To mark Venetian Villas Day, Castello di San Pelagio (Due Carrare, Padua) is opening its doors for a special day dedicated to history, art, culture, and discovery, featuring the Flight Museum, the historic park, and the Castle's historic interiors.
The program offers immersive tours with thematic audio guides, the *Volo&Arte* (Flight & Art) exhibition, interactive Fly Garden activities for adults and children, exclusive guided tours of the Tower and the D'Annunzio Rooms, workshops, and a special literary marathon.
✈️ Flight Museum, Historic Park, and Fly Garden
A journey through the history of the dream of flight: from hot-air balloons to airships, from airplanes to spacecraft, exploring visionary scientists and humanity's great achievements in the sky and space.
The visit continues in the historic park-part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani (Great Italian Gardens) network-and in the historic halls hosting the *Volo&Arte* exhibition, where the theme of flight is explored through literature, painting, sculpture, craftsmanship, and music.
🎧 The experience is enhanced by thematic audio guides from AmuseApp.
🌿 Interactive Fly Garden activities are also available for adults and children, featuring games, challenges, and puzzles across two distinct routes.
💶 Full-price ticket: €11
👧 Reduced (ages 5-12): €8
🗼 Guided Tour of the Tower
A guided visit to the oldest part of the Castle, discovering the history of the Da Carrara family and their connection to the San Pelagio Tower.
A narrow stone-and-wood spiral staircase leads to the *Convivium* room-housing a precious collection of works by Leo Borghi-and the Commander's Room, distinguished by its original 15th-century coffered ceiling. 🕚 Times: 11:00, 12:00, and 14:00
⏱️ Duration: 45 minutes
💶 Cost: €5
🖋️ Guided tour of the D'Annunzio Rooms
A tour of the rooms that hosted Gabriele d'Annunzio during his stay at the Castle, coinciding with his famous flight over Vienna on August 9, 1918.
The rooms preserve mementos of the poet-soldier's life and aviation exploits, alongside furnishings belonging to the Zaborra family, owners of the Castle since 1752.
🕚 Times: 11:00, 12:00, 15:00, 16:00, and 17:00
⏱️ Duration: 45 minutes
💶 Cost: €5
🧩 Interactive game “Villa or Castle?”
A fun activity to discover the 650-year history of San Pelagio Castle, from the 14th-century tower to the Flight Museum.
Through a walk exploring the characteristic features of a Venetian Villa-from the *barchessa* (farm building) to the formal garden, and from the ice house to the orchard-participants will build a map of the villa and create the family coat of arms and family tree.
🕒 Times: 15:00 and 16:30
⏱️ Duration: 75 minutes
💶 Cost: €5
The guided activities and interactive game require a fee in addition to the entrance ticket, which is required for every participant aged 5 and up. Accompanying persons may purchase only the general admission ticket.
📚 “A Writer's Word!” Literary Marathon
A special literary marathon featuring discussions among writers, storytellers, and popularizers, including talks and book presentations.
🕒 From 3:00 PM
Speakers:
Alessandro Colombo - Francesco Agello: A Record-Breaking Story
Andrea Bettini - What Will Be: Diary of a Corporate Storyteller (Post Editori, 2026)
Paolo Gobbi - Walks in the Euganean Hills Literary Park (InVeneto Edizioni, 2026)
Domenico Guzzo - The Takeoff of Italian Aviation: Propaganda, Debates, and Knowledge Between the Wars (Carocci, 2025)
Patrizia Caraveo and Annamaria Nassisi - Women Among the Stars (Springer, 2024)
🎤 Moderators: Alessandro Alfonsi and Claudia Baldin
🎟️ Free participation (access limited to the Loggia Garden and the event hall); seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
📌 Reservation required via Eventbrite.
🍷 Refreshment Area
A refreshment area managed by WineStop will be open throughout the day.
🕙 Hours: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
🎟️ Information and Tickets
To participate in the activities, you can purchase the Special Ticket online.
