The villa is located at the beginning of the historic tree-lined avenue of Cart, in an area subject to environmental protection that has preserved, despite road expansion works, its original rural context. A strong building development has been affecting the plain to the west, including the location of Anconetta.
An inscription would indicate 1794 as the date of construction of the current building. Always belonging to the Bonsembiante family, in the nineteenth century it was home to Carlo, former vice president of the Belluno Chamber of Commerce and a well-known merchant, who likely had the current oratory added to the complex, first mentioned in the records of pastoral visits in 1884. In 1876, the adjacent road was widened, bringing it right up against the villa.
The complex consists of three distinct building bodies: the one to the south, which shows signs of expansions, is the master residence; to the north stands the body of rural buildings, oriented east-west. To the west, finally, the atypical volume of the oratory emerges. The complex could be accessed both from the northern countryside, through a small gate that opens onto the enclosing wall, and from the road, where, beyond the main entrance, a staircase led to the garden.
The current villa is the result of heavy alterations made in the nineteenth century. The main body is devoid of particular features, except for the painted floor and corner bands. It lacks a true façade, but modest entrances open on the three main fronts. The one facing south, visible at an angle and characterized by a front sloping towards the east, is embellished by two slender terraces protected by protruding roofs.
More interesting is the building containing the oratory: it develops over three floors, with a gable façade in which a double order of loggias punctuated by simplified Tuscan columns opens. On the ground floor, which is partially below ground, there was the wine cellar, above the oratory with the apse facing west, and in the attic, a veranda. The interior is decorated with faux upholstery patterns on the walls, while statues adorn the altar and side portico. Externally, the wall surfaces are treated with a false ashlars finish on the façade, while on the remaining sides, the diamond decoration is painted. The garden that was located to the west of the villa is currently reduced to lawn, but the remains of a table, perhaps originally connected to a pergola, still survive.
The complex is currently inhabited by members of the Bonsembiante family. While the main body has hardly been touched in recent decades, the rural buildings, having ceased agricultural activities that once took place there, have been partially transformed into residences, while the porch of the barn remains as a significant example of rural architecture.
The constant attention of the owners, who periodically promote maintenance interventions, ensures a good state of preservation for this nineteenth-century complex.
The oratory will be open for visits all year round on Mondays, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM and from 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM.
To visit the property on other days of the week, it is advisable to arrange an appointment via email at paolaluzzatto@libero.it or through the phone number 3200890665.
