Villa tour in the Veneto region:
The tour will take you to discover some of the luxury villas (of your choice) located in the Veneto region. More than four thousand of them were built between the 13th and 17th centuries, during the heyday of the Venetian Republic. Today, about a hundred of them are open to the public. Let’s familiarise ourselves with just a few of the extensive list of architectural gems.
Villa Pisani. The imposing 18th century palace and park complex, often referred to as the “Venetian Versailles”, was built in Stra at the behest of the future Doge Alvise Pisani. Here you will find sculptures of ancient heroes and Olympic gods, stables and a park with boxwood labyrinth.
Villa Contarini. Located in the town of Piazzola sul Brenta. Luxurious interiors, huge gardens, a lake, magnolias and alleys make the villa one of the most popular in the Veneto. The two-storey “Music Room”, where Antonio Vivaldi himself once performed, attracts attention. There is a hole in the ceiling, the musicians play from above and the sound, thanks to the special shape of the walls, can be heard in the lower room without distortion.
Villa Valmarana. Located in Vicenza, the villa is famous for its frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, which can be seen either on an organised tour or as a guest: you can stay overnight and imagine yourself as a scion of an aristocratic family. Next to the villa is a lush garden with smooth paths, intricately trimmed bushes, a dovecote and 17 mini statues.
Villa Barbarigo. Another garden worth visiting is the green spaces of Villa Barbarigo (also called Villa Pizzoni or Villa Ardemani, after the names of the former owners). The villa lives its noble life in the vicinity of a village with the rather long and intricate name of Valsanzibio di Galzignano Terme, in the province of Padua. The park covers about 15 hectares and is a rare example of a 17th-century symbolic garden that includes a complex system of waterfalls, streams, ponds and fountains
Villa Arvedi. To see this palace and park ensemble, one must come to the town of Grezzana, near Verona. The exquisite garden and the frescoed Salon of the Titans make it particularly attractive. A Baroque church rises picturesquely on the hill behind the villa. The owners of the mansion, the Arvedi family, are producers of wine and olive oil, which can be tasted here. The villa is very cinematographic, not without reason the Hollywood melodrama “Letters to Juliet” was filmed here.
Villa Manin. This villa in Passariano di Codroipo (province of Udine) was the home of the last Doge of Venice, Ludovico Manin. Obelisks, sculptures, frescoes “Triumph of Spring” by the French master Louis Dorigny are perfectly combined with the natural beauty of the park. Nowadays, the villa has become a centre for contemporary art, hosting many exhibitions and concerts. You’ll also find gun and carriage museums.
