace blessed with a Game of Thrones type narrative but fitted with state of the art amenities.

Below some written customer testimonials from our guests:

"This place is so beautiful , amazing food and glorious swimming pool"

"Close to Paradise for a memorable stay"

"Casagrande is absolutely beautiful, beyond anything I imagined"

"Our stay was magical . The new quarters are amazing, I simply could not believe how intelligently, tastefully and comfortably you have executed your ideas !"

"One of the most beautiful and memorable times, amazing food, scenery and sightseeing"

"Great to live such a historical building and savour the past in an intimate way".

Casagrande is our main residence and has been part of the Brandolini feud since the Fifteenth century when our warrior ancestors were made responsible for the defense of Venice’s land borders whilst Venetian ships traded with the world. The Sixteenth and Fifteenth centuries Palazzi functioned as the administrative headquarters of the family's activities.

The entire property has now undergone a radical upgrade – we have a capacity of 10 bedrooms and can sleep 20 -- we have six bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and 4 bedrooms with shared bathroom facilities. There is also overflow capacity. The entire property has Wi-Fi coverage. We offer two designer kitchens, one of which can easily host the preparation of a truly regal banquet for up to 50 guests. Four sitting rooms with functioning fireplaces, and a vast restored portico for "all fresco" dining provide the space to sit down and relax.

The main house features beautifully frescoed bedrooms with comfortably ample beds and bedding. All of the bathrooms are state of the art and the most recently restored part of the house has modern air-conditioning. A stay in the Casagrande includes service by our bilingual butler and his wife, who cook and attend to all our guests' needs. Linen and towels are included.

We offer both in and outside dining and the garden features an 18 meters by 8 meters long swimming pool with a pool house, a rose garden and secular trees. The palazzo is nestled in the main square of Cison di Valmarino — this totally preserved village looks like a set from a Mozart opera. And the movie Moglieamante (Wifemisstress) starring Marcello Mastroianni was filmed on site in 1977.

The location is also ideally placed for those who adore biking and we have found that many of our guests love taking off in the morning to explore the valleys around Cison and engage with the steeper climbs nearby. Those who enjoy hiking, horse riding, a game of golf, tennis, hunting and fishing will also be able to play to their hearts content. Sightseeing is a must in that the nearest village Follina is the site for one of the most beautiful Romanesque convents in Italy. The Palladian villa of Maser and the famous hill top town of Asolo are very close as well. Here you will find architecture by Andrea Palladio and unique frescoed walls by the famous painter Veronese.

But the story about our area really highlights Prosecco, a love for our Venetian cuisine and the most beautiful mountains in the world - the Dolomites. The valleys surrounding us — Rolle di Cison di Valmarino — are becoming the fastest growing foody destinations in Italy. Food start-ups successfully rolled out cookery courses and have found that our venue is particularly attractive to well known chefs.

The Casagrande is located in the heartland of prosecco grape production. Within a ten minute drive wine tasting enthusiasts will be able to visit the best prosecco producers in the world.

Trips to local open air fish, vegetable and cheese markets can be included in group agendas.

Luxury shopping is also at hand – the Outlet Village of San Donà di Piave a 40 minutes drive away offers high end luxury brands like Prada, Bottega Veneta, and Valentino. Antiques, Venetian glass, textiles and porcelain shopping belong to the possibilities in the nearby gothic towns of Padova, Treviso and Vicenza.

And, as mentioned earlier, our area is particularly popular for its food culture and within a radius of a few kilometers, seven first class and indeed famous restaurants can be found.

Connections.

Cison di Valmarino is very well connected. The village has quick access to the motorway/autostrada that connects Belluno to Venice and this translates into 50 minute trips to Venice’s and Treviso’s international airports. Moreover, access through helicopter can also be arranged -- the ancestral Brandolini castle is equipped with a helipad structure.

Grand Living

The Casagrande lies in the heart of the charming village of Cison di Valmarino. The house is located at the foothills of the Prealpi Venete, not far from Venice, an area that was lovingly drawn by Durer and where both the musician Vivaldi and the painter Tiziano grew up. The property still belongs to the noble Brandolini d’Adda family and has been restored in such a way that it is a home away from home for those who wish to enjoy the best of what the Veneto has to offer.

The house originated in the 15th century and, until very recently, was the administrative headquarters of the Brandolini feud. The Brandolinis’ served, during the past millennium, the Venetian Republic and were in charge of protecting the Serenissima’s Northern borders, whilst Venice focused on commerce and naval supremacy. The family’s military history dates back to the 8th century up to the two World Wars – over the centuries more than 30 Brandolinis’ died in battle. In 1436 the famous “condottiero” Erasmo da Narni also known as the Gattamelata (immortalized by both Donatello and Giorgione) who led for many decades all of Venice’s armies and Brandolino Brandolini, his brother in arms, were given by the Republic the Cison feud as a reward for their heroic services. Today, Erasmo’s and Brandolino’s descendants still care for what remains of the feud.

