The foundations of an ancient castle served probably for the construction of the villa in the sixteenth century.
Its actual appearance dates back to the second half of the seventeenth century, when Marco Contarini, Procurator of Venice, enlarged the building and added typical baroque decorations. Particularly interesting are some of its architectonic peculiarities, above all the so-called "Sala della chitarra rovesciata" (guitar hall), which gurantees an exceptional acoustics.