Villa San Fermo, Renaissance villa in Lonigo, Italy

Villa San Fermo, also called Villa Giovanelli, stands on a hill about 500 metres from the centre of Lonigo. The complex, now home to the Pavonian Fathers, comprises the Ingresso dei Fiumi, the Cavallerizza, a theatre named after Carlo Goldoni, the church with its cloister, and the villa itself.

Benedictine monks from San Benedetto di Polirone settled here in the 10th century and built an abbey with the church of San Fermo e Rustico. The monastery passed to San Giorgio in Alga, was suppressed by Clement IX in 1668 and bought in 1670 by Nicolò Venier. It came to the Contarini by inheritance and in 1834 to the Giovanelli, who made it their country residence.

The name San Fermo comes from the church of Saints Fermo and Rustico, founded here by Benedictine monks. The church was rebuilt for Andrea Giovanelli by architect Antonio Zanella in a late-15th-century style, with a Latin-cross plan and three apses; the round apse against the tall bell tower was kept. Inside, look for the holy water stoup from the old abbey and the 15th-century painting of Saint Ursula embarking with her virgins.

The property welcomes visitors who should allow time to explore both the interior rooms with their artworks and the surrounding park grounds. The location near Lonigo is easily accessible for day trips or longer stays.

The property features a monumental Entrance of the Rivers and two original pavilions that once served as servant quarters and still preserve their historic form today. These secondary buildings provide insight into the daily structure of the estate during its time as a noble residence.