The San Pelagio Castle

The San Pelagio Castle (Castello di San Pelagio) is also called Villa Zaborra after the Earls of Zaborra who have owned it since the 1700s. The central unit consists of a 14th century medieval tower with its battlements intact. This splendid national monument is bordered by a well articulated park with a main garden, a secret garden, century-old hornbeams, an orchard, a fish pond and an ice-house. Its collection of very old English roses is famous, as is the thermal bath from the late Roman period that was recovered during the park renovation.

As of 1980 it is used as a museum of the air and of space (Museo dell'Aria e dello Spazio) in homage to Gabriele d'Annunzio, who parted from there with his Venetian Air Squadron to launch flyers over Vienna asking them to surrender. Inside the museum exhibits over 300 models of airplanes, airships, hot-air balloons, period uniforms, mannequins and engines that cover the history of flight from mythology to current day. Ample space is dedicated to the conquest of space, where one can admire the Vela Solare, an experimental spaceship made by engineers of the University of Padua, and images of the space probe Giotto. The San Pelagio Castle, unique in Europe for its aeronautic collection, is an extraordinary place to spend a serene, relaxing day, and enjoy a picnic on its comfortable tables in the park.

Official Website: www.castellodisanpelagio.it