` Tuesday, September 20: Brenta River, Villa Foscari, Villa Pisani

Tuesday, September 20: Brenta River, Villa Foscari, Villa Pisani

  1. Along the Brenta River are many glorious villas. Here we meet Villa Foscari, a.k.a. La Malcontenta. Foscari is by Palladio.

  2. A closer look.

  3. An illegal peek into Villa Foscari, also known as La Malcontenta. An apocryphal story has it that a noble girl, brought down by suspect morals, (translation: she slept around) was banished from the exciting city of Venice to this villa in the countryside, and was herself therefore La Malcontenta. A more likely etymology has it that this particular spot of land was much given to flooding and was nicknamed La Malcontenta.

  4. The front porch, with lovely replica chairs. You can even buy replicas of the replicas at some villa and museum giftshops, for an amount of money that would make you Malcontenta.

  5. The definition of grand facade. Although I believe this would be the back of the villa.

  6. A closer look. Recall this all dates from the mid 1500's.

  7. A back yard.

  8. Not a bad summer house.

  9. Lovely ladies along the Brenta River. And ... could it be? ... the sun is coming out!

  10. I know you've been saying to yourself: "Hey. How did they bop around from town to town, from villa to villa?" Wonder no more. Here is our comfortable van.

  11. A villa along the way.

  12. Lemon trees are not only popular, they are practically de rigeur.

  13. I have a feeling this is the dangerous Villa Pisani. Villa Pisani has no relationship to Palladio but it is grand - 104 rooms or thereabouts. Rumor has it was copied after Versailles. Napolean once owned it. It was commissioned by Almpro and Alvise Pisani, with work beginning in 1720.

  14. Glorious statues! (If mysteriously truncated.)

  15. He looks relaxed.

  16. Looking towards the ... horse stables. It looks glorious from here, but when you get close up, you see it's mostly a facade. To the left are odd multi-colored art installations.

  17. The tower in the center of the maze. I tried to reach the tower, but gave up after five minutes. Dick persevered and got to the tower! I think you had to wind through every pathway in the maze in order to reach the tower at last.

  18. A side building, and a pair of lovers.

  19. The Pisanis had a good eye for the odd side building. This one is surrounded by a moat.

  20. Villa Pisani, from the back. That is, from the horse stables.

  21. An attempt to show the maze. Think thick boxwood, taller than you.

  22. The maze snakes through the hedges.

  23. And winds in circles.

  24. Villa Cornaro, described in the book "Palladian Days" by Sally Gable. Read the book! You'll love it. This is a villa by Palladio.

  25. No two Palladian villas are alike. Villa Cornaro is unique in the two stories of recessed entrace-way or porch.

  26. The top story.

  27. The lower looks very welcoming.

  28. The gate probably has the Cornaro coat of arms.

  29. Students of history, have at it.

  30. She looks good from the side, too. The shutters are closed as the owners are probably not here in September.

  31. Rita invited us to dinner at her house, and we met perhaps 5 of her 9 brothers and sisters. (Four of them live together.) Here are Alma, earnest student of English (just ask Rita), and I guess Domenico, who was shortly to leave to coach volleyball or something like that. Or maybe he's Francesco.

  32. Four Tostellos.

  33. Rita and her sportlich sister who came in late after also perhaps doing something like coaching volleyball.

  34. A quiet sister and Rita.

  35. Alma and Marilyn.

Marianne Mueller
Last modified: October 2, 2005