Veneto is a land of marvellous historic gardens. Here are some you can visit in the surroundings of Padua and Vicenza, to which you can also add some visits to very special nurseries (Wandering nurseries: from Padua to Vicenza). If you want to come prepared, I suggest you read the excellent book Gardens of the Veneto Villas by Camilla Zanarotti and illustrated by Dario Fusaro’s amazing images (Silvana Editoriale, 2014). The volume presents some of the most significant gardens realised in Veneto between the 16th and the 19th Century (including also the ones listed in this itinerary), describing them in a lively and fresh way, yet complete, focusing on their history and on their stylistic, construction and botanical peculiarities. Here are some of them in the area of Padua and Vicenza.
Padua and its surroundings
San Pelagio Castle, a Due Carrare (Padua).
Catajo Castle, a Battaglia Terme (Padua).
Villa Barbarigo, a Galzignano Terme (Padua).
Villa Contarini, a Piazzola sul Brenta (Padua).
Villa Emo Capodilista, a Selvazzano dentro (Padua).
Villa dei Vescovi, a Torreglia (Padua).
Villa Pisani Bolognesi Scalabrin, a Vescovana (Padua).
Villa Valmarana o Villa Cittadella Vigodarzere, a Saonara (Padua).
Villa Widmann Borletti, a Bagnoli di Sopra (Padua).
Vicenza and its surroundings
Villa Fogazzaro Colbachini, a Montegalda (Vicenza). Hosting the interesting Museo Veneto delle Campane (Bells Venetian Museum).
Villa Godi, a Grumolo delle Abbadesse (Vicenza)
Furthermore, if you have one day, you cannot miss the suggestive Burchiello cruise. “Burchiello” is a typical 18th Century Venetian boat for passengers. The cruise will take you from Padua to Venice and back again, allowing you to observe from the water many Venetian villas along the shoreline of river Brenta, the lush vegetation, churches, bridges and sluices. It lasts a whole day.
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