Description of the attraction
Villa Poiana is an aristocratic villa in the town of Poiana Maggiore in the province of Vicenza. It was designed by Andrea Palladio and is today part of the Palladian Villas Veneto UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The building was built in 1548-49 for Boniface Poiana, a member of the Poiana family, who for centuries owned land in Veneto. Boniface's military past is reflected in the severity and even a certain asceticism of the architecture and interior decorations. In working on the project of the villa, Palladio relied on the ancient Roman baths, the structure of which he studied during his trip to Rome. On the ground floor, you can see a huge hall with cylindrical vaults. On both sides of it are secondary rooms, each with its own type of vaults.
Villa Poiana is considered one of the most curious examples of Palladio's work, even though it was never completed, and some of the later extensions differ sharply from Palladio's original project. Of the same that was erected with the direct participation of the great architect, it is worth paying attention to Serliana - palladium windows on the facade and a pediment with statues of military and agricultural deities.
The interior decoration of the villa was created by the artists Bernardino India and Anselmo Kanera and the decorator and sculptor Bartolomeo Ridolfi, who was responsible for the stucco molding and all the fireplaces in the villa. The atrium features elegant stucco work with intertwining floral motifs and monochrome images of river deities. The bust of Boniface Poiana look down from the main entrance, and above it are the family coats of arms of the family and his war trophies. The frescoes on the vaults of the villa with an allegorical depiction of Fortune are attributed to Giovanni Battista Zelotti.
