Osteria Madonnetta
“Since 1904, Madonnetta has served the best and most genuine typical Veneto cuisine, our guests can savour our menu of simple, natural, flavoursome and seasonal dishes.”
Fam. Guerra
The spaces of the Madonnetta
An ancient osteria, a step into the past
“Here, in the heart of Marostica’s fourteenth century turrets and walls, Osteria Madonnetta, is one of a kind”
“On entering, one is transported back in time to experience the sights and sounds, and the unique atmosphere of a time gone by. The characteristic Osteria goes back to 1904 when it was first opened by Giuseppe Polita. It has survived, generation after generation, through to the Polita Guerra family and the capable hands of Amelia and Toni, with all its genuine simplicity in tact.”
“La Madonnetta was a rest stop for travellers, a refreshment point for soldiers during the First World War, and a welcoming place for the famous American writer E. Hemingway, who in 1918 was an ambulance driver and war correspondent. Throughout its long history, it has been a charming meeting point for anyone in pursuit of a thrilling game of cards, lively conversation and a good glass of wine.”
“On entering Madonnetta you’ll find a friendly ambience altogether. The antique furniture, the old hearth, the grandfather clock that marks the time, the walls adorned with vintage photos, portraits, serious and light-hearted newspaper clippings, satirical banter, and the beamed ceiling from which hang pots and cooking utensils – everything takes you back to a place inhabited by simple and humble folk and reminds you of the life of our fathers, the children of an arduous soil.”
“Alongside a good glass of wine and the inviting and genuine traditional flavours of homemade Veneto dishes, at Madonnetta guests can also admire the work of craftsman Toni Guerra; an object which symbolises the close bond between this ancient tavern and the turreted city of Marostica. It is the large round bench, made from a large pine tree from Marostica’s Pausolino Hill that was felled by lightning in 1975. On its top the walled city has been carved with a table inside on which sits a large chessboard to remind everyone of Marostica’s famous chess match pageant that takes place in the main square”
G. Antonio Muraro, local writer and historian
Passion, culture and memory
From 1904 to the present
The Osteria Madonnetta, a hospitable place for meeting and conviviality within the Scaliger walls of Marostica, has been run by our Guerra family since 11 November 1904. We are certain that great-grandfather Giuseppe, ‘Bepi’, on the day he bought this restaurant for our great-grandmother Erminia, would never have imagined that so many years later someone from his own family would now carry on this business, offering those who frequent it a tasty dish and a welcoming smile.
The Osteria Madonnetta is a unique establishment. As soon as you enter, the time machine plunges you into a distant past, arousing wonder and a curious desire to know; in fact, every object, the benches, the old tables, every image, the photos of the past, which we have lovingly preserved, make and will always make you experience intense emotions. Smells that whet the appetite and superfine tastes of food recall the flavours of the genuine cuisine of yesteryear, and the wines, with their delicate perfume and taste, evoke in the mind evocative images of the vineyards of our sunny and verdant Veneto hills, full of charm and, at the same time, a concrete sign of a centuries-old winemaking tradition of great quality.
Inside the osteria or in the adjoining garden, the thread of memory wanders and the imagination will make you relive the scenes of many regular friends of the ‘Madonnetta’ intent on playing cards or simply chatting in front of the fireplace, sipping a good glass of wine.
In fact, one might get the impression of seeing some famous people from history. This is not surprising, because it could be true. After all, Ernest Hemingway, back in 1918, during the Great War, would stop by whenever he could to enjoy some good food and a glass of our wine.
The Osteria Madonnetta has been a destination for wayfarers, a place of refreshment for soldiers, workers, students, tourists, artists, poets, musicians, and it still wants to be a hospitable place, as it has been throughout its more than century-long history, an attractive and familiar meeting place for everyone, for passionate games of cards for lively conversations, in the name of convivial living.
Thanks to our mother, Annamaria, we have introduced simple, genuine, tasty dishes to the menu, which make Osteria Madonnetta an original and typical example of Veneto cuisine.
The local area and our sharing ethos
The Osteria Madonnetta upholds the ethos, culture and work of many local and national organisations. We are friends of The Restaurateurs of Vicenza, Zero-kilometre Eateries, The Association of Marostica Goose Restaurants, The Torcolato and Breganze Wine Route, The Slow Food Cooks’ Allliance, Slow Food of Bassano del Grappa, Historical Businesses of Italy and Historical Eateries of the Veneto
The Madonnetta team
Team spirit, fun, passion and enthusiasm, rounded off with talent and experience. Our people are the key to the outstanding hospitality at Osteria Madonnetta.
Typical Veneto cuisine
Flavours and aromas of the land where the mountains embrace the plain
