Villas and Tiepolo
La Rotonda and Villa Valmarana ai Nani
Palladio's most famous villa and the Tiepolo frescoes, linked by a green walk on the edge of the city.
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Tiepolo in Vicenza
Villa Valmarana ai Nani, the house of the Tiepolos
On the hills of Vicenza, a few steps from La Rotonda, an eighteenth-century villa holds one of the most intense fresco cycles by Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo.
- Guiding since 2008
- Licensed guide no. 05000058
- Private tours only
- IT · EN · FR
At a glance
Why visit Villa Valmarana ai Nani?
Villa Valmarana ai Nani is the eighteenth-century villa on the hills of Vicenza frescoed in 1757 by Giambattista Tiepolo and his son Giandomenico. In the main house you meet the heroes of the great epic poems; in the guest house, everyday life, carnival and the chinoiserie of the eighteenth century. It takes its name from the seventeen statues of dwarfs ("nani") on the boundary wall, and a short footpath links it to Palladio's La Rotonda. A guided visit lasts about an hour and a half and pairs well with La Rotonda.
The history of the villa: from Bertolo to the Valmarana family
The first core of the villa was built for the jurist Giovanni Maria Bertolo and is recorded as complete in 1670. In the early decades of the eighteenth century the property passed to the Valmarana family, who still own it today. In 1736 Count Giustino Valmarana commissioned the architect Francesco Muttoni to renovate it: pediments, flights of steps, side turrets, stables and the portico of the guest house.
The complex is made up of three buildings: the main house (palazzina), the guest house (foresteria) and the stables, set in a garden overlooking the plain and the Berici hills. It was again Giustino Valmarana who, in 1757, called in the Tiepolos, who a few years earlier had completed their great undertaking at the Würzburg Residence in Germany.
Tiepolo frescoes in Vicenza
Father and son, two ways of seeing the world
The frescoes at Villa Valmarana are the ideal place to compare the style of Giambattista Tiepolo (1696-1770) with that of his son Giandomenico (1727-1804), who worked here side by side.
The main house: the great epic poems
In the main house Giambattista painted a cycle devoted to ancient and Renaissance epic. Each room tells the story of one poem, choosing the moments when duty and feeling come into conflict:
- Entrance hall: the sacrifice of Iphigenia, with the Greek fleet becalmed at Aulis.
- Iliad Room: the wrath of Achilles, and Thetis consoling her son.
- Orlando Furioso Room: Ruggiero frees Angelica; Angelica carves Medoro's name into the bark of a tree.
- Aeneid Room: Mercury urges Aeneas to leave Carthage.
- Gerusalemme Liberata Room: Rinaldo abandons the sorceress Armida.
The guest house: everyday life in the eighteenth century
In the guest house the leading role belongs to Giandomenico, who brings the world of his own time onto the walls with irony and keen observation. You pass through the Chinoiserie Room, with an imagined Orient in the taste of the period; the Gothic Room, with winter and summer promenades; the Room of Rustic Scenes, with idealised peasants; and the Carnival Room, where the Mondo Novo appears, along with the figure of the Moor with a tray. The sequence is completed by the Room of Architecture, the Room of the Putti and the Room of Olympus, the only room in the guest house where Giambattista's hand is recognised.
The contrast between the two parts of the villa is why many art lovers consider it an essential stop for understanding eighteenth-century Venetian painting: on one side myth and grand rhetoric, on the other a close look at a society in the midst of change.
The legend of the dwarfs of Villa Valmarana
The villa's nickname comes from the seventeen stone statues of dwarfs, once scattered around the garden and later lined up along the boundary wall. A popular legend tells of a young noblewoman born with dwarfism: to keep her from learning of her condition, her father is said to have surrounded her only with servants of her own height. When one day the girl saw a prince beyond the wall and understood the truth, her grief was so great that it led to her death, and the servants are said to have turned to stone, remaining to watch over the villa.
The tale has no historical basis, but it captures the fascination that these grotesque figures, typical of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century gardens, still hold for visitors today, children included.
The Valletta del Silenzio: on foot to La Rotonda
From Villa Valmarana ai Nani a footpath leads down through the fields and dry-stone walls of the Valletta del Silenzio (the "Little Valley of Silence") and reaches Villa La Rotonda in a few minutes. It is one of the most evocative stretches around Vicenza: you see La Rotonda from below, just as Palladio imagined it, resting on its hill. From here you can continue, with a steeper climb, to the sanctuary of Monte Berico.
How to visit Villa Valmarana ai Nani
The villa stands on Via dei Nani, south-east of central Vicenza, and can be reached from the centre on foot in about half an hour, partly uphill, or by car. Unlike La Rotonda, it is open to the public regularly for much of the year, with seasonal opening times shown on the official website. The garden and the woodland on the estate complete the visit.
- Visit length
- About an hour and a half; half a day together with La Rotonda
- Languages
- Italian, English, French
- Ideal for
- Art lovers, couples, families, small groups
- Admission
- Not included in the guide's fee; Daniela helps you book
- Accessibility
- The garden has sloping sections; we can check together according to your needs
Gallery
Images from the tour
Visit with Daniela
Tiepolo and Palladio in a single morning
The private "The Myth of the Villas: La Rotonda and Valmarana ai Nani" tour combines the two masterpieces linked by the Valletta del Silenzio. To round off your day in the city, you can add a visit to Vicenza's historic centre or to Palladio's palaces.
The classic
Vicenza, Palladio's city
Teatro Olimpico, Corso Palladio, Santa Corona and the Basilica Palladiana on Piazza dei Signori: the essential walking tour for understanding Vicenza.
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Architecture
Palladio's palazzi in Vicenza
Palazzo Thiene, Barbaran da Porto, Chiericati and the Loggia del Capitaniato: how Palladio redesigned the city of his patrons.
Discover the tourFrequently asked questions
Villa Valmarana ai Nani: what visitors ask
Who painted the frescoes at Villa Valmarana ai Nani?
The frescoes were painted in 1757 by Giambattista Tiepolo and his son Giandomenico, commissioned by Count Giustino Valmarana. Giambattista mainly painted the main house with its epic themes; Giandomenico painted most of the guest house with scenes of contemporary life.
What stories do the frescoes in the main house tell?
The rooms illustrate the Iliad, the Aeneid, Ariosto's Orlando Furioso and Tasso's Gerusalemme Liberata, with the sacrifice of Iphigenia in the entrance hall. These are episodes in which the characters must choose between love and duty.
Why is the villa called "ai Nani"?
Because of the seventeen stone statues of dwarfs (nani) placed on the boundary wall. A popular legend links them to a daughter of the owner, but it is a tale with no historical basis.
Can you walk from Villa Valmarana to La Rotonda?
Yes, a footpath through the Valletta del Silenzio links the two villas in a few minutes. It is the most pleasant way to visit them together in the same half-day.
Is Villa Valmarana ai Nani suitable for children?
Yes: the dwarfs, the carnival scenes and the great heroes of the frescoes lend themselves to a story-led visit for younger visitors too. Daniela adapts the pace and content to the age of the participants.
Private tour
The Tiepolo frescoes, seen up close
Write to Daniela with your dates, the number of people and your language: you will receive a suggested itinerary and clear terms before you confirm.
