Abrogated a low which had prohibited the citizens of Venice from having proprieties on the mainland and some business of Venician Noblemen moved to the mainland and along the banks of the Brenta Canal and in all Veneto region.
Several kinds of Villas were created:
the Farm - for whom had in agricolture a new form of richness; the Temple, meeting point for artists;
the Palace, used for important public moments of the family and place of great feasts and banquets;
even sumptuous residences, works of famous intellectuals and architects, decorated and frescoed by great painters in order to testify a season of splendours.
Great architects - Palladio, Scamozzi, Frigimelica - created summer residences for the noblemen.
The 'Villa Veneta' created the phenomenon of the Villeggiatura' which appeared in Veneto between the XVth and XVI centuries and which lasted for the following two, till the fall of the glorious Republic of Venice in 1797. That is why in this region 2000 villas were built.
Attended by Casanova, Galileo, Byron and d' Annunzio; decorated by Tiepolo and Canaletto; celebrated by Goethe and Goldoni the ' Brenta Riviera ' had royal guests: the King of France and the King of Russia. Napoleon the Absburgs and the Savoias sojourned here.
Leaving by boat from San Marco Square, passing the Lock in Moranzani, the first villa you meet is Villa Foscarini called "La Malcontenta", a masterpiece of the architect Andrea Palladio.
By sailing you find Villa Gradenigo of the XVIth century, Villa Widmann (to rent) of the XVIII th century and Villa Barchessa Valmarana (to rent) located in Mira.
After it you find Dolo Villas and at the end the magnificent Villa Pisani, the Doges' palace in Stra.
It was built in 1730 for Pisani's family. Inside it a lot of paintings of the greatest artist such as Tiepolo, Guarana and Simonini. Outside it is decorated by enormous statues.
