Palazzo Priuli Ballan is a stately Venetian villa situated in Piove di Sacco. The first mention of the complex dates back to 1518, citing Alvise Priuli as the owner of a two-story building. By the mid-1700s, documents describe the property as an opulent estate with large adjacent factories, a garden, and shady avenues. The complex consists of a central body, two lateral wings known as barchesse, a chapel, a park, and the remains of a front hemicycle.
The palace has served many roles throughout history. It was used by the Austrian army during the third war of independence and functioned as a military hospital during the First World War. After being seriously damaged by a fire in 1940, it was restored by the Bastianello family. During the Second World War, the building provided accommodation to displaced people, served as a command post for German troops, and was used as a warehouse. Today, writings and pencil drawings from that era remain visible on some walls of the oratory.
The architecture features a main building with a rectangular plan and a through-hall, with a monumental pincer-shaped staircase leading to the main floor. The two barchesse are detached wings with facades enriched with masks and seals. A dedicated oratory, consecrated in 1713, contains a baroque altar inlaid with colored marble. This altar has a twin in a cathedral on the island of Krk in Croatia. Currently owned by the Ballan family, the villa is occasionally used for meetings of a cultural or convivial character.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nicolo Ciampini
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