The Venetian Villas – 1 day itinerary
Introduction
Widely respected as one of the most important architects of the Western world, Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) was a practitioner whose work has continued to resonate down five centuries. The Venetian Villas are his best-known masterpiece. Situated in the Veneto region, these homes were designed for important and noble families of Venice and Vicenza who recognized Palladio’s architectural talent and were looking to acquire a sumptuous building to which they could escape during the summer months or, in many cases, which they could use as a practical working farm. Today, some of these villas, a few still privately owned, can be visited much as they were five centuries ago. The selection we propose sweeps the visitor into the magic of the Venetian Renaissance , enjoying these outstanding architectures, their period furniture and marvelous frescoed interiors, as well as some enchanting centuries-old parks.
Tickets and fares
The following itinerary is a simple suggestion and is only available for groups of more than 20 people.
Opening times for each villa can be checked at this link.
Tickets must be purchased in advance for each villa.
It is advisable to rely on a guide for the organization of the itinerary.
1 day program
1. Ca’ Marcello
ADDRESS: Levada di Piombino Dese (PD) | Visit to the house and the gardens – 90 mins.
Built in the 16th century, this is one of the most beautiful and well-maintained examples of Palladian style villas. It is still lived in by some descendants of the noble Venetian Marcello family and it contains all the original 18th century furniture. Count Marcello will guide you through a visit of the centuries-old park – which contains long rows of old trees, statues, a large fish pond and a “colombaia” tower – and then in the interiors, through splendid living rooms, bedrooms and a ballroom with fresco paintings by G.B. Crosato and incredibly beautiful stucco works.
Our guests can conclude the visit at Ca ‘Marcello with refreshments or a private lunch, inside the house or in the park, as follows:
A. Private lunch, buffet style or seated and served, with different 4 courses menu choices
B. “Merenda” or light buffet with typical Venetian specialties
C. Light refreshments with sweet and salty pastry
2. Villa Emo
ADDRESS: Fanzolo di Vedelago (TV) | Visit to the house – 60 mins.
Villa Emo offers a synthetic and emblematic picture of the Palladian architecture. Built by Andrea Palladio in 1558 for Leonardo Emo’s account and designed on the grid of the Roman centuriation, with its long stone ramp and the symmetric barchesse, it dominates the monumental complex of the park, of the rustic outline buildings and of the lands where the plantation of corn had its start. The clean austerity of the Doric order of the façade blends with the beauty of the rich internal decorative scenery, a work by Gianbattista Zelotti.
3. Villa di Maser
ADDRESS: Maser (TV) | Visit to the house and to the carriages collection – 60 mins.
Designed by Andrea Palladio in 1550 and decorated with the cycle of frescoes by Paolo Veronese and the stuccos by Alessandro Vittoria, it is one of the masterpieces of XVI century Venetian art. The Villa is surrounded by the green of its vineyards and by continuing its wine production it keeps alive the old tradition of the “villa farm”. In 1996 the Villa, which is now the owners residence, was inscribed on the World Heritage list by UNESCO. In one of the adjoining buildings there is an interesting Collection of Carriages.
Wine tasting of Villa di Maser estate’s wines is available. Carriage Collection open from March to October. Visits to the villas allowed to a maximum of 25 people at a time every 30 minutes. Group visits available every day except on Tuesdays, Saturdays and Sunday afternoons.
