August 23, 2015
Villa di Maser was built by Andrea Palladio around 1557-1558 for the brothers Marcantonio and Daniele Barbaro and is considered to be Palladio's most completed villa creation. Unlike Marcantonio, who played a leading role in the political affairs of Venice, Daniele was a member of the clergy.
The villa includes a spring on a gently sloping hill behind the building. A nymphaeum for the spring was built as symbol of the heavenly and earthly elements as well as to give the villa a sacred character. There are symmetrical wings flanking the main building which terminate with decorated sun dials sitting upon square panels on each blind arch. Usually these wings were used for agricultural uses, but, in this case, they house private living quarters on the upper level.
The facade has a gable which is connected to four Ionic columns. Palladio wrote that in all of his villas he puts the gable on the front facade, where the main doorway is, so that the gable could indicate the entrance. He also did this to promote the greatness of the work by raising the front part of the building over the remaining parts. As with all of Palladio's designs, there is a strong sense of the harmonious connection between the architecture and the landscape.
The frescoes that are found throughout the interior are amazing. Paolo Veronese decorated the villa with his vast and most important frescoes, while Alessandro Vittoria cured the stucco. Sadly, no photos were allowed within the villa so you will need to see it for yourself.
The villa has changed hands several times and is now owned by Marina, the daughter of Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata. Marina continues to restore the villa while her daughter and family continue to live in it. How amazing is that! Their dogs were running through the property while I was sitting on the wall sketching.
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| I look so small |
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| The sundial |
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| The sundial |
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| nymphaeum |
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| nymphaeum |
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| View from the Olympus room |
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| View from the Crociera room |
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| View from the Crociera room |
The villa also has a restaurant and wine tasting facility next door. I stopped and grabbed a delicious roast beef sandwich on rosemary focaccia and bought some wine from the properties vineyards.
Before I left I made sure to check out the Tempietto Barbaro which is located across the street from the villa. The Tempietto was designed by Palladio towards the end of his life [around 1580] and incorporates a temple front with a domed building, referring to the Pantheon in Rome. The front facade has unusually steep proportions and is topped by two small bell towers.
The plan is considered to be innovative due to the combination of a cylinder and a Greek cross, with four massive piers buttressing the dome. The Tempietto was closed while I was visiting but it looks like it is worth a visit.
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