The Palladian Villas are located in northeastern Italy and were designed by Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. There are a total of 24 villas in the Veneto area from Vicenza to Venice, and every villa can be described as a residence in the countryside. Most of the villas were set up on a large plot of land and included the building and gardens or a large area of grass and trees. The villas were not only used for leisure, but they were also a place for the family to work and tend to their fields, vineyards, stables and more. Wealthier families owned these villas, and it was common for the family to name their living space after themselves. For example, most families used villa followed by their surname. Palladian style was used to construct the villas which is evident by the tall, large columns lining the front of them.

THREE UNMISSABLE PALLADIAN VILLAS
Three Venetian villas that are worth a visit are Villa Capra, Villa Foscari or “La Malcontenta” and Villa Emo.
Villa Capra or “La Rotonda” was built on top of a hill to offer clean air to its residence. Its design is made of circles and squares, and the nickname of “La Rotonda” references the dome on top  that was constructed to hold the villa up. When the light enters the villa, it reflects the shadows of the structures on the outside onto the inside walls. This design was part of the intricate Palladian style used to construct the villas.
Villa Foscari or “La Malcontenta” is located along the Brenta River, and in 2001 it was voted the most beautiful house in the world by House and Garden magazine. This villa is set on top of a pedestal which is a characteristic of the Palladian style. The inside is extravagantly decorated with many different painted scenes and the use of many different colors.

Lastly, Villa Emo was owned by the Emo Family. On both sides of the villa, there are two colonnaded barns that were said to be used for agricultural purposes. The outside of the villa was finished with no decorations because the inside was filled with detailed frescos, a painted mural technique, created by Giovanni Battista Zelotti. Also, on the backside of the villa, there is a square garden that has a small creek running through it.

A BOAT CRUISE TO EXPLORE THE VILLAS
All the villas listed above offer guided tours in order to view all the beautiful features in person. But another way to view the Palladian Villas is via a boat cruise down the Brenta River on a Burchiello. A Burchiello was a highly decorated boat used by people to travel from the city of Venice to their villas in the countryside. This half or full day tour takes guests to three different villas for a guided tour at each, stops for lunch along the way and overall gives guests beautiful views of the area.