The Casagrande’s family living quarters bear testimony to the family’s bellicose past. Giant battle swords, the family’s battle standard, armature and statues of the Gattamelata decorate the imposing entrance hall, part of the 17th century “casa nobile” (restaured in 1821). From there you access two ground floor living rooms, two dining halls, and two kitchens. The top floor has four stately bedrooms, a grand living room and a family TV room. The living areas are furnished with a mix of modern Italian design and items that have belonged to the Brandolinis’ for hundreds of years, including family portraits and religious paintings. The 15th century part of the house has four additional double bedrooms and three bathrooms overlooking the stables and a huge 300 year old plane tree. The house can accommodate up to sixteen guests and full housekeeping support is provided.

Of particular note in the Casagrande are three entirely frescoed rooms (“stanza pompeiana”, “stanza dei tondi” and the “studio”) which creates a genteel atmosphere of aristocratic villa life in the Venetian countryside. The main kitchen opens up to a newly restored portico where you can eat whilst enjoying the sight of the rose garden. The large kitchen has all the modern conveniences and a traditional Venetian open fireplace called a “fogher”. Following a swim in the pool overlooking the Alps, you can lunch al fresco under the monumental chestnut tree in the main garden.

The remaining empty buildings in the Casagrande cover a total 2,500 square meters and the garden spans two acres. The grounds feature a pool, an arboretum, a rose garden, horse stables and huge quaint granaries (a movie starring Marcello Mastroianni, “Moglieamante”, was shot on these locations).

Complete privacy is an integral element of the organization of the living space in Casagrande. The property lies on Cison’s beautiful main square of the village and is well secured from the outside world.

Cison is at the foothills of the Dolomites and the whole area has remained blissfully unspoiled. An imposing castle, that until recent times also belonged to the Brandolinis, guards the entrance of the valley. Numerous hiking paths lead you to the old water mills where you will find that the alpine flora and fauna have remained untouched. Within the old Brandolini feud lies the Romanic 11th century Abbey of Follina and the spectacular S.Boldo pass leading to the Dolomites. Close by you can visit many outstanding Palladian villas like Maser and La Rotonda, and delightful small towns such as Asolo, Conegliano, Feltre and Serravalle.

The area is also well known for its food and wine. Cison is on the famous “Strada del vino bianco” (the white wine road), with many cellars open for tasting to the public. The local vineyards produce the renowned Prosecco wine and the immediate surroundings have numerous excellent restaurants serving typical traditional dishes of the Veneto.

Cison is easily accessible from Venice’s Marco Polo airport (a 50 minutes drive) and Treviso's international airport (35 minutes) and is less than an hour from Piazzale Roma in Venice. Moreover, the property is close to Treviso, Padova, Vincenza as well as Cortina, the world renowned mountain resort in the Dolomites.

Food & Wine

The story about our area really highlights Prosecco, a love for Venetian cuisine and of course it’s mountain produce, like first class cheese. The area is becoming one of the fastest growing foody destinations in Italy and combines its history and location close to the Dolomites and Venice with extraordinary entrepreneurship. It is not a coincidence that Tiramisu was invented in the area when the Brandolini dairy in Cison was the largest producer in Italy of “mascarpone” , the key ingredient in Tiramisu.

In the past few years, together with some of our partners, we have successfully rolled out cookery courses. We have found that Casagrande, with it’s amazing kitchen setting and spacious cooking area, is particularly attractive to well-known international chefs. Also, we have been able to locate a very talented bilingual local chef, a regular guest of local Slow Food events, who is available for private lessons for foodie clients, including Vegans. Classes are based on seasonal produce and local wines such as Prosecco.

The Casagrande is located in the heartland of prosecco grapes. Within a few minute drive wine tasting enthusiasts are able to visit the best Prosecco producers in the world. The Col Vetoraz Valdobbiadene Prosecco producer for instance supplied Michele Obama with the bubbly that lit up President Obama's first Presidential ball. However, those who wish to taste what has been called the best Merlot of Northern Italy, can also be directed to the vineyard of our cousin Count Brandino Brandolini. Visits to lush nearby fish, vegetable and cheese markets can all be organized.

Our area is particularly popular in Italy for its food culture and within a radius of four kilometers from Casagrande, seven first class and famous restaurants can be found:

Loving Veneto – Cison di Valmarino - right by Casagrande in the main square of Cison

Ristorante Adreetta – Rolle di Cison di Valmarino – spectacular views over the Prosecco hills

Osteria Al Castelletto – Solighetto - hosted in an old Brandolini farm house

Antica Osteria Brandolini – Solighetto

Osteria al Ponte – Cison di Valmarino

Ristorante da Gigetto - Miane

Locanda da Lino - Solighetto

Brandolini History

The first mention of the family dates back to circa 500 AD. The Brandolinis, then rulers of Brandenburg (in today’s Germany), migrated as warriors to Bagnacavallo near Ravenna. “Brand” means “fire” in German. As Ravenna grew into the on-and-off capital of the Western and Eastern Roman Empires, it morphed into the most strategic political and military hub of the Italian peninsula.

