There are places capable of suspending time, tearing the visitor from reality to project them into a powerful, dense, almost literary narrative. If during your stay in The Court of Marga If you wish to live an experience that combines the thrill of great history with pure romantic contemplation, there is a place, a short distance from us, that you absolutely must discover.
Hidden from the prying eyes of passers-by in the heart of San Polo di Piave, stands the Papadopoli Giol Castle.
Its monumental facade does not present itself to the street: to see it, you must have the curiosity to enter, to be welcomed in. Only then, reflected in the waters of its large lake, does the Castle reveal itself in all its magnificence: a fragment of Victorian England nestled in the Treviso plain, guardian of a past that has pulsated for over eight hundred years and has seen the destinies of Venetian nobles and extraordinary men who rose from nothing intertwine.
The land on which the castle stands is no ordinary place; it is a deep crossroads of Venetian history. It all began in the remote 1192, when the Patriarchate of Aquileia decided to erect a military fortress at this strategic point to defend the borders from the continuous assaults of rival factions. On these medieval foundations, in 1427, A new chapter begins: the Doge of Venice, Francesco Foscari, grants the fiefdom of San Polo to the celebrated condottiero Niccolò Mauruzi da Tolentino as a reward for his six military campaigns in the service of the Serenissima. The castle ceases to be just a barracks and is transformed into a fortified noble residence, subsequently passing to the powerful Gabrieli family, who build their first, sumptuous palace here.
No 1814, the entire property is purchased by Conti Papadopoli. This extremely wealthy family of bankers, of Greek origin, who settled in Venice and became fully integrated into the Venetian nobility, brought an enlightened vision to San Polo.
Count Nicolò Papadopoli will, in 1888, to perform the definitive architectural gesture: he decides to erase the squared geometries of the old `castelletto` (small castle) of the Po Valley to graft two imposing lateral wings, redesigning the entire structure according to the canons of English Gothic Revival, the eclectic style that was captivating the courts of all Europe at that time. But history, as we know, loves its twists and turns, and the castle's destiny was about to become intertwined with an even greater human epic.
While the Papadopoli family lived in the splendour of their neo-Gothic residence, late 19th-century Veneto was experiencing a brutal agricultural crisis, forcing thousands of peasants to pack their bags in search of fortune overseas. Among these was a young man of humble origins, born in these lands: Giovanni Giol.
In 1887, just as Count Nicolò was planning the castle's renovation, Giovanni boarded a ship bound for Argentina. He holds nothing in his hands but a cardboard suitcase and an unwavering determination. Arriving in the province of Mendoza, at the foot of the majestic Andes mountain range, he senses that the hot, dry climate, with its incredible temperature fluctuations between day and night, is the perfect paradise for a specific plant. Giovanni is betting everything on a French grape variety that struggled to express itself optimally in Europe, but which would find its absolute consecration on Argentine soil: the Malbec.
Together with his partner Gargantini, he plants enormous Malbec vineyards and founds the Giol Bodega. In the space of twenty years, that grape, nurtured with Treviso's peasant wisdom, achieved an unprecedented economic miracle. Giovanni Giol transformed Malbec into Argentina's emblematic grape and built what would become The world's largest wine cellar, a colossal wine empire. Giovanni becomes an immensely rich and powerful man, but his heart and thoughts remain anchored to the banks of the Piave.
No 1919, on the morrow of the devastation of the Great War, during which the castle of San Polo was occupied and damaged by Austro-Hungarian troops, Giovanni Giol decided to make his definitive, poetic comeback. He returned to Italy and, with the capital accumulated thanks to the success of his Malbec, purchase the entire castle, park and estate directly from the Papadopoli counts.
The emigrant, the son of the land who had left very poor, returns as a triumphant figure and buys the lords' castle to transform it into the largest and most advanced agricultural enterprise in the province. A dynasty of custodians that still today, with his great-grandson Dr. Vittorio Carraro Giol, keeps this living monument intact.
Approaching the castle, the impression is that of finding yourself in front of the set of a Victorian romantic novel. The expansion commissioned by the Papadopolis in 1888 and carefully preserved by the Giols has given the structure a unique appearance amongst the Venetian Villas.
The external architectural details are a triumph of craftsmanship and precision:
The interior is a fascinating labyrinth of rooms spread over three fully furnished floors. Walking along the wooden staircase, crossing the reception rooms and observing the original furnishings means undertaking a true exploration through the centuries, where the noble elegance of the Papadopolis coexists with the practicality and genius of the Giol family.
