Riviera del Brenta. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, Brenta Canal, connecting Venice to Padua, was the fashionable canal, place of delight and ideal extension of the Grand Canal in Venice, where flourished more than forty luxurious villas, summer residences of the Venetian nobility which still witness centuries-old architectural culture.
Among the summer residences of Dogi
Among these, there stands out for its elegance and monumentality, Villa Foscari La Malcontenta, one of the masterpieces of the genius Andrea Palladio. In addition to numerous villas with typical Venetian atmosphere there is Villa Gradenigo, ancient sixteenth century villa, decorated with frescoes by Benedetto Caliari, Veronese’s brother.
Remember Villa Widmann, summer estate of ‘700’ with its lovely park; Villa Corner famous for the sumptuous receptions and lavish and long feasts of the family ; Villa Foscarini, where Lord Byron spent two years of his life (1817-1818) and Villa Pisani, the famous Palazzo Ducale in the mainland: a sumptuous villa built by the Pisani family between 1720-1740.
The majestic villa of the noble Pisani hosted in its 114 rooms Doges, kings and emperors. Today it is the National Museum which houses furniture and works of art of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, including the masterpiece by Giambattista Tiepolo “Glory of the Pisani Family”, painted on the ceiling of the majestic Ballroom.
The pride of the beautiful park that enchants the scenic views and the original architecture: the Coffee House at the Esedra, the famous hedge maze (the most important in Europe), the precious collection of citrus fruits and in the Orangerie of plants and flowers in the Tropical Greenhouses, “all that can recreate the view and satisfy the taste”, as boasted Almorò Pisani.
Suggestion. The Brenta Riviera can also be travelled by the Burchiello, a typical Venetian boat for passenger transport, with a large wooden cabin, with three or four balconies, finely worked and decorated. The Burchiello was used by the wealthy Venetian people to reach the city from their villas in the countryside. From March to October it is available to everybody for a mini cruise from Venice to Padua. The information is available on the website of the company.
