UNESCO heritage
Palladio's villas in the Veneto
Villa Godi Malinverni, Villa Caldogno, Villa Emo and Villa Barbaro at Maser: the Venetian villa between farming, architecture and frescoes.
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Private tour · Half or full day
Riviera del Brenta: the villas of Venetian summer life
Along the Naviglio del Brenta canal, between Padua and Venice, stand the villas where Venetian patricians spent the summer: Palladio at La Malcontenta, the Rococo at Mira, Tiepolo at Villa Pisani.
- Guiding since 2008
- Licensed guide no. 05000058
- Private tours only
- IT · EN · FR
At a glance
How do you visit the villas of the Riviera del Brenta?
The Riviera del Brenta villas tour is a private half-day or full-day visit to the residences of Venetian villeggiatura (the summer stay in the country) along the Naviglio del Brenta, with Daniela Zarpellon, a licensed tour guide. The itinerary includes Andrea Palladio's Villa Foscari, known as La Malcontenta, Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari at Mira and Villa Pisani at Stra, now a national museum, with its ceiling by Giambattista Tiepolo and its maze. It suits those staying in Venice, Padua or Vicenza who want to discover the Venetian mainland.
Venetian villeggiatura on the Brenta
The Naviglio del Brenta is the stretch of the river that runs down from Padua towards the lagoon at Fusina. For centuries it was a very busy waterway: cargo boats and, for travellers, the burchiello, the passenger boat linking Venice and Padua, towed by horses along the towpath.
From the sixteenth century the great Venetian families built villas here that were both the centres of farming estates and places for entertaining. In the eighteenth century villeggiatura became a social ritual: people left the city for the summer and autumn, with parties, guests, theatre and conversation. Travelling the Riviera today means reading three centuries of Venetian taste, from Palladio's classicism to late Baroque splendour.
The villas
Riviera del Brenta villas tour: three stops along the canal
The order of visits depends on your starting point and the day's opening times.
Villa Foscari La Malcontenta, at Mira
Designed by Andrea Palladio around 1556-59 for the brothers Nicolò and Alvise Foscari, it stands at Malcontenta, now close to the lagoon. Unlike other Palladian villas it has no barchesse (farm wings): it is a domestic temple raised on a high base, with its Ionic portico facing the canal, from which guests arrived by boat.
Inside are frescoes by Giovanni Battista Zelotti and Battista Franco. Several explanations of the name circulate: a legend tells of an "unhappy" (malcontenta) noblewoman confined to the villa, while historical theories link it to disputes over the Brenta's waters as early as the fifteenth century. Since 1973 the villa has been back in the hands of the Foscari family; opening is limited.
Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari, at Mira
Built in the early eighteenth century for the Seriman, a Venetian family of Persian origin, it was bought in the middle of the century by the Widmann family, who renovated it in the French Rococo taste as a house for parties and receptions. The double-height salon, with frescoes dated 1765 and traditionally attributed to Giuseppe Angeli with quadratura (painted architecture) by Gerolamo Mengozzi Colonna, is one of the most theatrical rooms on the Riviera. Today the villa belongs to the Metropolitan City of Venice and has a park with statues and a nineteenth-century pond.
Villa Pisani, at Stra
More palace than villa, it was commissioned by the Pisani family of Santo Stefano: building began in 1721 to a design by Girolamo Frigimelica, continued after 1732 under Francesco Maria Preti and was completed in 1756. Alvise Pisani had been elected Doge in 1735. In the ballroom, between 1760 and 1762, Giambattista Tiepolo frescoed the Apotheosis of the Pisani Family, his last great undertaking before leaving for Madrid.
In the park are the monumental stables, the long fishpond and the famous box-hedge maze with its tower crowned by a statue of Minerva. In 1807 the villa was bought by Napoleon for the Viceroy Eugène de Beauharnais; in 1934 it hosted the first official meeting between Mussolini and Hitler. It has been a museum since 1884: today it is the Museo Nazionale di Villa Pisani.
