Built in the 16th century by the Morlini family from Trento, the villa was complemented by a large garden with “fishponds, aviaries and a hunting area” and a large orchard for the cultivation of plants imported from the Trento area. It was at this time that the terraced gardens were conceived symbolically culminating in the “Fontana di Nettuno” (Neptune’s Fountain) grotto. The magnificent sculptures were commissioned to Marinali who had established his very productive workshop in the nearby Villino Garzadori so that he could take full advantage of the rich deposits of white limestone. When the last heir of the Trento family died in 1812, the garden passed to the Counts of Schio and it is thanks to Alvise that the old terraces bordered in stone and embellished with statues and vases were restored. The romantic wood of tall trees and the rustic icehouse called “Botte del Covolo” now transformed into a wine shop, also date back to this period. The garden as it is today is the result of the restoration work carried out in the 1930s based on a 1770’s survey by Ottavio Treccio. It is laid out on a very long axis, transversal to the entrance, divided into five terraces with varying levels and depths and grassy areas bordered by box hedges. The botanical assortment includes plants typical of northern Italy but, due to the particular exposure of the garden, there are also more tropical species (including a bicentennial Ficus repens), that enjoy the climatic conditions produced by the warm air coming from the grottoes during the winter.