Palazzo de Gleria

In the heart of Carnia, a region rich in ancient villages and unspoilt nature between Sappada and Tolmezzo, at the foot of Mount Zoncolan and 20 km from the Austrian border, lies an interesting example of a blend of architectural styles and cultures: palazzo De Gleria.
 

Palazzo De Gleria is an 18th-century historic residence located in Carnia, in Povolaro, a small village in the municipality of Comeglians.
It was built in 1768 by Biasio De Gleria, founder of a family of merchants (cramars) and bankers who divided their time between Munich and Carnia. Goods were sourced in Venice, and trade across the Alps contributed to the extension of the famous “Silk Road”.
The only listed Venetian villa in Carnia, the residence features an intriguing blend of Venetian and Bavarian architectural styles. The roof is pitched and covered with green and brown “las planelas” tiles, arranged in a truncated pyramid pattern. Following recent restoration, the façade now displays its original 18th-century colours. Ochre-painted pilasters and string courses stand out against the ivory-white plaster. The stonework is made of cariated dolomite, known locally as “tof”, a typical regional stone.
The main façade is characterised by an elegant Rococo entrance portal with aligned openings above it. The wooden door, topped by an iron transom, is framed in stone with a rounded arch. At the apex of the keystone is a shield carved with the initials of the first owner, B(iasio) D(e) G(leria), the construction date, “1768”, and the symbol of the cramars. On either side of the French window beneath the pediment are two clock faces, hence the name “House of Clocks”.
The interior follows the traditional layout of Venetian villas, with a central through-hall and side rooms.
On the ground floor there is a large vaulted room formerly used as a storehouse, as well as a room dedicated to the smoking of meat and ricotta.
The first floor features a typical 18th-century Carnic kitchen with a central hearth and period furnishings.
On the second floor there are several rooms with original Venetian terrazzo flooring.

On the right-hand side of the house, facing the garden, stands an 18th-century rural building with a rectangular plan, comprising two storeys plus an attic level. Built of stone masonry, it is covered by a timber truss roof with clay pantiles (“planelas”) and very steep pitches, forming triangular boarded gables on the south and north elevations. The south-facing elevation is distinguished by a լայն horizontal opening, beneath which a characteristic balustrade is cut into the wooden boarding. On the first floor, large windows with louvered shutters open on the east, west, and north elevations.
The building has recently undergone a significant restoration aimed at creating a dialogue between historic and contemporary elements, with a view to its reuse for tourism and cultural initiatives.

Crossing the main gate of the residence, visitors walk along the pedrât, the original cobbled paving with a diamond pattern, brought back to light during recent restoration works. The path leading to the entrance is lined with pots containing dwarf fruit trees.
On the right side lies the Italian-style garden, composed of five flower beds with topiary boxwood; stone vases and obelisks punctuate the space along the dry-stone walls that enclose the garden, together with fruit trees, roses, heather, yew hedges, azaleas, and spherical boxwood shrubs.
A wrought-iron gate separates the parterre from the kitchen garden behind, where there is an evocative view of the house reflected in a փոքր pond fed by rainwater.

• Guided tour of the residence, the adjoining rural building, and the garden, accompanied by one of the owners.

Duration: 1–2 hours
Participants: groups of minimum 10 – maximum 20 people
Availability: all year round, advance booking required to arrange the date

• Cultural events and exhibitions in the adjoining rural building
• Local cultural and landscape trails
• Food and wine itineraries featuring typical local products