In a charming farmhouse that is part of Andrea Palladio’s Villa di Maser, Casa Diamante is a bistro-restaurant that preserves the timeless elegance of when the Volpi di Misurata counts and their illustrious guests, from Luchino Visconti to the Queen Mother of England, were at home here.
Casa Diamante is a tribute to its last lady of the house, Countess Diamante Volpi di Misurata, granddaughter of the famous Giuseppe Volpi, creator of the Venice Film Festival, who purchased the Villa di Maser in 1934 for his daughter Marina who, together with her cousin Marina Cicogna, had transformed the small town of Maser into one of the most important cultural salons of the time.
A vocation that the splendid villa had since its construction, between 1554 and 1560, when Daniele Barbaro and his brother Marcantonio, ambassador of the Republic of Venice, commissioned the architect Andrea Palladio to design for them a home that was both a farm and a country residence, a meeting place for literary friends, artists, and scholars of philosophy and mathematics.
On both sides there are loggias, which at the ends have two dovecotes, and under those there are places for making wines,… and other places for the use of the Villa.
(Andrea Palladio, “I Quattro Libri dell’Architettura” about the Villa di Maser, 1570)
While on the one hand Palladio availed himself of the two greatest artists of his time for the decoration, Paolo Caliari known as Veronese for the frescoes and Alessandro Vittoria for the stucco decorations, on the other hand he studied in every detail its optimal functions as a production site.
The Villa and its surroundings also include a farm, of which Casa Diamante is a part, which has never stopped producing wines from the 16th century to today.
Opened in 2022, the bistro is part of the project by Vittorio Dalle Ore, Diamante’s husband, to enhance the Villa and is managed with great passion by Giovanni and Nicoletta Polloni, an opportunity seized thanks to the long-standing friendship of their father Angelo with the Volpi family.
After a careful conservative restoration, Giovanni and Nicoletta have created an inn and bistro that exudes all the charm of retro country homes and furnishings that, although obviously suitable for opening to the public, maintain the atmosphere desired by Marina Volpi for the villa, with exotic touches, wicker furniture, and many objects that recall the style of her great friends and designers, from Paolo Venini to Piero Fornasetti.
The bistro is located on the first floor of the farmhouse, a gigantic loft that is divided between a central room where the bar is located and a large convivial table, perfect for aperitifs and informal lunches, and two other rooms for more structured dinners and breaks.
In the summer, the courtyard below becomes the main room of the restaurant, while in front, there is another annex, called Il Diamantino, which opens for dinners and private events.
The cuisine, if on the one hand is inspired by the typical products of the Veneto countryside and the recipes of the Volpi house, on the other it also offers the great classics of international bistros.
Thus, among the appetizers, the Breaded boiled beef balls di Casa Volpi are accompanied by Mini burgers and Tacos, while, among the main courses, the Tartare Casa Diamante or the Guinea fowl stewed with Casaburger and the many baked Focaccias.
The vegetarian offer is also very wide and tasty, from the Flan di ricotta from the Pandolfo farm and verbena, light cheese with wild herbs, braised vegetables and rice shortcrust pastry to the Soup of white legumes, potatoes, leek, white turnip and cauliflower.
Magical both for a lunch in the sun and an aperitif and dinner at sunset, Casa Diamante is a place that has remained intact from the 16th century to today, where you can enjoy the Venetian countryside as the great artists of the Renaissance dreamed and conceived it for us.
The Secret
Villa di Maser is still a private home, inhabited by the owners all year round. Together with the Casa Diamante team, many events open to the public are organized, such as breakfasts in the Villa and dinners in its historic greenhouses, to enjoy the privilege of dining with the original porcelain and silver services of Countess Marina Volpi.
Useful Info
Casa Diamante
Via Barbaro 4
31010 Maser, Treviso
Tel. +39 0423 565603
info@casadiamante.it
For visits to the Villa di Maser, consult its website, while the garden, during opening hours, is freely accessible to all
Appetizers and platters: from 9 to 24 euro
Main courses: from 15 to 20 euro
