A weekend in Veneto to see the fantastic villas along river Brenta

This winter, my friend Roberta asked me to join her in a trip organized by the Snowshoes, which includes a visit to Vicenza and villas along the Brenta Canal. After hearing the stories for a long time full of enthusiasm for the activities organized by Roberta for snowshoeing, to which she belongs, decide it's time to sign up as well and I begin to understand this association, the activities they play and especially the people who belong to it. This short trip seems to me the right opportunity to start.

I visited many years ago this area that overlooks the Brenta Canal with my parents, but we had not been to Vicenza. It could be a good opportunity to review a beautiful area of Italy and discover a city that still do not know.

 

Navigating along river Brenta

The appointment is at 5. Fortunately, Roberta and her boyfriend, Fabrizio, have already arrived so I feel a bit 'less disoriented because hardly know anyone.

After loading the luggage and taking place on the bus you go on a mini vacation! The journey passes quickly, a nap, a chat, a bit 'of reading, in short, almost without realizing it brings me to the Villa Pisani in the late morning.
To expect a guide who takes us to the discovery of the beautiful gardens of Villa Pisani (Stra - VE).
Villa Pisani, also known as the National, is a beautiful villa with a huge park (10 hectares) surrounded by a wall that has holes here and there where you can see the surrounding countryside, or a taste of this beautiful garden, where Looking out from inside. The house, the eighteenth century, is located directly on the banks of the Brenta. We visit the garden because the only time available is not sufficient to allow us to see the interior.

The view of the pond, twentieth century, with the background of the teams deserve a beautiful photograph.
The tour lasts about an hour in the park. We will see the Coffee House located on a hill, the stables, the gardener's house, and the ice maze with the central tower. Although the weather is not much we decided to test the same as our sense of the maze.
It seemed easy .. But .... In order to be able to reach the central tower, we are guided by an attendant of the house that shows us the winding road that leads to the center of the labyrinth. From the top of the tower we can see from the labyrinth, a maze of trails, find the way alone would take a long time. We realize now that the way to the exit of the maze is not easy, therefore, since time is running out, the officer asks us to guide us ... so we can be out of the maze and ready to go for our next destination in no time at all.

That brings us to Dolo for lunch time, the appointment is for two to boarding the boat, the Burchiello. I, Roberta and Fabrizio are looking for a quiet place along the banks of the canal to eat our lunch and while we see a nutria that traffic on the opposite shore.
We embark on Burchiello together with the guide who will accompany us along the way describing these places, tell about the houses that meet along this journey and maybe even telling some pretty strange story or legend.
These vessels, called today Burchielli, still retain what is the name by which they were called in the past, the boats that was shuttling between Venice and Padua. It was a transport system is widely used in the past, of course, is only as a tourist attraction. But it is through tourism that the local tradition to continue to survive and stay alive, if not be lost.

The navigation is nice, the landscape flows slowly giving us glimpses of beauty.

Fortunately, the Burchiello on which we are traveling is all covered as the rain decided to speak up forcefully and at some point it's raining so hard that it almost seems that someone has opened a tap.

The pontiffs, who maneuvered the bridges along the canal behind us and ahead of us from one deck to another: a closed to open and close a bridge to turn. A curious aspect of this trip and fun.
If today the Burchiello attracts mainly tourists, in the past there were many writers who were fascinated by these boats, and were to the point to mention them in their works. Writers such as Goldoni, Casanova, Byron, Goethe and D'Annunzio ... and now I wrote or quoted the Burchiello!
Our surf quiet is interrupted for a brief stop in Villa Widmann (Mira - VE). We visit the interior and the garden with albino peacocks undisturbed and those who walk in the park. The house, the eighteenth century, in the course of history has passed into the hands of several owners. In fact, his full name refers to a myriad of names. Very beautiful the ballroom and the beautiful frescoes on walls and ceilings that show scenes from mythology. The garden, in its simplicity, is well worth a visit, the awesome majesty of the bald cypress of Canada stand in all their grandeur from the waters of the small pond of the park!

We head in less than an hour we arrive at the end of our trip on the canal. The Burchiello you download your villa in front of the discontented, who do not have the time to visit, but even if they had had time we could not visit because, as Robert pointed out to me, is open a few hours a day. The name of this villa, it is said, is due to the wife of the man who commissioned the villa, a wealthy Venetian. Returning from one of his many trips to Venice was able to discover that his wife did not remain sad and disheartened to await his return before the fire, indeed .. So relegated in this home away from the good life in Venice, by all his friends and even by those who stirred up the jealousy of her husband. Segregated in this wonderful home away from everyone and everything, the poor woman died of loneliness sad and unhappy, hence the nickname 'The Moaning'.

Recall the coach to Vicenza, where not only stay the night but will spend the day tomorrow to explore this beautiful city.

The hotel is also very nice and our room. The share with another girl with whom I now know: Sonia, that we find a perfect roommate.

Dinner is a traditional restaurant in the center that I, Roberta Fabrizio and we decide to walk. This is a walk of about twenty minutes. We walk for the entire main street: Corso Palladio. It 's our first approach to this city that once we discover to be lively and cheerful. Corso Palladio, pedestrian precinct, teems with people strolling, meet for a drink, chat, or is returning from a little 'shopping, in short, the city center is lively and cheerful.

The dinner was delicious and enjoyable for both the quality of the food for the company. To make a comment by Roberta "ate like groundhogs." To be honest I do not know what groundhogs eat but we ate so much. Obviously could not miss the salt cod to Vicenza and a typical dessert served with mustard Vicenza, slightly spicy.

