Bespoke itinerary
VENETO GARDENS
Veneto Gardens
Veneto region is the land of Venice secret gardens, Palladian architecture, labyrinths and Veneto villas along the Brenta Riviera.
Prosecco hills and Valpolicella combine villas with gardens and vineyards in a bucolic landscape which was celebrated by painters like Giovanni Bellini, Cima da Conegliano and Giorgione.
From the majestic nobility of the Dolomites to Venice lagoon and the Po delta, Veneto region is rich in parks and gardens from North to South and offers a wide array of cultural itineraries.
In Venice there is the opportunity to visit the gardens of Palazzo Soranzo Cappello and the Borges Labyrinth on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, but let’s not forget about the countless private Venetian secret gardens.
On the mainland, the district of Venice is dotted with the famous Veneto villas located along the Brenta Riviera, that you can navigate onboard the Burchiello. The river cruise sails through the natural and urbanized landscape, Across the River and Into the Trees: you slowly navigate through weeping willows, poplars, black alders; you glimpse grey herons and moorhens; but you see even artifact landmarks, like sluices, swing bridges, and picturesque villages speckled with lovely belltowers.
Along the Brenta Naviglio, you can visit magnificent villas, like Villa Foscari known as “La Malcontenta”, Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari and Villa Pisani known as “La Nazionale” in Stra.
Villa Foscari “La Malcontenta” is the only villa built by Palladio on the Brenta Riviera. Entrusted by Alvise and Niccolò Foscari in 1558, it treasures frescoes by Battista Franco and Giambattista Zelotti.
Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari was entrusted in the early 1700s by the Serimann family and it was embelished by splendid Rococo-style frescoes. The surrounding park is populated by statues of deities, nymphs, shepherds; it houses furthermore a romantic lake with bald cypresses.
Villa Pisani “La Nazionale” is an imposing villa designed in 1720 by Girolamo Frigimelica Roberti and completed by Francesco Maria Preti in 1756 for the Pisani di Santo Stefano family. The park offers the famous Labyrinth, a place for leisure and entertainment.
The Botanical Garden of Padua, established in 1545, is the second oldest botanical garden of Italy after Pisa. It preserves its original circular design and it has been visited over the centuries by many importants figures, like Goethe.
The distric of Padua is studded with spectacular gardens like Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani in Valsanzibio, which offers the oldest boxwood labyrinth of the Veneto region. Near-by you can visit the Catajo Castle, Villa Cittadella Vigodarzere Valmarana and Villa Pisani Bolognesi Scalabrin.
Villa Almerico Capra better known as “La Rotonda” is Palladio masterpiece in Vicenza. The district of Vicenza boasts several villas like Villa Valmarana ai Nani, precious jewel painted by Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo, but also Villa Piovene da Schio, Villa Trissino Marzotto and Villa Godi Malinverni.
If we travel further in the direction of Treviso, Villa Barbaro at Maser is a must-see. Masterpiece signed by Palladio, Villa Barbaro is decorated with frescoes by Veronese and offers a beautiful Nymphaeum, unique in Veneto architecture. Near-by, you can visit Villa Cornaro Revedin Bolasco with its beautiful park.
The Giusti Garden in Verona is another pearl amongst the Italian gardens of Veneto, followed by the near-by villas in the district of Verona, such as Villa Rizzardi, Villa Allegri Arvedi and Villa della Torre Allegrini.
Are you a garden club, a cultural association or a group of friends with a strong passion for gardens? My Flora Guide is a tour leader, a tour guide, and a travel designer with a diploma in “Garden History” from the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh. In the last years I have been leading private tailor-made garden tours for garden clubs in Italy, especially in Tuscany, Lazio and Veneto regions. Do not hesitate to contact me to customize your garden itinerary in Veneto region.
