Here we have a group of buildings constructed between 1400 and 1700. The most characteristic features of this period to be seen in them are represented by the towers, the courtyard and the XVIII Century chapel. On paper it is named ‘Palace’ to diferentiate it from another building of lesser dimensions close by which is called ‘Villa’ and is a complex construction somewhere between the two.

Before the construction of the place, in the rainiest year the water stagnated much of the earth for many months. In the beginning of the XII Century, the flow of the Reno River met the built up area of Cento, went on towards Sant’Agostino and then East towards Poggio Renatico where it supplied the marshes of that area.


The complex is made up of buildings linked by porches, residential buildings, service buildings, arches and walls of which all together give rise to an ample courtyard with access from the East and West ends by two large wooden doors of notable dimensions and features.

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The principal building, which develops according to the classic laws of the Villa which dates back to 1500’s. The owners resided here to be of service to the agricultural businesses around. The plan of this building is square-based, covered four fold with a central salon (or open sided gallery).The open-sided gallery is the key element of the architecture of the Villa. On this rests a symmetrical board of the building partly from which the idea of a simplified derivation of the plan of the Villa Romana comes but also from the courtyard of the Town Hall. On the side of the villa, and slightly behind, you meet a 2 floored building: the upper floor, of length around 40m which was meant to be a corn container while the floor below is sub-divided into different sections. One hosts trucks and carriages, one is a laundry, one hosted a cauldron and finally there is a long, narrow basement and with the windows only on the north side, on the south a small doorway, this possibly served a protective function.



The oldest building of the complex is the tower, above three floors, with vertical connections external to the tower itself. On the turrets, the bell remains, still used to this day to call the farmer or owner at whatever time to business.



Amongst the buildings, you notice a small oratory. ‘On 24th November 1774, the Monastery was granted by Mons reVicario Gute a license to build a public Oratory close to the Monks accommodation’ as is stated in archived papers.