Museo Villa Lattes
House museum in a Venetian villa by Giorgio Massari in Istrana, known for the collection of automata and music boxes of the lawyer Bruno Lattes.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The villa was built around 1715 to a design by the Venetian architect Giorgio Massari, then young and working on his first major civil commission, for the merchant Paolo Tamagnino; when the client died it passed to Massari himself. In 1842 it was bought by Abramo Lattes, impresario and costume designer of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, and the property remained in the family until the lawyer Bruno Abramo Lattes (1876–1952), the last private owner.
The complex comprises the main building overlooking the brolo (walled orchard), two slightly concave barchesse (farm wings), an oratory with works by Jacopo Amigoni and a historic Italianate park with statues, basins and busts. The Comune di Istrana bought the villa in 2004 and restored it, reinstating its original architectural layout.
The visit takes place over two floors and ten rooms, arranged as a lived-in house with furniture, objects and utensils. Bruno Lattes, an eclectic collector, made the villa the centre of a collection of automata and music boxes considered among the largest in Europe: the pieces, mostly restored and working, have as their symbol the automaton Tamburino.
Highlights
- Collection of automata and music boxes, with the famous automaton Tamburino
- Venetian villa by Giorgio Massari dating from 1715
- Oratory with works by Jacopo Amigoni
- Barchesse and historic Italianate park
- Rooms furnished as the home of the Lattes family
Permanent exhibition
- Collezione di automi e carillon – Automata and music boxes collected by Bruno Lattes, mostly restored and working, are displayed in the rooms of the villa together with the family's furnishings and objects.
- Operated by
- Comune di Istrana
- Visitors per year
- approx. 1,817
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €5 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3children aged 6 to 14, over-65s, students of all levels, residents of Istrana, members of FAI, Touring Club and ICOM |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Free from 0 to 5 years; reduced ticket from 6 to 14 years. |
| Seniors | €3Reduced rate for over-65s. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and their companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Reduced rate for students of all levels. |
| Groups | €4 per personReduced ticket for groups. |
| Guided visit for groups “Alla scoperta di Villa Lattes” (about an hour and a half) | €60Price per group; entrance ticket not included. |
The ticket is valid for one day's entry and can be bought at the ticket office, by phone or online.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum takes part in the regional project “Turismo sociale e inclusivo nel Veneto” (social and inclusive tourism in the Veneto), with tactile maps and 3D models for blind and visually impaired people.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 75 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | For groups and schools, guided and themed visits are available by reservation (villalattes@coopculture.it); the routes include one on Lattes's passion for music and one on automata and music boxes. |
