A villa virtuoso

A villa virtuoso
Veneto
Magazine: April 2008

The White House or the fabulous villas from Gone with the Wind…there are many residential buildings that are linked to the genius of Andrea Palladio. There is not any another type of architecture closely connected to just one name, as is the case of “villa” and Palladio. Born in Padova, Andrea della Gondola started his trade as a stonemason: during the reconstruction work on the villa of a well-known proprietor, Gian Giorgio Trissino, he revealed such extraordinary talent that Trissino became his patron, changing his name to Palladio. Very soon Andrea became a star of the Republic of Venice, designing palaces and churches but especially aristocratic country houses. The high renaissance looked to the past gaining inspiration, geometry and beauty from the Greek and Roman civilizations. Suddenly it became fashionable to live in a villa. It is estimated that around 4.000 Venetian villas were constructed between the ‘500s and the early ‘800s. There are about twenty Palladino villas around Vicenza, Treviso, Venice, Padova and Rovigo. All can be visited and are perfect examples of the master’s style. Vicenza is top the Palladino itinery. There are two masterpieces. The Olympic Theatre inspired by the Greek Roman model and the Villa Capra, better known as the Rotonda. With its central structure and the four formal columns like a temple, the Rotonda is a refl ection of order and superior harmony.

It’s just an illusion…
From Vicenza we head north passing Cittadella, as we near Asolo we reach the Villa Barbaro at Maser. Erected around 1560 by the Barbaro brothers, it has a gable adorned with splendid stuccoes and the ends of the two lateral wings are surmounted by dovecotes each with a large sundial on the facade. On the interior, frescoes on the walls, ceilings and cornices of the main fl oor. Between divinities and symbolic fi gures we fi nd some of the residents of the villa, like Giustiniana, wife of Marcantonio Barbaro and a servant that leans out of an imaginary balcony. This effect is all the more surprising if from the central staircase we look in the direction of the suites of rooms that spread out to right and left: on the background from semi closed doors, a noble man in hunting clothes and a young woman with a fan. From the ridges of Montello, Villa Sandi opens out with its scenographic line of statues. A few kilometres northwest, Villa Giustinian at Portobuffolè is a delightfully enchanted location with suites decorated with stuccoes and splendidly laid out rooms.

Along the Brenta, fl owing with charm
The Naviglio di Brenta is a nucleus of fabulous villas especially on the part that connects Padova and Venice where around fi fty residences are linked to the best of Venetian aristocracy - Pisani, Gritti, Querini. Palladio is still the star along the Burchiello route, the ferry that transported the noblemen from the Grand Canal to their country dwellings. The Villa Foscari, another of the master’s works, was built around 1550. It rises solitary and imposing on high bedrock. The façade that overlooks the river has two twin access ramps that formed a ceremonial route up to the house: at the centre, under the pronaos, the hosts received their guests. The monumental effect of the construction was created by the master with humble materials: bricks and plaster. A few minutes away on the banks of the Brenta, lively trattorie with tasty lagoon cuisine.