Palazzo del Principe

Villa Contarini, also known as Palazzo del Principe, stands on Colle Cero overlooking the city of Este. It was built in the 16th century as a summer residence by the noble Venetian Contarini family, possibly based on a design by the famous architect Vincenzo Scamozzi (1552–1616), although this attribution is not certain. The name “del Principe” (“of the Prince”) derives from a historical episode: the election of Alvise Contarini as Doge in 1676, which took place while the patrician was residing in his villa in Este.

The building, as it appears today, shows two distinct phases of construction: the older part is on the south side, while the north side was added later and underwent numerous alterations over the centuries. The villa is surrounded by a large courtyard paved in trachyte and presents itself as a quadrangular block, characterized by pedimented facades preceded by staircases. The slightly protruding base, the portals, and the windows are embellished with rusticated stonework, a hallmark of the architecture of the time.

The villa’s architectural layout is almost unique in western Veneto: it is a square with an inscribed Greek cross, to which a shallow but protruding rectangular section is added on the north side. Inside, the central hall dominates, with a Greek cross layout ending in four doors opening to the outside. The ceiling is barrel-vaulted, while the walls are decorated with 19th-century frescoes depicting landscapes.

The complex is enriched by outbuildings and a small chapel, completing its architectural ensemble. Two rows of cypress trees climb the southern slope of the hill toward the villa, partially recreating the theatrical effect depicted in some 18th-century engravings, testifying to the grandeur and beauty of the site.

Currently, Palazzo del Principe is privately owned and not open to the public.