Villa Emo
This hidden gem is located not too far from the village of Castelfranco in the Veneto region. It is quite amazing that the Emo family has lived in this villa since around the mid 1500's, only selling it to the bank last year as they were financially drained from trying to maintain this huge property.The impressive Zelotti frescoes on the inside and outside are in superb condition, only being cleaned for restoration. Many of the frescoes use the trompe d'oliel technique, creating soaring pillars and embelishes, which indeed "trick the eye". The Count Emo in the 1500's was well-known in the area for introducing corn from the New World, which is evident today; we drove by many fields on the way to Villa Emo filled with young corn plants. An unusual feature of Villa Emo is the front entrance; instead of steps, a ramp was built in front that was used to dry corn after harvesting
