The Brenta Riviera

The Riviera del Brenta follows the course of the river that connects Padua to Venice, almost like a track from the lagoon city onto the mainland. During the 16th and 17th century this long green strip was chosen by the Venetian patrician as their favourite holiday resort, building magnificent villas enclosed in the landscape along the entire course of the river. They were built at the time of the Serenissima, at the beginning as simple places of agricultural production, until becoming real palaces, designed by the best architects and frescoed by the best artists. The Venetian nobles used to spend the summer in these splendid residences, both to enjoy the countryside as well as to manage their possessions.

Villa Foscari - La Malcontenta

Near Mira, just over 10 km from the hotel, stands Villa Foscari designed by Andrea Palladio in 1559 in Malcontenta.

It stands majestically, like a single block, with the facade facing the river, in perfect Venetian style but enriched with classical references from the 4th and 5th centuries, well known to Palladio.

It is commonly called “La Malcontenta”, (The Discontented), a nickname which – according to a legend – it received when a lady of the Foscari’s family was locked up in the house in solitude to serve her sentence for vicious conduct.

Villa Pisani

In the town of Stra (4 km from the hotel) you can visit Villa Pisani, the most famous villa considered the “Queen of Venetian Villas” and a small masterpiece that owes its current appearance to the Rococo renovation of the late 700s.

Do not miss the majestic ballroom and the magnificent fresco by Tiepolo. It is also worth visiting the beautiful park with its elegant stables and the labyrinth in box hedges, with a central tower wrapped by a double spiral staircase that leads to the statue of Minerva.

Villa Widdman

In the municipality of Mira, in the locality of Riscossa, you can visit the spectacular Villa Widdman, which includes the manor house with its original furniture and objects of the time, the contiguous courtyard, the barchessa, the church and a vast park with a greenhouse, enriched by statues from the 18th century, numerous tree species, birds and a small lake.

It is worth visiting the nearby Villa Valmarana, located on the opposite bank of the Brenta river.