The Brenta, Vicenza
and Palladio's villas
Two nights in a villa on the Brenta canal, three in Vicenza and its hills, two inside the garden of a villa by Palladio.
The Veneto the Venetians escaped to
From the 16th century the Venetian nobility built their country houses on the mainland, many of them designed by Andrea Palladio. This journey follows them from the Brenta canal, half an hour from Venice, to Vicenza, Palladio's own city, and to the walled towns and volcanic hills south of it. It is our home ground: our team is based in the Venice area.
- 1Riviera del Brenta 2 nights
- 2Vicenza 3 nights
- 3Lonigo 2 nights
7 days, 3 homes
For every stop: what to see and where to go, the dishes to try and where to eat them. Below, two or three of our homes in the area, with live rates for your nights.
The Riviera del Brenta
In summer the Venetian nobility left the city and sailed up the Brenta canal to their villas. The canal is still lined with them, half an hour from Venice.
What to see & where to go
- Villa Pisani at Stra, its frescoes by Tiepolo and its maze
- Villa Foscari, 'La Malcontenta', by Palladio
- Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari at Mira
- The Burchiello, the boat along the Brenta between Padua and Venice
- Padua and Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel, booked ahead
- Venice for the day, half an hour away
What to eat
- Bigoli in salsa, with anchovies and onions
- Sarde in saor, sweet-and-sour sardines
- Risi e bisi, rice and peas, in spring
- Fish from the lagoon, grilled or fried
Where to eat
- Fish from the lagoon in the trattorie along the canal
- Bigoli in salsa, the Venetian pasta with onions and anchovies
- A spritz in Piazza delle Erbe, in Padua
18th-century Venetian villa on the canal.Why stay hereAn 18th-century Venetian villa on the Brenta canal, with period furnishings: Venice and Padua are both within half an hour.See the home
Vicenza, Palladio's city
Palladio built his career in Vicenza, and the city and its hills hold more of his work than anywhere else: palaces, a theatre and more than twenty villas, all a UNESCO site.
What to see & where to go
- The Teatro Olimpico, Palladio's last work
- The Basilica Palladiana and Piazza dei Signori
- La Rotonda, and Villa Valmarana ai Nani with its Tiepolo frescoes
- Monte Berico and its view over the city
- Bassano del Grappa and its wooden bridge
- Marostica and its chessboard square
What to eat
- Baccalà alla vicentina with polenta
- Asiago cheese from the plateau
- Torcolato, the sweet wine of Breganze
- Bigoli with duck ragù
Where to eat
- Baccalà alla vicentina, the city's signature dish
- Asiago cheese, and grappa in Bassano
- The wines of the Colli Berici, Tai Rosso among them
A few steps from the Palladian centre.Why stay hereA contemporary boutique hotel in a green setting, a few steps from Palladio's Vicenza.See the home
Manor house of a Venetian noble family, with a pool over the vineyard.Why stay hereA manor house built by a Venetian noble family in the Berici hills, with a pool over the vineyard and a restaurant of local produce.See the home
Villa Pisani, Montagnana and the Euganean Hills
South-west of Vicenza the plain is dotted with villas and walled towns. Beyond them rise the Euganean Hills, volcanic, with thermal springs and Petrarch's last home.
What to see & where to go
- Palladio's Villa Pisani at Bagnolo di Lonigo
- The walls of Montagnana, among the best preserved in Europe
- Arquà Petrarca and the poet's house
- The thermal spas of Abano and Montegrotto
- Este and its castle gardens
- The Baroque garden of Villa Barbarigo at Valsanzibio
What to eat
- Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo from Montagnana
- Euganean Hills wines, from Fior d'Arancio to the reds
- Brodo di giuggiole, the jujube liqueur of Arquà Petrarca
- Olive oil from the Euganean Hills
Where to eat
- Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo, from Montagnana
- The wines of the Colli Euganei
- Brodo di giuggiole, the jujube liqueur of Arquà
Inside the garden of Palladio's Villa Pisani.Why stay hereYou sleep inside the garden of Palladio's Villa Pisani, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in the villa's historic barchessa.See the home
14th-century castle in its own gardens.Why stay hereJunior suites inside a 14th-century castle with landscaped gardens, between Montagnana and the Euganean Hills.See the home
Ask our assistant
This itinerary is a starting point. Tell the assistant your dates and constraints and it re-plans the stops on our homes, then checks the rooms.
- We only have 7 days: which stop do we cut?
- Same route but with two children under 10: which homes work?
- Can you check the three homes for arrival on May 4?
