Top of the World
From the centre of Abano, in the direction of Padua, Villa Moro Malipiero appears tall and imposing, today the property of the Counts Rigoni Savioli. Villa Rigoni Savioli is a Palladian style villa commissioned by Nicolò Malipiero in 1557. The façade is composed of four Ionic half-columns supporting a large pediment; the staircase, flanked by two statues in white Costozza stone, like those on the three gates, leads to the main hall on the piano nobile. On the ground floor is a splendid cellar with vaulted ceilings. The great ballroom, which once occupied both floors of the central part of the villa, was divided after the French Revolution, leaving the upper half intact, while the lower part was divided into five parts. The villa is surrounded by a garden and three parks. The property has several barchesse and a dovecote tower or "Torre Colombara". In the rear brolo there is a thermal water well, which was damaged during the last war. Another architectural jewel of the villa is a chapel that is still consecrated. The paintings evoke scenes from the Bible such as David and Goliath, Moses, as well as the chivalric epic of Angelica and Rinaldo; symbolic scenes such as envy, charity and mythological ones such as the fall of Phaeton. Everything is framed by stuccoes and monochromatic figures. The interior is magnificently preserved and carefully kept. Many rooms contain frescoes by Gian Battista Zelotti, a contemporary of Veronese. Very beautiful are also the fireplace in scagliola and marble and the fresco of a young page offering a bouquet of flowers when opening a door.
