Why is it that Veneto villas are so renowned all over the world? It is undoubtedly on account of their beauty, but also because so many were built by important architects who transformed the concept of the country house into one of luxury and practicality.
The “ville” of the Venetians enabled the celebrated architecture of the city to be revived in the country; not just by recreating it against a different backdrop, but by actually making it a living and vital part of the landscape. In order to be within easy reach of the city, they were located along rivers, where they could take advantage of the cooler temperatures in summer and where weary noblemen could come and rest away from the chaos of the city. Thus, such residences became magnificent venues for sumptuous parties and theatrical performances.
Villa Pisani at Stra is one of the most outstanding examples of an eighteenth-century villa. Commissioned by the rich Venetian Pisani Family, it was bought by Napoleon and subsequently passed into the hands of the Habsburgs, and today is managed by the Veneto Region. Frescoes by Gianbattista Tiepolo and Jacopo Guarana – two of the greatest painters of the eighteenth century – adorn its interiors. The villa is surrounded by a spectacular garden in which architectural, geometrical and horticultural skill create tricks of perspective from an array of angles. Upon reaching the maze, you will lose all sense of orientation among the hedges in search of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom.
In this rustic setting, playful, romantic and even Masonic features provide the backdrop to a culture that was devoted purely to enjoyment, and detached from a reality that became lost in a game based on the gratification of desires.
