Piombino Dese is a small plain town perfectly intertwined with the great Venetian travel destinations, known above all for Villa Cornaro, designed by Andrea Palladio, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Next to the town there is a farm that has been in business since 1933, which has seen five generations pass by over the years, updating itself to remain alive and lively, until it became, twenty years ago, a tourist destination.
Ca' de Memi today it is a farmhouse with rooms, breakfast and kitchen. It welcomes events, cooking courses and weddings. It remains an agricultural company, its first soul, and produces respecting seasonality and biodiversity, researching ancient and lesser-known crop varieties. It hosts rare, native poultry breeds registered in the Veneto poultry breed register and from all over the world, collaborating closely with Veneto Agricoltura.
We know it well, because it hosted the shooting of the spring/summer 2025 collection and we would like to tell you its story, which we discover through the words of Elena Scquizzato, one of the owners.
The family home, a project to share
Ca' de Memi sprouted thanks to an act of courage and a lot of vision, in a place that twenty years ago was invisible to tourist itineraries. Michela Tasca planted the seed that transformed the family home into a welcoming place. Together with her husband Ottorino Scquizzato, son of Geminiano known as “Memi”, this agriculture and hospitality project was born.
Ottorino is now retired, but his daughters Elena and Giulia work alongside Michela, who take care of the creative direction, business management and welcoming guests together with a young and dynamic team.
«I am an architect, while my sister Giulia has a law degree. We have always worked with our parents to take care of the facility, but we officially entered into partnership a year ago. After years of different work experiences, many also spent abroad, we have given value to the family business with our vision and our skills, helping to nourish that cosmopolitan spirit that has always distinguished our family. I also think of my aunt Wilma, with her French imprint, who is the hand behind the works of art that enrich the structure with color and characterize the labels of our shop products".
One house, different souls to enhance
Today Ca' de Memi has 15 rooms and an outdoor swimming pool. The manor house is in rural Art Nouveau style and interacts with agricultural buildings from different eras. It therefore preserves that typical stratification of architectural styles characteristic of the Italian and European territory in general, which has been enhanced through a series of restorations that have kept its spirit alive.
«The desire was not to deny the architectural history of this area, we asked ourselves, indeed, several times, how to reconcile the different styles of the house and its annexes. We tried to do it with personality, reinterpreting the different historical eras that aesthetically defined the urban fabric and Ca' de Memi itself. Inside, the furnishings are a mix of vintage and new pieces, as well as elements that come from local companies with which we share philosophy and vision."
Add a place at the table: the cuisine of Ca' de Memi
The kitchen team today is led by Fabio Marigo, who carries on Michela's philosophy, whereby behind every good dish there is the professionalism of attentive producers. In addition to what comes directly from the farm, local products are used including PDO, PGI and Slow Food Presidia, an association with which we collaborate for the recovery of the ancient variety of Cinquantino della Castellana corn.
Ca' de Memi's cuisine is unhurried, which tells the story of the Veneto inland and its products, between great classics and more contemporary ideas, always following the rich pace of the seasons. He believes in the power of conscious consumption, which gives value to the land, and looks at tradition with lightheartedness, without too much nostalgia.
«Those who stay with us for more than a few days have the opportunity to taste our cuisine on various occasions, from breakfast, where we offer jams of our own production, which can then also be purchased, up to dinner. We are also available to those who are not staying overnight, but simply want to come to us to eat, always by reservation. The same goes for the swimming pool, which is also available to a more local public, who come to find refreshment on hot days."
Delicious souvenirs
Vegetable gardens and fruit trees provide ingredients that are transformed into jams, mustards and syrups which enrich dishes and drinks. Each product is made respecting the seasons and vintages, because, we never think about it, but the earth is not generous in the same way every year. Furthermore, everything of the ingredient is used, even the waste, to reduce waste and enhance a circular economy. Ca' de Memi products can also be purchased online, collected on site or waited comfortably at home. Otherwise you can find them in some well-stocked shops, which know how to appreciate what is done with commitment and love. Impossible not to recognize them, thanks to Aunt Wilma's works of art!
The Italian state of happiness
«Since we started our business we have always tried to describe the area that surrounds us in all its complexity and beauty. The recent film "City of the Plain" comes to mind, directed by Francesco Sossai, which describes our Veneto very well: a city spread between houses and warehouses, residential areas all the same, UNESCO heritage villas and hidden treasures".
Those who reach Ca' de Memi can use it as a base to visit the Province of Treviso, with its famous Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; you can go comfortably to Venice, Padua and all the most important cities of art, but also choose to travel the Treviso-Ostiglia cycle route on two wheels. If you are traveling with children you have access to museums, water parks and places to play surrounded by nature. In short, set out to discover that "too strong" Veneto so dear to Elena and her family.
If you simply need to disconnect, you can also remain gently still and enjoy the swimming pool overlooking the surrounding nature, the good cuisine of the structure and, perhaps, a slow walk in the center of Piombino Dese.
«When my mother decided to found an accommodation facility here, there were those who called her crazy, because at the time we visited the Veneto for the most important art cities. Our region was much less communicated than today from a tourist point of view. Over the years there has been an evolution in this sense, I think of all the work done to promote, for example, the Prosecco Hills. In this context, we have managed to carve out our own space by transforming Ca' de Memi itself into a tourist destination and we are proud of it."
In the photo the Apollo dungarees in the washed jeans variant.
You've got mail for you: Magnolia
In the garden of Ca' de Memi, the magnolia is the centenary tree that has seen meetings and laughter. Under its pleasant shade you can celebrate together and share ideas. Projects and reflections are born from discussion and this is the spirit with which Elena and Giulia founded the editorial newsletter of Ca' de Memi, which is called, precisely, "Magnolia".
It arrives approximately every month, talks about the work and what happens in the facility, proposes destinations and travel ideas, and shares reflections and news from the world of rural tourism in Veneto and beyond. Giulia and Elena wrote it and, when reading it, their passion is tangible.
Sign up too Magnolia
Sprouts is the new column dedicated to the stories of those like us who have decided to put our heart and soul into planning a dream. Every month here you can read a new story.