The family quickly established a reputation for military might and was ranked among the top “condottieri" clans. The Brandolinis provided military services to the various powerful families that ruled medieval and later Renaissance Italy. They participated in the Crusades, fought with and against the Pope, the Vikings, the Milanese, the French and the Venetians just to mention a few.

In the year 1100, during the First Crusade, Sigismondo Brandolini defeated an Arab chief who carried on his shield the image of a huge scorpion. As a result, scorpions were added to the red and white striped Brandolini coat of arms.

In 1436 Brandolino IV, together with his brother in arms, the famous condottiero Erasmo da Narni, the “Gattamelata” of the equally famous Donatello bronze equestrian statue in Padova, were awarded the Feud of Cison by the Venetians, in recompense for defeating the Pope. Brandolino subsequently purchased Erasmo’s share from Gattamelata’s widow.

With the Feud came the responsibility to maintain a standing army that could grow from a few thousand soldiers and hundreds of horses in peace time, to a much larger force in war. Increasingly the Brandolinis took on the task of defending the Venetian Republic Serenissima’s borders. For example, during the sixteenth century the Brandolinis made an important contribution by stopping the advance of the invading Turkish Ottomans in nearby Friuli.

Over 30 Brandolini warriors from over 30 generations gave their lives fighting, the last being Brandolini X, a young senator, who in 1916 was hit by a grenade near Verona on the Italian-Austrian front - the only Italian MP to die in battle in both world wars.

The Brandolini estate, one of the last operating until the late 1950s as a self-sufficient closed economy, comprised over 140 farms. Painted in a shade of dark red called "Rosso Brandolin", the farms produced prosecco wine, mascarpone, meat, dairy and silk. The Casagrande actually served as the administrative headquarters of the majestic Castle and more recently as the winter quarters for the family.

Two Papal excommunication bulls, now in the archive of the Casagrande, and the two Popes, Gregory XIII and XV from the related Boncompagni Ludovisi family are reminders of the vicissitudes of the titillating family narrative.

The best cycling in Italy

The Casagrande is located at the heart of the most famous and beautiful cycling area in Italy – this is where the Giro d’Italia year-in and -out reaches its apogee with its legendary climbs and enthusiastic cheers reflecting a deeply engrained cycling culture. The valley offers unlimited opportunities and enjoyment to cyclists of all levels.

Cison di Valmarino lies half-way between Monte Grappa (1745m high) to the West - the Italian WW1 national mountain, with 10 different climbing routes - and Monte Pizzoc (1565m) situated above the majestic Cansiglio forest in the East.

Within a maximum distance of 20km from Cison, biking enthusiast find at least a dozen spectacular climbs including Pianezze, Pian de le Femene and the Praderadego Pass (the old Roman via Claudia Augusta) just above Cison, with ascents exceeding 1,000 meters and offering varying degrees of difficulty and gradients.

To the South, within a few minutes from Cison, lie the gorgeous and gentle Prosecco hills, ideal for leisurely but incredibly scenic and varied rides. To the North, adjacent to Cison, the Pre-Alps with some of the toughest climbs in Europe open up. Indeed, the S. Boldo Pass (706m), just above Cison, with intricate tunnels dug in the rock face is one of Europe’s most spectacular cycling roads.

The rich vegetation, spectacular views (including the Laguna of Venice to the South), no car traffic to speak of, and abundance of great small local restaurants and mountain huts for snacking and serious food stop-overs, combine to make the whole area around Cison, a true paradise for cyclists.

Beyond the San Boldo Pass, on the next ridge northward, start the Dolomites’ rolling mountainous landscape with legendary alpine climbs such as the Giau, Pordoi, Fedaia, and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Passes – to mention but a few - all exceeding 2000 meters in height. Just 1 hour away by car, these routes can be reached by bike as well on day trips by the more proficient riders.

Upon request, we can provide any cycling equipment needed (mountain bikes, racing bikes, electric bikes) and help with the transport of athletes and their gear for out-bound trips. Additionally, upon request, experienced English speaking accompanying instructors can be made available.

Dolomites Skiing

The Dolomites offer the most magnificent skiing scenery in the world. Val Badia and the famous Cortina areas can be reached in just over an hour and local resorts, like the Nevegal and Cansiglio are an even shorter drive from Casagrande.

In addition to fantastic skiing with several famous World Cup racing slopes (like the Gran Risa in Val Badia or Stratofana in famous Cortina) and day excusions (like the Sella Ronda round trip), the Dolomites offer incredible food featuring the highest concentration of Michelin starred restaurants of any resort in the world.

The grand Marmolada Glacier, one of the largest mountains in the Alps and not far from Casagrande, is open for skiing also during the summer and fall season.