Extension: 10 hectares

Educational activities for schools and individuals

Ideal location for events and ceremonies

Possibility of overnight stay in the holiday home

Historical Notes

Owned by the Bussa family since before 1800, Villa Paolina takes its name from the mother of Giovanni Bussa, the last owner of the villa and an appreciated painter and portraitist of the time. In the absence of heirs, he left the villa and the surrounding land to the Carlo Alberto Institute of Turin, which transformed it into a holiday home for nuns.
Later the villa fell into disuse for a long time, until 1984, when the newborn WWF section of Asti decided to restore and renovate it. Thanks to an important volunteer work, which still today represents a source of pride for the city of Asti, the villa and the oasis were inaugurated in 2002, becoming today's unmissable destination in the Asti area.

What to See

The oasis is located in the area of ​​Boschi di Valmanera (Woods of Valmanera), a few kilometers from Asti, and extends over 10 hectares. At the center of this immense green space are Villa Paolina, the Hostel and the conference room.
The villa hosts the Museo Naturalistico del Territorio (Naturalistic Museum of the Territory), a library and the Sala del Pittore (Painter's Room). In the same building, there is also a conference room that can accommodate up to 40 people, a dining area, a bookshop for the purchase of gadgets and typical products.
On the outside, however, there is an apiary, an educational garden and a pond, while in the woods, it is possible to follow thematic itineraries thanks to various notice boards posted throughout the oasis.

Individual Visits

It is possible to book individual visits and have lunch enjoying delicious local products. Oudoor lovers can explore the area on their mountain bikes or go for a hike, admiring the flora and fauna preserved in the oasis.
The holiday home has 24 beds and the living room includes a Bed & Breakfast service (on request, it is possible to eat at the restaurant in the villa).

Parties and Corporate Events

For private parties in a unique setting, it is possible to book the inn and organize birthdays, christening, graduation ceremonies or other events. The conference rooms, on the other hand, equipped with Wi-Fi connection, video projection systems and large parking lots, offer the possibility of organizing corporate events, workshops and presentations.

Oasis for Schools

One of the key goals of Villa Paolina is to become a reference point for environmental education, helping children and teenagers to develop respect for nature and an ecological spirit.
For this reasons, thematic educational paths of 1 or 2 and 3 days have been developed. Experiences able to thrill the youngest, imparting knowledge about the natural world and helping them to develop observation skills and curiosity.
For more information, please visit Villa Paolina.

Among the species that can be found in the Valmanera WWF Oasis, we have foxes, badgers, dormouses, squirrels, hazel mice, hares, pheasants, roe deer, woodpeckers, robins, blackbirds, and jays.