From a careful analysis of the documents taken from several bibliographic and archival sources, in combination with researches made on the site, concerning the texture and the structure of the walls as well as the possible sequence of the interventions, approximately right hypothesis can be made on the evolution of the complex along the ages. The stages of this evolution are the following:
Stage 1: 1500 and before
It is quite difficult to decide about the original composition of the core complex: nevertheless, we can say that its main element was the columbarium tower. The morphological changes brought about on that complex have substantially hidden or modified the most of the original foundation, though they have proved useful as a basis for the evolution of the building. With reference to the researches developed along the years and on the basis of the land registry and many cartographical evidences, we can suppose that the previous foundation consisted of a central unit attached to the above mentioned columbarium tower, on which the 17th century intervention will be set off. The isolated position of the tower makes it possible to imagine, by analogy, its different function of watchtower in the early Middle Ages, though this, as far as we know at the moment, is quite hard to demonstrate.
Stage 2: 1500-1600
This is the period in which, presumably, the original complex began to be destined to agricultural use, with the addition of two long buildings, lined up north and south of the tower, and of the present neo-gothic building, which was, at that time, already disposed crosswise and with its axis inclined in relation to the core building.
Foundation and building reports have allowed us to go back to the original plan of the house: at the time, the complex preserved its integrity , if compared to its destination use . Presumably, the south building included the residential unit, as we can see subsequently, while the north one was used mainly for agricultural activities, such as cellar, store or barn.
Stage 3 : 1600-1672
The final plan of the house has been almost fully developed in this stage; particularly, the manor house of the Garbinati family is erected in 1672, and the whole complex is definitely destined to agricultural use.
This building enlarges the pre-existing unit which is next to the columbarium tower; the latter is used to contain the well of the stairs of the villa, while the barchessa is only slightly modified.
Stage 4: early 1800
The interventions made in the 19th century were mainly intended to repair the attached rural buildings, as testified by the data found in the land-registry office.
The above mentioned interventions concerned:
- the building of the greenhouse and of the north walls;
- the extension northwards of the corresponding rural building, so forming the north-east corner of the complex;
- the resetting of the building front, with the closing of some original first-floor windows and the creation of new windows decorated with Vicenza stones;
- the demolition of the south rural building and its reconstruction, as it appears today, on a wider scale as a barchessa, and intended to be used as a house or for the breeding of silkworms, with the insertion of a loggia with Doric columns.
This is the most unitary, organic and harmonic setting of the whole complex.
Stage 5: 1900
Some of the interventions carried out in the first half of the 20th century resulted to have no clear relation with the original conception of the complex. They were therefore removed, bringing back clearly the connection between the greenhouse/neo-gothic and the north building.
Stage 6: 1990 and later
This final stage, which began in 1990, has seen the elimination of all those units which had no relation with the original complex and its orderly resetting. All the coverings have been restored and the barchessa has been completely brought back to its original beauty.