Project

Built in the first half of the sixteenth century as a summer retreat for the bishops of Padua, the Villa dei Vescovi is considered a masterpiece by the Veronese architect and painter Giovanni Maria Falconetto (1468-1535). Set on a hilltop, it commands attention and provides a contrast to the villas of Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), which became the standard of excellence in the next generation. (...)

Built in the first half of the sixteenth century as a summer retreat for the bishops of Padua, the Villa dei Vescovi is considered a masterpiece by the Veronese architect and painter Giovanni Maria Falconetto (1468-1535). Set on a hilltop, it commands attention and provides a contrast to the villas of Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), which became the standard of excellence in the next generation. Falconnetto’s villa design was well known in its day and admired as a high point of sixteenth-century architecture in the region. The entrance of the villa is characterized by four portals, a stone balustrade encircling the ground level, running the length of the entrance’s grand staircases, and the loggia on the first level. The interiors are covered by frescoes painted by celebrated artist Lamberto Sustris between 1542 and 1543. The villa and its estate remained the property of the bishops of Padua until 1962, when the villa was purchased and restored by the Olcese family. Subsequently, in 2005, the nonprofit organization Fondo per l’Ambiente Italiano (FAI), acquired the property and began a conservation campaign.