Villa Herriot, Early 20th century villa in Giudecca, Italy.
Villa Herriot is a complex of two villas on the Giudecca, built by Frenchman Hériot on the site of a former soap factory. Designed by Raffaele Mainella, the buildings feature eclectic architecture with decorative elements such as patere, tiles, small columns and Byzantine motifs.
At the start of the 20th century the Frenchman Hériot bought the site of a former soap factory on the Giudecca and had two villas built there to a design by Raffaele Mainella. In 1947, after her husband's death, his widow transferred the complex to the municipality, stipulating that it be used as a public school; it became the Carlo Goldoni elementary school.
The complex now houses the Società Europea di Cultura, the Venice seat of the Università Internazionale dell'Arte and the Casa della memoria del Novecento veneziano, an archive devoted to twentieth-century Venice. The widow Hériot made the 1947 sale conditional on public school use, and the building first served as the Carlo Goldoni elementary school.
The site hosts several cultural organizations and archives related to Venetian history and local matters. Visitors should check in advance about current programs and hours, as use varies throughout the year.
The villa's name is often spelled Herriot without the accent, and the German sources call the primary school Carlo Gordini while the Italian ones name it Carlo Goldoni. The building now houses the Casa della memoria del Novecento veneziano, an archive devoted to twentieth-century Venice.
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