Villa Meunier, today Villa Genovese, was built between 1897 and 1898 in a place known as “Pavin”. It was commissioned by Belgian Ettore Meunier, who managed Lanificio Rossi, a wool mill in Rocchette. Meunier wanted to build a holiday residence near to a complex of country buildings that had existed since the 18th century, possibly before. Today, the villa still bears the traditional features of late 19th-century mountain architecture, although its appearance was changed by later work: the plaster, once red-and-white stripes, is now blue; and the original wood parapets are today metal. It recalls the traditional style of Swiss Alpine chalets, which is also used in other holiday residences in Alto Vicentino. Features include steep-sloping roofs and eaves with decorated cornice; less traditional is the façade, which is divided into two parts that run towards the south side, thus making the design highly elaborate. When the surrounding wall was rebuilt and the grounds extended, the route of the original main road to Velo was changed; the old road to Seghe ran to the villa’s northeast before being abandoned, but there is still a pedestrian entrance to the villa. Its elegant iron gate leads onto a small path lined with artificial rocks that climbs until it reaches the villa’s front lawn. The grounds are home to a cottage-like building used for maintenance The grounds are home to a cottage-like building used for maintenance that suffered extensive damage during World War I due to its proximity to the front. It was later restored to its original design.
Source: personal research by architect Vittorio Saccardo.
