The beautiful region of Veneto, in north east Italy, is mainly famous for Venice, its capital city, yet has a lot more to offer to those who want to explore lesser known areas. Vicenza, located about 50 miles from Venice and 35 from Verona, is a quiet and compact town, perfect to be explored on foot, with its narrow cobblestone streets and gorgeous artistic and architectural heritage.
Its history is intertwined with the life and work of Andrea di Pietro della Gondola, better known as Palladio, an architect whose work is famous and admired world wide: his masterpieces – churches, palazzos and above all the villas he designed just outside the city- are a testimony of his creative genius and an amazing opportunity for visitors to get acquainted with wonderful architecture from the 1500s.
Andrea Palladio was a very prolific artist and, throughout his life, was hired by rich Venetian families to design their countryside estates. He built 30 villas, 24 of which are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites: most of them are located in the provinces of Vicenza, Treviso and Padova, while some are near Gorizia, Pordenone and Udine in the nearby region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. All of them are stunning, but while some are open year round, some only open their gates from April to October, making the summer the ideal time to get the most out of a trip to the area. For detailed information about opening hours and reservation requirements of each villa visit http://www.villevenete. net/
Villa Valmarana ai Nani, in Vicenza, is a great starting point to begin your tour: many of its rooms and corridors are decorated by painting master Giambattista Tiepolo and by his son Giandomenico. It will strike a cord with those who love the classic literature, as many of the paintings illustrate episodes of the Iliad, the Aeneid, Jerusalem Delivered and Orlando Furioso. The villa is open for visits from mid March to the first week in November; you can find more information at www.villavalmarana.com
The province of Treviso also offers the chance to visit many of Palladio’s beautiful villas (not to mention the best Prosecco in the world, as it is its birthplace). Villa Tiepolo Passi, in Carbonera (Province of Treviso), is definitely one of a kind as it is not only inhabited to this day, but also features a delicious restaurant, an organic farm and a few rooms to accommodate guests: if sleeping in a historical villa from the 1600s is your dream or if you want to reserve a table log on to www.villatiepolopassi.it . The family also offers guided tours to the farm that can also be booked on their website. Also the Castello di Roncade (www.castellodironcade.it) is today home to a quaint bed & breakfast and a successful wine making business: the grand entrance is so impressive, as is the villa’s façade, that makes it worth a visit, as does the superior quality of the wines produced on site.
Those who like gardens will definitely fall in love with the Castello del Catajo (www.castellodelcatajo.it) in Battaglia Terme, province of Rovigo. It’s quite incredible to think that this imposing structure was built in only three years, between 1570 and 1573. It stands in the middle of a vast park, with peach groves and tailored gardens. The indoor, with pastel colored frescos and high ceilings, is as impressive and can be visited on Sundays and Tuesdays.
A tour of the villas wouldn’t be complete without a visit to famous Villa Foscari, known as the “Malcontenta”, in Mira, province of Venice. It was designed and built in 1559 alongside one of the canals that spun from the river Brenta for two brothers, Nicolò and Alvise Foscari. Its peculiar nickname –it means “unhappy”- is said to originate from the misadventure of a dame who was locked up in solitude in the villa as a punishment for her illegitimate love affairs. From May 1st to October 31st the villa can be visited on Tuesdays and Saturdays mornings or, on other days, with a reservation. To book a tour visit www.lamalcontenta.com
The best way to visit the villas, as they are spread across the region, is by rental car. The starting point of Vicenza can be easily reached by train from Venice (43 minutes) and Milan (1 hour and 50 minutes); nearest airports are Verona Villafranca (45 miles, about 40 minutes) and Venezia Marco Polo (60 miles, about 55 minutes)
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