caterina

Did anyone visit any of Palladio's villas lately? If so, which ones, and how did you get to their destination? I am visiting Italy this summer(August-September), and I would like to visit as many villas as possible. Do you have any information for me?!!! <BR>Thank-you in advance.

kay

http://ville.inews.it/eindice.htm <BR>That web site has an itinerary for visiting Palladio's and others' villas...plus other pertinent information. You've got great taste, Caterina!

elvira

Kay, thank you for the website; we will be in the area this September, and you saved me a search! <BR> <BR>We will have our own boat down the canal, but there are canal boat trips that travel the Brenta Canal, stopping at the villas.

Russ

Caterina, <BR> <BR>Just a note regarding the boat ride on the Brenta to see the villas. We took one last year from Padova to Venice and I would not recommend it. It stops at only 3 of the dozens of villas along the route, all of which are accessible by car, or better yet, bicycle. All of the villas were empty when we arrived, only to have 115 people on the boat decend on them at the same time. Then you stop for a 2 hour lunch. Feeding that many people at once does not make for a quality meal. Finally, the last 2 hours of the trip were along the part of the Venice lagoon which has been dredged for large tankers. Unless you like oil refineries, I would avoid it. <BR> <BR>I would either do like Elvira, a private boat, or take a car or bike down the road which parallels the Brenta canal. <BR> <BR>The is also a high concentration of Palladian villas in the provence of Vicenza (and if you haven't been to Vicenza, you must go). The best piece of tourist literature that I have even gotten in Italy was a brochure called "Vicenza: the villas", which I got by calling the Tourist Office in Vicenza: 39 0444 544 122, or write to: Azienda di Promozione Turistica Vicenza, Oiassa Duomo,5 - 36100 VICENZA. It is full of detailed maps, itineraries and photos, with text in English and Italian. <BR> <BR>Have a great trip.

ralphie

I took a car to view La Rotunda and Malcontenta. It was during the winter, so both villas were closed to the public. I knew about this ahead of time, but we drove to the villas to view the exterior and take a few pictures. <BR> <BR> <BR>Many of the Palladio villas are open for visits during part of the year, but often only for appointments and/or groups.