It is surrounded by large grounds immersed in a setting that has remained rural in the territory of Cesiomaggiore. Villa Zugni Tauro known as “delle Centenere,” named after the place where it was erected, will impress you precisely for the surrounding landscape as well as the architectural layout.
The Villa is one of the earliest examples of a 16th-century Bellunese manor house. Today, you can recognize that the building is L-shaped, while in the past there was a detached building defining an enclosed courtyard, demolished in the first half of the twentieth century to allow an opening to the countryside. To the north, in addition to the Baroque-style oratory dedicated to St. Francis, the “ritonda,” connected to the kitchen, was added after World War I. On the other hand, the newer barn and stable remains isolated to the east.
Inside there are stuccoes, frescoes and decorations that embellish the building.
In the 19th century Francesco Tauro established a valuable art collection here consisting of important artefacts related to stone and gem cutting, engraving, and polishing, paintings, ancient weapons, and furniture. You can still see some of the artefacts of the collection, which were unfortunately mostly lost during the Austrian occupation in 1917-1918. Prominent among them is the Milestone of the Via Claudia Augusta Altinate, discovered in the parish church of Cesio in 1786.
In summer, the municipality of Cesio organizes events and makes facilities open to the public in cooperation with the owner
