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The Villa Barbaro
near Asolo
in the Veneto Region
When in Asolo, be sure to visit
Villa Barbaro, one the
area’s most impressive Villas.
Villa Barbaro was built in the
16th century by
Daniele and Marcantonio
Barbaro, members of the most
important patrician families of
the
Venetian Republic.
As visitors arrive at the
village of Maser, minutes from
Asolo, almost the first thing
they see is a small temple built
to serve both as the local
church and a family chapel, now
directly across the street from
the Villa itself.
The Villa Barbaro was designed
by the famous architect
Andrea Palladio himself, the
temple was finished the same
year he died – 1580. The
statues and stucco decorations
are the work of Marinali
and Vittoria. The
statues at the foot of the steps
leading up to the entrance
represent Faith and Charity,
themes which are re-iterated in
both decorations and frescoes
inside the villa.
Two great Renaissance artists
were involved in decorating the
interior of the Villa:
Paolo Veronese (Frescoes)
and
Alessandro Vittoria
(stuccos).
The Villa was built on the ruins
of a medieval castle and has
maintained some elements of this
fortress in its plan. Two
imposing dovecotes one at each
end of the main house dominate
the structure. Inside,
masterpieces by Paolo Veronese
adorn the walls: portraits of
members of the Barbaro family,
scenes from mythology,
landscapes and trompe l’oeil.
Veronese used trompe l’oleil
techniques here to create unreal
spaces within the real space of
the Villa, creating new
geometries generated by
landscapes and people that link
the view of the outside with the
“view” of the inside in an
almost surreal manner. This art
form “trompe l’oleil” is what
distinguishes this Palladian
Villa from others.
An old farm building on the hill
behind the Villa has been
converted into the Museo
delle Carrozze (Museum of
Carriages and Carts) which
houses not only local examples
of wheeled transport but also
some from other European
countries.
By Jesse Andrews, August 25, 2006 |
