Villa Barbaro

The Villa Barbaro, also known as Villa Maser, in Maser, near Asolo in Veneto was planned and built 1554-1558. It is regarded as a prime example of a Palladian country house. The villa is part of the UNESCO World Heritage ( Palladian villas ). It is privately owned and can be visited on opening times.

The Villa

Built 1554-1558 villa is situated on a gentle slope with wide views. The building mass is divided into five parts, which are arranged in a row symmetrically around a central block. The central building is well marked and has a facade with four Ionic pilasters in giant order and a pediment with the arms of Barbaro. On the sides of each one forming riding on a dolphin pair is shown. The wing and the corner pavilions have high arcades hide that the entire building is two storeys. The corner pavilions with their wide overhanging gables, decorated with sundials, dovecotes have. The pigeons were once a means of communication. The upper floor of the central building there are reception rooms, as well as the living spaces on the upper floors of the wings are connected. In the lower floors of the side wings are utility rooms.

Palladio describes the Villa Maser in his work Four books on architecture in the 16th chapter of the second book as follows:

"Every part of the building which projects something that has rooms on two floors. The plane of the upper rooms is equal to that of the rear yard, where over the house in the mountain a fountain with countless stucco and wall ornaments has been carved. This fountain is a pond which is used for fishing. From here, the water divides. It flows into the kitchen and then when it has the gardens which lie to the right and left of the house of rising up slightly watered street, in two ponds with two potions that are on the public road. From here, it irrigates the kitchen garden, which is very large and full of excellent fruits and where various wild species are kept. The facade of the mansion has four pillars formed in the Ionic order, the capitals of the lateral columns on two sides ... On the one as on the other side of the building are balconies that have two dovecotes at their ends. Among these are the wine cellars, stables and other facilities use the villa. "

In the concept of the Villa Maser, as described by Palladio, both tasks of a former villa are exemplary manner united: Use as a representative place of pleasure and relaxation for the client and their guests as well as a villa rustica, a well thought out, if possible economically organized center for a profitable use of the estate. This corresponds to the opening of the villa to nature through the arcades of the side wings. The sculptural decoration was carried out by Alessandro Vittoria. Whether the friends and patrons of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio, the brothers Daniele and Marcantonio Barbaro, have requested the conception or whether they are merely for advice in their own planning of it is controversial. May be explained as the striking differences to all other buildings of Palladio.

Interiors

The state rooms in the central block and the living spaces were by Paolo Veronese with the assistance of his brother Benedetto with significant, illusionistic frescoes in the priority landscape, equipped. Some of them take - embedded in simulated architecture - in an illusionistic manner relative to the surrounding landscape. Other representations relate to, among other classic virtues and the ancient world of gods, but also on the idealized everyday life in the villa. Harmony as the world order, in nature and in the family is the overarching theme of the entire villa.

In the first room, the Sala a Crociera ( crossing ) eight music players are next six idealized landscapes depicted in the cross- bar, a guy and a girl seem to occur.

To the southwest you enter the Stanza di Bacco (Room of Bacchus ) named after the ceilings picture in which Bachus gives the shepherds grapes whose juice he pressed into a bowl. This is a reference to the agricultural use of the villa represents the grapes are a symbol of abundance and prosperity.

To the southeast lies the Stanza del Tribunale d' Amore ( Room of conjugal love ), also named after the ceiling paintings. The young wife who kneels before the judge between her husband and her defenders. Here, too, are painted with mock architectural statues in niches.

To the north, the quadratic Stanza dell'Olimpo connects ( Room of Olympus ), which lies in the middle of the space flight.

Nymphaeum

In the middle of the northern small Gartenhofs is a Nymphaeum with statues of Olympian gods in the niches of Alessandro Vittoria and his workshop. In the middle is a small Grotta di Nettuno ( Neptune's Grotto ) with two atlases right and left of the entrance that are supposedly works of Marcantonio Barbaro owner.

Tempietto

The church was also built in 1579-1580, designed by Andrea Palladio. Behind the main temple front facade is a central structure with a dome.

The client

Francesco Barbaro left behind his sons Daniele and Marcantonio Barbaro at his death in 1549 the estate below the Dolomites in Maser.

Veronese: Daniele Barbaro, Amsterdam Rijksmuseum

Tintoretto: Marcantonio Barbaro

Since the 16th century the male line became extinct Marc Antonio, the villa came to various owners, Volpi di Misurata in 1934 to the family.