Villa Sandi, a majestic 1622 villa in Crocetta del Montello, houses one of the most beautiful and historically rich wineries in Veneto, whose core dates back to the early 18th century. The Venetian Sandi family, originally from Feltre, had, in fact, chosen these fertile lands to build the headquarters of its production activities, of great importance for the trafficking of foodstuffs.

In the 19th century, with the decline of the Sandi family, various owners followed one another, including the Serraggiotto and then the Cassis, of Hungarian origin. Abandoned at the dawn of the First World War, the Villa became the HQ of the Italian military command. It was in those years that a network of secret tunnels was excavated, starting right from the Villa and leading up to the Piave river to serve as a direct connection with the front. It is easy to imagine the crucial role that these tunnels played during the Battle of the Solstice in 1918, during which the Italian troops managed to stop the Austro-Hungarian army, and therefore their importance in passing on the memory of the brave soldiers who took part in it.

During the Second World War, the Villa was still an active part of the conflict, first as a refuge for the Episcopal College of Treviso and then as a depot of the German army. Remained uninhabited until the early 1980s, it was then acquired by the Moretti Polegato family who made it the representative office of their wine business.

After a conservative restoration that lasted about a decade, today the Villa has been restored to its former glory, surrounded by beautiful vineyards and a canal built in the 1500s by the famous friar-engineer Giovanni Giocondo as part of the task entrusted to him by the Venetian Republic to divert the waters of the Brenta river and make them reach Venice.

Inside the residence, in addition to the cellar, you can admire many, precious original features; from the 18th century Murano chandeliers to the secret passages hidden inside corner cabinets, up to the rooms where Napoleon Bonaparte, Antonio Canova, the writers Caccianiga and Corso and the painter Schiavoni stayed.

The galleries, dating back to the Great War, are today the ideal environment for the aging of Villa Sandi wine that here is left to rest in perfect conditions of humidity, light, and constant temperature for a period of three to seven years.

Famous for the production of Prosecco, including Vigna La Rivetta, the Cartizze awarded with the Three Glasses of Gambero Rosso, the company also produces Filio, a blend of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, and Còrpore, a red with great personality 100% Merlot wine aged in French oak barriques for about 12 months. The winery also produced labels from native vines, such as Raboso and white Manzoni called Marinali Bianco, and the traditional method sparkling wines Opere Trevigiane – a name that plays with the double meaning of Opere, that is the workers who helped those who went to harvest as well as artistic artifacts. The labels contain, in fact, a tribute to the territory and to the illustrious artists who have made it famous such as Canova, who has been a guest of the Sandi family several times, and Orazio Marinali, the sculptor of the statues that decorate the facade of the villa.

We suggest you visit the Villa (from Monday to Saturday by calling +39 0423 665033) and then go to the beautiful Locanda Sandi in Valdobbiadene, about 15 minutes by car, where you can book a tasting at the Bottega del Vino and stop for lunch enjoying the wonderful surrounding nature.

The Secret

During the restoration of the Villa, in one of the tunnels of the cellar, a Bianchi motorcycle was found, left by the Italian Army during the First World War which today is part of a small collection of vintage motorcycles that include also a rare French Terrot motorette from 1919 with oil lamp.

Useful Info

Villa Sandi
Via Erizzo 113
31035 Crocetta del Montello, Treviso
Tel. +39 0423 66503