✨ A day to immerse yourself in the history of a Venetian Villa, exploring the allure of flight, the park's heritage, memories of D'Annunzio, family activities, and events dedicated to culture and literature.
The program offers immersive tours with thematic audio guides, the *Volo&Arte* (Flight & Art) exhibition, interactive Fly Garden activities for adults and children, exclusive guided tours of the Tower and the D'Annunzio Rooms, workshops, and a special literary marathon.
✈️ Flight Museum, Historic Park, and Fly Garden
A journey through the history of the dream of flight: from hot-air balloons to airships, from airplanes to spacecraft, exploring visionary scientists and humanity's great achievements in the sky and space.
The visit continues in the historic park-part of the Grandi Giardini Italiani (Great Italian Gardens) network-and in the historic halls hosting the *Volo&Arte* exhibition, where the theme of flight is explored through literature, painting, sculpture, craftsmanship, and music.
🎧 The experience is enhanced by thematic audio guides from AmuseApp.
🌿 Interactive Fly Garden activities are also available for adults and children, featuring games, challenges, and puzzles across two distinct routes.
💶 Full-price ticket: €11
👧 Reduced (ages 5-12): €8
🗼 Guided Tour of the Tower
A guided visit to the oldest part of the Castle, discovering the history of the Da Carrara family and their connection to the San Pelagio Tower.
A narrow stone-and-wood spiral staircase leads to the *Convivium* room-housing a precious collection of works by Leo Borghi-and the Commander's Room, distinguished by its original 15th-century coffered ceiling. 🕚 Times: 11:00, 12:00, and 14:00
⏱️ Duration: 45 minutes
💶 Cost: €5
🖋️ Guided tour of the D'Annunzio Rooms
A tour of the rooms that hosted Gabriele d'Annunzio during his stay at the Castle, coinciding with his famous flight over Vienna on August 9, 1918.
The rooms preserve mementos of the poet-soldier's life and aviation exploits, alongside furnishings belonging to the Zaborra family, owners of the Castle since 1752.
🕚 Times: 11:00, 12:00, 15:00, 16:00, and 17:00
⏱️ Duration: 45 minutes
💶 Cost: €5
🧩 Interactive game “Villa or Castle?”
A fun activity to discover the 650-year history of San Pelagio Castle, from the 14th-century tower to the Flight Museum.
Through a walk exploring the characteristic features of a Venetian Villa-from the *barchessa* (farm building) to the formal garden, and from the ice house to the orchard-participants will build a map of the villa and create the family coat of arms and family tree.
🕒 Times: 15:00 and 16:30
⏱️ Duration: 75 minutes
💶 Cost: €5
The guided activities and interactive game require a fee in addition to the entrance ticket, which is required for every participant aged 5 and up. Accompanying persons may purchase only the general admission ticket.
📚 “A Writer's Word!” Literary Marathon
A special literary marathon featuring discussions among writers, storytellers, and popularizers, including talks and book presentations.
🕒 From 3:00 PM
Speakers:
Alessandro Colombo - Francesco Agello: A Record-Breaking Story
Andrea Bettini - What Will Be: Diary of a Corporate Storyteller (Post Editori, 2026)
Paolo Gobbi - Walks in the Euganean Hills Literary Park (InVeneto Edizioni, 2026)
Domenico Guzzo - The Takeoff of Italian Aviation: Propaganda, Debates, and Knowledge Between the Wars (Carocci, 2025)
Patrizia Caraveo and Annamaria Nassisi - Women Among the Stars (Springer, 2024)
🎤 Moderators: Alessandro Alfonsi and Claudia Baldin
🎟️ Free participation (access limited to the Loggia Garden and the event hall); seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
📌 Reservation required via Eventbrite.
🍷 Refreshment Area
A refreshment area managed by WineStop will be open throughout the day.
🕙 Hours: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
🎟️ Information and Tickets
To participate in the activities, you can purchase the Special Ticket online.
✨ A day to immerse yourself in the history of a Venetian Villa, exploring the allure of flight, the park's heritage, memories of D'Annunzio, family activities, and events dedicated to culture and literature.