Description of the attraction
Villa Thiene is a 16th century aristocratic residence in Quinto Vicentino in the Vicenza province. The villa got its name from the Thiene brothers, for whom it was built. The current appearance of the building is the result of the work of several architects, one of whom was the great Andrea Palladio. Since 1996, the villa has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage List along with Palazzo Thiene in the center of Vicenza, which also belonged to the brothers.
Palladio probably relied on the project of another architect, Giulio Romano, to build Villa Thiene, although the level of his influence is not determined here, since Romano died in 1546, when construction work was in full swing. And in 1547, one of the Thiene brothers, Adriano, was forced to flee Vicenza, and the construction of the building was suspended.
The project of the villa is depicted in one of the architectural treatises by Palladio, published in 1570. The plan shows two courtyards that were never built. I must say that, in general, courtyards were not typical for Palladio's villas, but they are also found in the project of Villa Serego, which also remained unfinished.
Palladio's plan also shows that the current building of the villa was originally designed not as a residential building, but as one of the auxiliary wings. However, the presence of 16th century frescoes inside suggests that, probably, already in the early stages of construction, the purpose of the building was changed. The front and rear facades of the villa were modified in the 16th century. And the numerous holes were apparently made during the war years to extract the metal used in the construction.
The façade of Villa Thiene facing the garden is attributed to the 18th century architect Francesco Muttoni. The so-called window of Diocletian on the pediment is a semicircular window divided into three parts by two vertical pillars, and the central portals cause some rejection, since they are in stark contrast to the Palladian architecture.
