The Venetian villas in autumn are tinged with warm tones and immerse themselves in a special and suggestive atmosphere. The perfect opportunity to discover them is to participate in guided tours and events organized within them.
Built by the nobles of Venice to manage their lands in the Veneto and Friuli countryside and escape the rhythms of the cities, Venetian Villas stand out as residences halfway between luxury homes and agricultural production centers able to tell the roots of Venetian culture and its connection with the mainland.
The autumn season, when the leaves cover the gardens and the facades of the buildings reflect the brightness of the sun, is the best time to visit the Venetian Villas.
15 Venetian villas to visit in autumn
Autumn is the perfect season to participate in guided tours and events inside the Venetian Villas because its warm colors create an enveloping atmosphere and a unique charm.
On the outside, it is even more clear that we want to show our power and wealth through gardens adorned with statues, fountains and water games while inside attract the interest of the rooms enriched by decorations and frescoes by great artists such as Paolo Veronese and Giovanni Battista Zelotti and antique furniture.
The Venetian Villas are almost four thousand (but only one hundred and sixty-six can be visited) and they are all unique in their kind, but some deserve a special mention.
Villa Emo
The rural views and waterways of the Treviso countryside must have exerted an irresistible charm on the noble Venetians, considering the many villas present in the Marca Trevigiana. It must have been so surely for the patrician Leonardo Emo.
Villa Emo (Fanzolo di Vedelago) is among the most iconic Venetian villas: it was designed by architect Andrea Palladio and shows the integration between luxurious residence and agricultural estate thanks to the square floor plan, the porch in classic style and the side parts (barchesse) rustic.
Inside, the house is full of frescoes depicting mythological scenes and allegories of rural life, such as those by Giovanni Battista Zelotti.
Villa La Rotonda
The Vicenza hinterland is dotted with some of the most interesting Palladian residences, thanks to the link between the architect and Vicenza.
Villa Almerico Capra, known as Villa La Rotonda, is one of the Palladian villas to visit in autumn because it features a perfect symmetry of the facades and a large dome in Roman style and recalls the ideal fusion between villa and temple.
Villa Barbaro
A few kilometers from Asolo there is Villa Barbaro or Villa di Maser, built by Andrea Palladio for the Barbaro and famous for its frescoes by Paolo Veronese.
Outside, you can admire the Peschiera (that is the large pool decorated with statues) and the Tempietto (small chapel at the foot of the slope on which the villa stands).
Villa Badoer
In the province of Rovigo (Fratta Polesine) stands Villa Badoer, a villa built by Palladio that sums up its ability to combine architectural elegance and practical functionality, especially with regard to agricultural activities.
The main facade is characterized by a large pronaos with columns that remind of ancient temples while around the villa there are two barchesse that define the space (one of which houses the National Archaeological Museum of Fratta Polesine).
Villa Valmarana Bressan
Villa Valmarana Bressan, located in Vigardolo, is one of the first works by Andrea Palladio. Although less known than others, this villa draws attention for its sober style and architectural innovation that the architect experienced in his career.
Its structure is less monumental, but it is possible to notice distinctive elements such as the central portico characterized by columns, the main body flanked by two wings that served as warehouses for agricultural activities and the essential and linear interiors.
Villa Pisani
The Brenta Riviera is not far from Venice and that’s why it is not strange that the nobles of the Serenissima Republic considered it an extension of the Grand Canal. Some of the most fascinating Venetian villas are located there.
Which villa in Veneto to visit? It is known by the name “Queen of the Venetian Villas”: Villa Pisani is a monumental building in Stra built to celebrate the power of the Pisani family.
In addition to being a museum, the house has a maze of hedges with central tower, a very old lemon house and various frescoed environments (among which stand out the frescoes of the ballroom made by Tiepolo).
Villa Foscari
In Mira (Riviera del Brenta) you will find an elegant house with a classical facade, Villa Foscari or La Malcontenta. It is known for the legend surrounding its name: it is said to be related to a lady of the Foscari family relegated to the villa for punishment.
Villa Widmann
Not far from the banks of the Brenta Canal is Villa Widmann, an 18th century residence built together with the oratory and rural service building.
