The choice of the location for the collectin of artworks in case of war was accuratedly examinated and discussed. Initially, the Castle of Rocca Bernarda in the neighboorhood of Premariacco was taken into consideration, but later on it was discarded because it was too close to a powder magazine. Villa Manin in Passariano which the count Leonardo Manin had granted for free in the October of 1939 was therefore chosen. At first, this location was meant to be temporary, since an additional relocation to Central Italy was expecte. In fact, the final centralization should have taken place in the Convent of Santa Maria della Spineta in the municipality of Fratta Todina, in the province of Perugia.

Someda De Marco expressed his skepticism on the safety of Villa Manin before he was designated, on May 15, 1940 , to assume the direction of the air-raid protection of the monuments in the Province of Udine and the control of the centralization of the works of art.
The relationship between the Superintendency and Someda was strong, in some cases directly with the Superintendent Fausto Franco, more often with the architect Umberto Piazzo, who was the Inspector of the Friuli area.
On June 8th, two days before entering war, the relocation of the artworks to Villa Manin began: the transport operations were entrusted to the Roiatti brothers' company. On June 12, Somedade Marco, in his diary, emphasized the absolute necessity to have a military corp in defense of the works of art.
In the meantime, in the several local museums the operations began for the transfer of the art objects which had to be quickly carried to Villa Manin.