Tenuta Ca' Zen
Ca' Zen, an 18th-century Villa Veneta, was built by the Zen, a patrician Venetian family, in its Po Delta Park. The complex includes the Main Villa with its typically Venetian layout, the little barchessa farm structure, the chapel and the stables. The granaries and farmhouses date to the 19th century.
Ownership of the estate passed from the Zen to the Guiccioli Marquises; we know of a romantic and passionate ill-fated love story between young Teresa Gamba (bride of Alessandro Guiccioli) and the English poet Lord Byron who, during a visit to the Villa, dedicated some splendid verses to her. Ca’ Zen then acquired by the current owners, the Casalicchio Avanzo family.
In the 1960s, Elaine Westropp Bennett, originally from Southern Ireland, married Cavalier Pericle Avanzo; it was her idea to open this great country house to Italian and foreign guests curious about the Po Delta, this garden amid some of the world’s most celebrated art cities.
Today, following a major renovation effort, Ca' Zen is open for stay, excursions, events, guided visits, and offers charming bed & breakfast accommodations.
Things to do during your stay
- Participate in a “whispered” fish auction as the historic Pila and Scardovari fish markets.
- Visit Villa Badoer, the “Badoera”, the only villa designed by Andrea Palladio in Polesine territory.
- Navigate the ancient Po river paleochannel, amid reed banks, surrounded by aquatic fowl, you will see the unique aspects of the Delta.
- Visit the coastal botanical garden of Porto Caleri, which conserves the unique environment of the Veneto coastal forest, and the archeological museum of Adria, the city that lent its name to the Adriatic Sea.
- Discover the charm of Chioggia, and ancient fishermen’s village, or stroll the streets of Ferrara today a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Taste sarde in saor (traditional marinated sardines), freshly-harvested sautéedpeoci (shellfish), cannaroli rice, stewedmusso (donkey),grilled bisato (eel) ...
- Watch the mussel harvest at dawn in the Scardovari lagoon.
Informations
Duration of Villa visit: 30 minutes
Number of people: Min 4 - Max 30
Lunch area: Not available
Cancellation policy: 1 day in advance
Architectural barriers: Partly inaccessible
Car parking: Private indoor area max 80 - Outdoor area near the villa
Bus parking: Outdoor area near the villa
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Contacts
Accomodation
Tenuta Cà Zen offers lodging in its B&B with 1 apartment - 11 rooms (sleeping up to 22)
Including 2 rooms with bathrooms and stairlifts suitable for people with reduced mobility
for people with motor disabilities, and stair liftsFood & Wine
Tenuta Cà Zen offers lunch or dinner with the estate’s products for its guests; seating for max 40 guests
Weddings and Events
Outdoor area, a small “Barchessa”, 15 meters long and 4 meters wide with a lawn in front of it, ideal for a welcome drink, cutting of the cake, and dancing area.
A large terracotta courtyard 60 meters long and 14 wide ideal for outdoor receptions, in the shade of gazebos mounted ad hoc.
A large lawn with a capacity for about 1000 people, with the possibility of setting up stages, organizing even large receptions.
Indoor hall 20 meters long, 7 wide, which holds up to 115 seats (130 theater style), ideal for lunches, concerts, meetings. Hall with excellent acoustics (ideal for concerts). Audio and video systems available on request, wi-fi present.
Central hall ideal for a aperitif and buffet, capacity 70 people, 5 adjoining side rooms with a capacity of 16 people each, wi-fi present.
Sport and Wellness Tourism
Tenuta Ca’ Zen hosts horses and riders. We have stables, a paddock and a training field, as well as numerous opportunities for rides in the beautiful Po Delta.
La Tenuta Ca’ Zen has brand-new bicycles with which guests can explore the Delta
