02/06/2026
On the anniversary of Carlo Scarpa’s birth (Venezia, June 2, 1906 - Sendai, November 28, 1978), we share a glimpse of a remarkable private project we were fortunate to visit thanks to the generous hospitality of Federico Businaro and his wife Natalia.
Nestled in the countryside of Monselice, near Padua, villa Il Palazzetto was built in 1627 and later was fully restored by Aldo Businaro. From 1970 to 1978, the project came under the care of the Venetian architect, Professor Carlo Scarpa, who found here a place to experiment with ideas and details that would later appear in other works.
Conceived in the 1970s by the Professor and completed decades later with the the construction of the monumental staircase which remained unfinished due to his death and realized with the contribution of his son Tobia, reflects the profound bond between Scarpa and Aldo Businaro.
Among the villa’s many poetic details, the colourful frame of the fish basin hides a secret message: a 62‑metre mosaic band composed of polychrome tesserae handcrafted by the historic Orsoni furnace.
Decipherable only through a dedicated system, the inscription reads:
“Per rinnovare la cultura nel tempo e salvare testimonianza, Aldo e Lucia Businaro, dall'anno 1965, con il geniale contributo di Carlo e Tobia Scarpa, questo luogo restaurarono per ameno vivere e felicemente ricevere.”
(translation: To renew culture over time and preserve its testimony, Aldo and Lucia Businaro, from 1965, with the brilliant contribution of Carlo and Tobia Scarpa, restored this place, to live pleasantly and host happily.)
The same handcrafted tesserae also adorn parts of the berceau, another architectural gesture envisioned by the Professor, further weaving colour, material and meaning into the fabric of the villa, a testament to Scarpa’s passion for Venetian Smalti.
