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The 18th-century Villa di Toppo-Florio overlooks an extraordinary park of remarkable archaeological and botanical interest. The building flourished when it became the property of the Udine counts, Nicolò and Francesco di Toppo.
Francesco di Toppo (1797-1883), a cultured individual, was very active in the social and political life of Buttrio. Assisted by his first wife, Antonia Wasserman, and later by his second wife, Margherita Ciconi Beltrame, he oversaw the restoration and expansion of the villa and its park.
Francesco was also very passionate about archaeology and collected Roman artifacts from excavations on his properties in Aquileia. Some of these artifacts are still visible, both those incorporated into the villa’s perimeter and those arranged in the park in unique compositions.
After Francesco’s passing, Margherita dedicated herself to the renovation and expansion of the complex, which, upon her death, was inherited by her niece, Vittoria di Giovanni Ciconi Beltrame, the wife of Count Daniele Florio.
During the Second World War, the villa was first occupied by the Germans and later by American troops. Eventually, the heirs sold the property to the National Association for War Disabled, which transformed it into the Friulian College for Disabled Children, altering its structure. The greenhouse was converted into a gym, and the labyrinth disappeared to make way for a workshop.
In 1979, following the transfer of ownership to the Region, the college was closed. In 1998, the Friuli Venezia-Giulia Region transferred the villa and the park to the Municipality of Buttrio, which proceeded with the recovery and restoration of the complex.