Itineraries
How to combine the Brenta with Venice and Padua
Half day
Villa Pisani at Stra with its park and maze, plus an outside stop at La Malcontenta or a visit to Villa Widmann at Mira. Ideal as a break between Venice and Padua.
Full day
All three villas at a relaxed pace, lunch along the Riviera and time for the gardens. You can start from Venice, Padua or Vicenza.
The Brenta and the art cities
If you are staying in Venice, you can continue with visits from the sister site VeniceAround.it; if you are coming from Vicenza, you can add a day among Palladio's villas in the Veneto.
| Route | Approximate distance |
|---|---|
| Venice (Piazzale Roma) – Villa Foscari La Malcontenta | about 12 km |
| Malcontenta – Villa Widmann (Mira) | about 10 km |
| Mira – Villa Pisani (Stra) | about 10 km |
| Padua – Villa Pisani (Stra) | about 10 km |
| Vicenza – Villa Pisani (Stra) | about 45 km |
Approximate road distances; journey times depend on traffic, especially leaving Venice and Padua.
Practical information
Tour details and logistics
- Duration
- Half day (about 4 hours) or full day
- Meeting point
- The first villa on the route, or Venice, Padua or Vicenza
- Languages
- English, Italian, French
- Ideal for
- Couples, families, small groups, guests on holiday in Venice
- Getting around
- Your own car or a car with driver (NCC: third-party service, charged separately)
- Admission
- Not included; we help you book
Included
- A licensed tour guide for the whole tour
- An itinerary built around opening days and your starting point
- Help with booking admissions and lunch if wanted
- A transparent quote before you confirm
Good to know
- La Malcontenta is private with limited opening; Villa Widmann and Villa Pisani have their own calendars: we check and book for you
- Daniela does not drive: you travel in your own car or with a car and driver (NCC) quoted separately
- The maze at Villa Pisani may be closed at certain times of year or in bad weather
- Sightseeing boat trips on the Brenta are third-party services, to be considered separately
Frequently asked questions
The Brenta villas: useful answers
What are the most important villas on the Riviera del Brenta?
The three most visited are Villa Foscari, known as La Malcontenta, a work by Andrea Palladio; Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari at Mira, an example of Rococo taste; and Villa Pisani at Stra, now a national museum, with Giambattista Tiepolo's ceiling and the maze.
Can you visit the Brenta from Venice?
Yes. La Malcontenta is about a dozen kilometres from Piazzale Roma and Villa Pisani roughly half an hour by car. We organise the route with your own car or a car with driver (NCC), a third-party service charged separately.
Why is it called La Malcontenta?
A legend tells of a noblewoman of the Foscari family confined to the villa and therefore "malcontenta" (unhappy). Historical theories, however, link the name to the place itself and to disputes over the regulation of the Brenta's waters, documented as early as the fifteenth century.
What can you see at Villa Pisani in Stra?
The historic apartments, including those linked to the Napoleonic period, the ballroom with Giambattista Tiepolo's Apotheosis of the Pisani Family, and a large park with stables, fishpond and box-hedge maze. The complex is a state museum with its own opening calendar.
Is half a day enough?
For Villa Pisani and a second villa, yes. To see all three villas and their gardens at a relaxed pace, we recommend a full day, with a lunch break along the Riviera.
Gallery
Images from the tour
Booking request
Book this tour
Choose a date and the number of guests: you will receive a summary by email straight away, and Daniela will reply personally with availability and a written quote. The request is not yet a confirmed booking.
Continue your journey
More tours of villas and cities
After the Brenta, discover La Rotonda and Villa Valmarana ai Nani in Vicenza, or read how prices and bookings work.
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Palladio's most famous villa and the Tiepolo frescoes, linked by a green walk on the edge of the city.
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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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The Riviera del Brenta, villa by villa
Tell us where you are starting from, your dates and how many of you there are: we will check opening days and send you a proposal with a quote.