Among the highlights of this residence are the park and the salon enriched by decorative stuccos and important frescoes.
Villa Godi Malinverni
Looking at the villas of Palladio, you can’t forget Villa Godi Malinverni: it was built by Andrea Palladio and decorated by Gianbattista Zelotti, Gualtiero Padovano and Battista del Moro.
The villa has a simple plan: the staircase leads to the frescoed atrium (which opens onto two terraces); the porch on the left leads to an upper floor; the right wing houses the Guest House and the Congress Hall.
The park has over a thousand meters of avenues with secular plants, a pond with swans and an area dedicated to the memory of the inhabitants of the house. Behind there are Italian gardens, enriched by fountains and statues.
Villa Valmarana ai Nani
It is very close to Villa La Rotonda and is a very special residence of the vicentine because surrounded by walls on which were lined seventeen statues of dwarfs.
Villa Valmarana ai Nani is a private residence and the few rooms that can be visited are rich in frescoes, among which the classic and mythological theme of Giambattista Tiepolo and his son Giandomenico stand out.
Villa Angarano
In Bassano del Grappa stands Villa Angarano Bianchi Michiel, a residence designed by Baldassare Longhena in the central body and by Andrea Palladio in the lateral parts.
The villa is part of a complex consisting of two courtyards: one is dedicated to services while the other houses the main building of three floors and two barchesse, closed on three sides by a wall. To the north of the house is a large park surrounded by a fishing pond accessible via a bridge. Inside the park, there is also an English style area with paths and trees.
Villa dei Vescovi
It is immersed in the green of the Euganean Hills and is one of the pre-Palladian residences of the province of Padua: we are talking about Villa dei Vescovi. Its distinctive feature is the classic taste.
The exterior is characterized by vineyards and orchards as far as the eye can see, while the interior is enriched by frescoes by Lambert Sustris.
Villa Contarini
In the province of Padua (more precisely in Piazzola sul Brenta) stands Villa Contarini, one of the most luxurious patrician houses in the territory.
The exteriors are characterized by an immense park behind while the interiors house stucco and refined frescoes. Among the pearls not to be missed is the Hall of the Upside-down Guitar with its particular mode of sound propagation.
Castle of Thiene
The Castle of Thiene From Porto Colleoni is an imposing building of the fifteenth century in Quinto Vicentino that combines the distinctive features of a castle and the characteristics of a Venetian palace.
The eye is drawn to the facade with window divided into vertical openings by columns and two side towers outside and frescoed rooms by Zelotti and Fasolo and antique furniture inside.
Villa Barbarigo
Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani is not open to the public and only imagination can make you imagine the hidden treasures in this Palladian house. On the other hand, however, the outdoor gardens are among the most symbolic and beautiful.
The monumental garden of Valsanzibio in the villa was designed to convey a message of positivity in a country torn by the plague of the seventeenth century. Inside, the beauty of nature and the artistic expressions of man blend perfectly.
Between the maze made of high hedges, the Hermit’s Cave, the Island of Rabbits and the Monument to Time, each element is a symbol of the way that leads man from error to truth, from ignorance to revelation.
Journey to the discovery of the Venetian Villas: guided tours and events
Some residences are closed completely or partially, as in the case of Villa Barbarigo or Villa Valmarana ai Nani, but you can visit many Venetian villas.
Guided tours are the best way to discover the treasures of these residences and to capture every detail of the lives of the nobles and curiosities.
Numerous villas host cultural events that add special notes to their discovery: classical music concerts under loggias or in frescoed rooms, contemporary art exhibitions and tastings of local products. Special mention deserves Villa di Maser (which, being famous for its wine production, allows you to participate in visits to the cellars and tastings of local wines during the autumn) and Villa Angarano (which opens up the opportunity to try wines from the family winery and extra virgin olive oil).
Some residences, such as Villa dei Vescovi, Villa Godi Malinverni and Castello di Thiene, offer the possibility to book spaces for private events, from weddings to corporate events, as well as staying in rooms steeped in history.
There is no lack of Venetian villas to visit by boat on the Brenta River, from Padua to Venice and vice versa, such as Villa Pisani and Villa Foscari.
Copertina: Unsplash
