Andrea Palladio influencedarchitects all over Europe and America for three centuries, as he was the firstperson to study Classical architecture and produced what was to be a ‘bible’for subsequent architects, ‘The Four Books of Architecture’. What is amazing isthat he was producing classical buildings in the 16th century, whenthe rest of Europe was still building in a medieval style. Today’s tour will takeyou to some of his finest villas, starting with the Villa Foscari, which evokesancient Rome, perhaps more than any of his villas. Built for the Foscari familyin 1559, it is also notable for its frescoes, by Battista Franco and GiovanniBattista Zelotti, a colleague of Veronese. From here, head to the Villa Emo,perhaps Palladio’s most sumptuous villa with its eleven stunning exteriorarches. Stop for lunch at the Villa Cipriani in the beautiful town of Asolo(not included and subject to availability). An exciting menu and a garden torelax in will make this a memorable dining experience. In the afternoon, visitthe Villa Barbaro at Maser, which has to be one of Palladio’s most stunning buildingswith its frescoes by Veronese and the temple inspired by the Pantheon in Rome.