Vicenza

Left the hotel we head by bus near the center where, accompanied by a guide, exploring the city.
Vicenza is a city of about 120,000 inhabitants. You'd never seen that my impression was that of a town built on a human scale. Vicenza is also known as the city of Palladio because the architect Andrea Palladio, in the late Renaissance, designed much of its work. Since 1994, Vicenza became part of UNESCO World Heritage Site, like many of the Palladian villas.

We stopped just before the building Chiericati. Austere and imposing. We visit some of the rooms on the first floor. He was commissioned as a private residence, by a noble era of Andrea Palladio, who designed it in 1550. He is currently the headquarters of the civic art gallery. This palace has been included in UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A little curiosity that I read ... the White House was designed in the Palladian style. But ...

Our tour continues along Corso Palladio and the streets and alleys of downtown in search of its splendid buildings and corners. So our eyes run along the austere and sumptuous palaces. We see the Ca 'd'Oro, Palazzo Tiene, and many others. Then we arrive in Piazza dei Signori, the city's main square, crowded with stalls, you are in a sort of flea market. Despite this, the Palladian Basilica stands in all its majesty. Near the Basilica, one of the tallest buildings in the city: the tower Bissara.
The name of the square, Piazza dei Signori is a name that is found in many cities of the Veneto. Always identifies the city's main square where there was in city government and then from where the lords governed the city.
La Loggia del Capitano, another splendid palace of Andrea Palladio, overlooking the square exactly given to the Basilica.

Finally we visit the Teatro Olimpico. Awesome! It was the last building designed by Palladio and did not see the completion. The theater is the structure of the Roman theater and was started in 1580 by Palladio to be completed by Vincenzo Scamozzi student use. It 's something really unique. Worth the trip alone to Vicenza. It was opened on 3 March 1585 with a performance of Sophocles' Oedipus the King, whose screenplay is still visible today. The theater is still used for concerts and plays that are well adapted to the stage presence of the theater.

After having wandered a bit 'for the city, he had a good supply of cards for my trade with the rest of the world, full of our purchases we are heading slowly towards Mount Berico. The sun is out and is just fine.
In place of the toll pass below the tower in Castle Gate, to our right are the gardens Salvi.
We wanted to walk the path of the ladder, then go under the arch of the ladder, also attributed this to the Palladio, and from there go to the Mount Berico climbing the 192 steps divided into several flights on this route.
But a sign that shows us the way to Mt Berico us wrong turn. We drive along the road lined by arcades which soon brings us before the Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Berico. I Portici di Monte Berico, are sort of the Cross. They were designed in 1745 by architect Francis Muttoni, but were made in 1748 are after the architect's death.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Berico consists of two churches, the first is a smaller church, Gothic period, the shrine itself in Baroque and classical style. As the guide explains, the construction of the sanctuary is linked to the apparition of Our Lady in this place. The first appearance dates back to 1424 but, as often happens on these occasions was not held true, and the second in 1428 gave rise to the construction of a small church where now stands the smaller church. At that raged in the city of Vicenza a bad plague. Tradition has it that Madonna would have required the construction of a church and in return would stop the plague. Inside the basilica, there are works of art of inestimable value, including "Dinner of San Gregorio Magno" by Paolo Veronese (1572).
A leisurely walk to visit Villa Valmarana we marry that "The Dwarfs". Along the boundary walls that line the road there are the statues of dwarfs. This is not the usual garden dwarves of Snow White but beautiful statues of a person of ordinary life at the time. Once they were all over the park are now positioned along the walls of the villa. Legend has it that the daughter of the lords proprietors of the villa was suffering from dwarfism. To prevent the daughter he realized his condition and would suffer all the servants and servants of the villa were dwarfs. But as always happens in these stories of our day a girl saw a handsome prince and fell in love. Unrequited love that led to the unfortunate girl to suicide. For pain all the servants were petrified!
We visit the villa and the guesthouse are very attractive as well as the park in front of the villa. Today it is a private residence and is occupied by the owners off and on, but ... The frescoes in the villa and guest house are the work of Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo, father and son. While his father preferred the epic themes son preferred the scenes of daily life of nobles and commoners. There is also a room painted in Chinese style, or rather according to what they thought was the son of Tiepolo distant China.
We continue our visit to the last visit that villa: Villa Almerico Capra "La Rotonda". Particularly its central plan. Built on a design by Palladio is completed only after the death of Palladio, Vincenzo Scamozzi. Almerico was he who commissioned the construction of this villa, his death was inherited by his son who was forced to sell the house because, simply put, do not fare too well. He was so sold to the Capra brothers who completed the construction.
The villa has an austere, almost a mausoleum, the view from the park on the city and the sanctuary of Mount Berico is spectacular. We visit the gardens only. Even this house is a UNESCO World Heritage.
Thus ends our pilgrimage through the streets and beautiful houses of this city.
Our coach is ready to go and we have left is to greet these places and make their way home. It 'was a pleasant surprise, a good weekend the discovery of a corner of that beautiful country I never imagined being so nice and charming. And it was a great trip for the company, for the people with whom I shared these days, those who already know and those I knew in those days.
In concluding this brief diary I want to thank Silvia and Laura, the two people who made possible this trip, who organized, planned and carried out this intensive weekend. It is imperative to think about them because organize and implement a trip is not a trivial matter. It's easy to complain if something is not liked or if you wanted to do different and is equally easy to forget the hard work they have done and Laura Silvana to make nice, interesting and above all this day possible.