If the castle amazes, the park surrounding it enchants with its vastness and poetry. The Papadopolis chose for San Polo a English landscape romantic garden covering an extraordinary area of a good 12 hectares, rejecting the geometric rigour of the Italian gardens of the era.
In 1850, the design was entrusted to Francesco Bagnara, the world-famous official set designer of La Fenice Theatre of Venice and a teacher at the Academy of Fine Arts. Bagnara treated this enormous expanse of land as an immense natural stage. He shaped the terrain by creating gentle artificial hills and traced a dense network of winding paths immersed in a refined interplay of juxtapositions between native and exotic plants of monumental proportions. Walking or cycling in the shade of the canopies, the gaze encounters majestic and imposing Magnolia, ancient and gigantic Oaks which hold the history of the place, and the symbolic specimens of the park: the splendid Cedar of Lebanon and the very rare Ginkgo Biloba, both planted in 1860 and elegant custodians of the villa.
The heart of this staging is the Great romantic lake, the largest artificial body of water among all the Venetian villas. It hosts two small wooded islands and is bordered by three hills created from excavated earth (one of which still hides the evocative icebox castle historian).
The real magic of this 12-hectare park lies in the ways you can experience it. The estate has devised a dynamic and sensory exploration experience called Botanic Tour. Inside the park, in fact, you won't just get around on foot: included in the entrance ticket is the possibility of Cycle around the entire botanical oasis, cycling in total freedom along the dirt paths surrounded by the chirping of crickets and the tweeting of woodpeckers, before climbing aboard the romantic rowboat and gliding across the lake's waters among the water lilies, enjoying an aerial and unique perspective of the neo-Gothic facade.
The Papadopoli Giol Castle and its park are the embodiment of a mainland Venice that knew how to dream big, uniting monumentality with the poetry of nature and the purest human redemption. But this complex holds another great secret, a subterranean and silent soul made of ancient stone, wood, and the scent of grapes: the complex of its historic cellars, the oldest in Italy.
In the next chapter of our guide dedicated to San Polo di Piave, we'll tell you about this extraordinary cathedral of wine (bought and revolutionised by the genius of Giovanni Giol), the cooperative dairy, and the legendary silkworm drying house. In the meantime, let yourself be inspired by the neo-Gothic atmosphere of this extraordinary partner of The Court of Marga.
After a day spent cycling through the 12 hectares of Bagnara Park, rowing on the lake and breathing in the incredible history of Giovanni Giol, returning to the private comfort of our apartments in Miane will be the perfect finale to let the wonder settle in and to sip one of the bottles from the Winery, which you can find for sale directly on-site. Book your stay at La Corte di Marga now And come and discover the hidden treasures of the Marca Trevigiana.
The castle and its interior rooms are accessible exclusively via guided tours by prior appointment. However, the option of Botanic Tour It allows you to visit the immense 12-hectare Historical Park in total autonomy, managing your time as you wish. We recommend checking the opening days directly with us at the facility.
It's one of the estate's most beautiful features. By choosing the park ticket (Botanic Tour), the use of bicycles provided by the estate is completely included in the price. You can then explore the 12 hectares, alternating between cycling along paths shaded by ancient cedars, walking, and rowing on the lake.
The park is a veritable monumental arboretum. In addition to the giant oaks and magnolias that border the lawns, the two green patriarchs closest to the villa are a monumental Cedar of Lebanon and a very rare Ginkgo Biloba, both dating back to 1860 and intact in their original splendour.
The car journey is very pleasant and takes about 35-40 minutes. From Miane, descend towards the hills of Conegliano, continue in the direction of Oderzo, and follow the road signs for San Polo di Piave. The estate is located right in the centre of the village, in Piazza Papadopoli.
Yes, the classic guided tour combines the monumental splendour of the Castle with the deep charm of the Ancient Cellars. It is an extraordinary place: it is the oldest documented wine cellar in Italy, with its activity certified since 1427. Walking beneath its centuries-old vaults, between stone walls one metre thick and majestic oak barrels, will allow you to breathe in the true history of wine.
Absolutely. At the end of the guided tour, you will have access to the historic wine shop to discover, taste, and purchase the organic and vegan wines produced today by the Giol Agricultural Company. It's the perfect way to complete the experience, savouring firsthand the same dedication to the land that drove Giovanni Giol to bet on wine over a century ago.
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