Personally designed by Palladio, or inspired by the great architect's works, the residences of Venetian aristocrats on the banks of the River Brenta are the epitome of 18th century luxury. Losing themselves in a maze or becoming actors for a day, these were just two of the ways that the 18th century Venetian aristocracy passed away the day in the gardens of their magnificent villas on the Brenta Riviera. Today visitors can still sail down the Brenta, 18th century style, aboard one of the traditional "burchiello" boats which were used by the nobility to reach their fabulous riverside pleasure domes.
The first residence we come to is the Villa Fosacrini-Negrelli-Rossi. Reminiscent of Andrea Palladio's neoclassical mansions, the villa has an impressive entrance, characterized by a deep arcade. Luigi Rossini, the present owner of the villa and president of the prestigious Rossimoda shoe factory, has been responsible for the creation of the villa's Rossimoda Museum, which features two permanent exhibitions: the Calzature di Autore shoe museum and a modern art collection, which includes Andy Warhol's designs for the ideal shoe.
One way of beginning a visit to Villa Pisani would be to commence with a tour of the building's 18th century garden: a magnificent display of antique rose gardens, spectacular water features, statues and ornate green houses. The maze is a long-standing favorite, which has been delighting visitors ever since its construction. The villa was commissioned by Alvise Pisani, a member of the influential Pisani dynasty, to celebrate his election as Doge of Venice. Influenced by Palladio's neo-classical designs, the exterior of the villa is characterized by a large central tympanum and a columned balcony sustained by caryatids. Inside, each and every room is decorated with extravagant frescoes, the most impressive of which is Tiepolo's "Glory of the Pisani Family" which embellishes the ceiling of the ballroom. More exceptional frescoes, depicting hunting scenes and chinoiserie designs, can be seen in another of the family's villas: the nearby Villa Lazara-Pisani.
The town of Dolo is one of the symbols of the Brenta Riviera. The majority of the town's most important edifices, such as the Mulino, the boatyard where gondolas and burchiellos were repaired, Villa Bon, and Vincenzo Scamozzi's Palazzetto Ferretti-Mocenigo, date back to the late 16th century. Villa Badoer de Chantal was constructed near the town's rotating bridge a century or so later. This villa now houses the Villano Ethnographic Museum, which records the ancient customs and evolution of the area's agricultural community. It is well worth making the trip to the nearby town of Mira Porte, to see Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari and to stroll through the beautiful gardens where, it is said, Count Widmann used to enjoy staging works of Commedia dell'Arte to entertain his guests.
The last stage of our journey brings us to Villa Foscari, also known as the "Malcontenta", so called because it was to this villa that a member of the Foscari family banished his unfaithful wife. This is the only one of Brenta's villas which can be attributed to Palladio himself. A majestic Ionic loggia, framed by two sweeping flights of steps characterizes the façade of the building. Palladio designed the construction of the building around the main hall. Giovanni Batttista Zelotti, a pupil of Paolo Veronese, was responsible for the frescoes depicting various mythological scenes which embellish the walls and ceiling of the hall.
