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Film buffs will recognize Villa Emo Capodilista as the home of Portia, the rich heiress in “The Merchant of Venice” in the movie version of Shakespeare’s work directed by Michael Radford, starring Al Pacino, some scenes of which were filmed here. There could have been no more authentic set as the Villa has
been in existence since the second half of the XVI century.
A jewel of 16th century Venetian architecture, the Villa is also known as “La Montecchia” because it is built on the top of a small hill in the Parco Regionale dei Colli Euganei [Regional Park of the Euganean Hills], between Venice and Padua.
Designed by the architect and painter Dario Varotari, the Villa was built as a hunting lodge for the Capodilista family.
The façades on all four sides of this square building are identical. Each one faces one of the four cardinal points and has its own stairway that meets with the others inside the building to form a cross.