From my house, I decided to take my bicycle and ride the 22km kilometers that take to reach the famous Villa Contarini. So after leaving in the morning, I rode through small towns villages, fields and country roads until I finally reached the destination. As I hadn´t planned, I forgot that I arrived while the lunch break was ongoing, meaning I had to wait a couple of hours before I could visit the interior of the villa. I then decided to buy the ticket for the next tour, as it could only be visited with a guide, and first head to see the park annexed to the complex. The park was quite large and it was largely set out during the 19th century as an English landscape park. I first passed by a small pen full of goats which happily took some fresh green grass from my hands. Then I walked some long lanes flanked by trees which then ended at the large central lake, I made a circuit around it and then headed back towards the villa while relaxing a bit on a bench before my tour would start. I was the only visitor at that moment, and then a kind lady started to illustrate the history of the Palace and describing each room we passed through. On this site used to be a castle once, which was later transformed into a rustic villa in 1540 probably by the famous architect Andrea Palladio. This is supposedly the central Gothic structure, which was then enlarged during the 17th century with beautiful Baroque wings. We started the visit with the large central room which was probably used as a dining room for guests as it features an opening in the ceiling which allowed an orchestra to play music without being seen and at the same time amplifying the sound downwards. On the sides were some smaller rooms decorated with antique furniture and paintings. Next on we proceeded along a long corridor which featured rooms filled with beautiful frescoes of the Venetian school representing mythological scenes such as one featuring Bacchus, the god of wine, with a lively company. At that point, an old couple came rushing in hoping to join the tour, which the lady obligingly allowed and we continued on heading to the upper floors. Here we saw the library which contains many volumes relating to architecture and managed by the region Veneto. We also entered the part where the orchestra used to play, all made in wood which helped the sound spread. We then entered the beautiful Sala da Ballo, or ballroom, also known as the Sala degli stucchi, because of its impressive stuccoes realized in the 17th century. We then completed the tour by visiting the western wing which featured an incredible room, the Galleria delle Conchiglie, or Shell Gallery, which featured walls fully covered in real shells and clams set up to form different shapes relating to the sea. After that the tour was over, I thanked the guide, admired the beautiful villa one last time before taking my bicycle and headed home to Vicenza.
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| The Villa's main facade |
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| The dining room with the open ceiling for the music |
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| The painting of one of the rooms featuring Bacchus |
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| Another of the decorated rooms |
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| The ballroom known as the Sala degli Stucchi |
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| The ballroom's fireplace |
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| The room known as the Shell Gallery |
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| Detail of the shells |
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| The Baroque architecture of the villa |
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