Gardens & Villas of the Veneto - Renaissance to recent in & around Padua, Verona & Vicenza

The landscape of the Veneto is one of contrasts. The fertile plain on the immediate hinterland of Venice, criss-crossed by causeways and dykes, became the summer playground of rich Venetian patricians as their agricultural holdings sprouted ever increasing numbers of luxurious villas. Many were accessed directly from the Grand Canal through a diversion of the River Brenta.

Further inland and southwest from Padua, the landscape is transformed by the Euganean Hills: tree-clad conical eruptions of volcanic rock, which have been quarried for stone for the calli and campi of Venice since the sixth century. In contrast, to the north, the snow-capped mountains of the southern limestone Alps form a jagged backdrop to the sage-rich meadows that adorn roadsides and villages, while wisteria, roses and irises scramble through the gardens of the many villas peppered through the countryside.

This varied topography defined the development of the villas and gardens that were created between the 15th and 18th centuries with the enormous wealth generated by the Republic of Venice. In the plains, villas were elevated from the landscape to enlarge the impact of the building on the surroundings and to provide viewing platforms, galleries and balconies to allow gardens to be seen from above. Windows, allées and strategically placed statues were artfully arranged to heighten the effect and lend a grandeur to the setting that the level landscape militated against.  

Gardens were made largely for enjoyment and entertainment – mazes, loggias, carved gods, dwarfs and Arcadian figures along with theatres and water jokes were all part of the spirit of the time. It was not all pleasure-seeking, however. Venice was at the forefront of trade with the East, and along with precious commodities came new plants. To capitalise on this increase in knowledge and diversity, the Botanic Garden of Padua was founded in 1545 – the first of its kind – to study plants and herbs and their medicinal potential. This ethos of discovery and experiment is still the driving force for this unesco World Heritage Site, evidenced by the impressive new glasshouses.