Veneto villas: Palladio and frescoes
La Rotonda, frescoes by Tiepolo and Veronese, and the country palaces of the Venetian nobility.
Imagine an Italy where, instead of city noise, there are cypress avenues, well-kept gardens, fountains, frescoes by great masters and palaces that keep the secrets of aristocratic families.
From the 16th to the 18th century, wealthy Venetian families left their city palaces and built luxurious country residences. Here they relaxed, entertained guests, ran their estates and showed off their status. We’ll see Palladio’s masterpieces and the art of Veronese and Tiepolo, and find out why the villas of Veneto became a symbol of Italian elegance.
Which villas we’ll see
- La Rotonda. Four identical facades, a dome and mathematical harmony. We’ll find out why a country house looks more like an ancient temple and how Palladio’s ideas changed architecture in Europe and America.
- Villa Valmarana ai Nani. Stone dwarfs on the wall, the legend of a lonely princess and rooms painted by Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo.
- Villa Barbaro. This is where Palladio and Veronese met. The frescoes create an illusion of space: figures seem to open windows and look out at the guests.
- Villa Emo. Palladio combined luxury and practicality: a majestic facade, long side wings and frescoes by Zelotti in the middle of a large estate.
- Villa Godi Malinverni. One of Palladio’s first major works, where his architectural language was born.
- Villa Contarini. A grand palace fit for kings, with enormous halls and gardens.
- Villa dei Vescovi and Petrarch’s House. The Renaissance residence of the bishops of Padua in the Euganean Hills, and the house in Arquà Petrarca where the poet spent his last years.
Themed routes
- Palladio and his masterpieces: La Rotonda, Villa Emo, Villa Godi Malinverni.
- Art and frescoes: Valmarana, Barbaro, Godi Malinverni.
- Aristocratic life in Veneto: Contarini, dei Vescovi, Barbaro.
- Romantic Veneto: Villa dei Vescovi, Petrarch’s House and the small towns of the Euganean Hills.
Villa visits can be combined with a walk around a historic town, a wine tasting or lunch at a traditional restaurant.
Photos from the route
What is included
- Themed route tailored to your interests
- Help with booking the villas
Paid separately
- Villa entrance tickets
- Getting to the villas: your car or a transfer
FAQ
How do we get to the villas?
The villas are out in the countryside: we travel in your car or by a transfer I will help you book.
Are entrance tickets included?
No, entrance to the villas is paid separately. Opening hours and booking depend on the villa.
Voices of Italy
Beauty will result from the beautiful form and from the correspondence of the whole to the parts, of the parts among themselves, and of these to the whole.
La bellezza risulterà dalla bella forma e dalla corrispondenza del tutto alle parti, delle parti fra loro, e di quelle al tutto