The must-sees: Villa Rotonda and Villa Valmarana ai Nani

“Maybe never architectural art has reached such a level of magnificence” wrote the German novelist  J.W. Goethe after visiting the Villa Rotonda. 

If you decide to stay in Vicenza for a full day, don’t miss a tour of this Veneto highlight! The Rotonda is much more than the most famous Palladian estate. It is an icon that has been charming, inspiring , fascinating every single visitor for almost five centuries, being overwhelmed by the mystery of its perfection. 

Not far from the Rotonda and surrounded by one of the most poetic sceneries of the region, lies Villa Valmarana ai Nani (i.e. of the Dwarfs). There, I will tell you the stories of the divinities, of the heroes and the fantastic animals painted by Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo, two among the most famous Venetian Baroque masters.

Dido and Aeneas, Achilles and Briseides, Rinaldo and Armida will live and perform again just in front of you like in theatre….

Villa Valmarana can offer much more than its world renown frescoes anyway: it was the stage of a captivating family history and the hideaway of daring love stories in the age of Casanova…..just during my tour you will be able to experience the authentic soul of the Villa of the Dwarfs.

• Transportation: car
• This half-day tour can be combined with Vicenza’s tour, with the Villa Rotonda tour and with an entrance to the nearby Sanctuary of Monte Berico