Villa Pisani

The Villa Pisani, also called " La Nazionale ", is the most magnificent example of Venetian villas on the Brenta Canal; it is located in Stra, about 8 km from Padua.

History

The Villa Pisani is considered the most impressive and majestic building of the Riviera del Brenta. 1720 commissioned the Venetian nobleman Alvise Pisani and Almorò the architect Girolamo Frigimelica with the building to celebrate the election of a Doge Pisani. However, only the parking structures were realized from his plans. After the death Frigimelicas 1732, the remaining work was entrusted to the young architect Francesco Maria Preti. According to his plans, the main building was completed in 1756 after twenty years of construction.

The villa was purchased in 1807 by Napoleon, but only once stayed here. From him the saying should come " for a count too big, too small for a king." Later it belonged to the Habsburgs, then the House of Savoy. 1934 Mussolini and Hitler met here together for the first time.

Facade

The villa has a baroque facade. The central projection is divided by colossal Corinthian columns, with irregular intervals reduced in the midsection.

Interior decoration

The building has 114 rooms which are to symbolize the election of Alvise Pisani to 114th Doge of Venice. In most of them you can still admire the original facilities. Stucco and frescoes were executed by great masters of the era, artists like Fabio Canal, Jacopo Guarana, Jacopo Amigoni, Andrea Urbani, Andrea Brustolon, Andrea Celesti and Gaspare Diziani. The ballroom with its magnificent fresco, "Glory of the Pisani house ", which was painted 1760-1762 by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, represents one of the highlights of Venetian painting of the 18th century

Garden and stables

The original baroque garden was remodeled in the 19th century to the taste of time as a landscape garden. In the park sculpture groups and numerous buildings are scattered, among others, the Exedra, which is configured here as an intersection of six ways, and lead to its viewing terrace two spirally extending outer stairs. The archaeological hill, the ice house, an orangery and the magnificent stables which form a counterweight to the main building in the main axis. The stables have a tetrastyle porch with pediment along the lines of Palladian buildings. The side of the temple front is followed by curved wings. Typically this shows the connection of different components to a capricious Architekturcapriccio. In the science of art can be seen in the garden a precursor romantic garden art. The park covers 11 acres with 1.5 km outer circumference.

Maze

Of special attraction is the maze, its hedges are made of boxwood. It is a trapezoidal form with inscribed circle. The maze was 1720/21 created originally had a round shape and was extended in the early 19th century. In the center is a turret, on the observation deck a statue of Minerva, the symbol of wisdom is.

GB Tiepolo fresco glory of the house Pisani (detail)

Turrets at the finish of the hedge maze