Villa Valmarana ai Nani, Baroque villa in Vicenza, Italy
Villa Valmarana ai Nani is a country house in Vicenza comprising three interconnected buildings: the main Palazzina residence, a guest house, and stables, surrounded by gardens. The interior walls feature large fresco paintings depicting mythological scenes and episodes from classical literature throughout the rooms.
The Valmarana family hired the renowned artists Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo in 1757 to paint the interior walls. These two masters transformed the rooms into one of the finest examples of fresco work from that era.
The rooms display extensive fresco cycles depicting scenes from classical literature and mythology that reflect the cultural knowledge valued by the family and their guests. Visitors can still see these painted walls today and understand which stories and ideas mattered to the wealthy inhabitants.
The property is open to visitors daily, with extended hours from March through November and shorter visiting periods during winter months. It helps to plan ahead and allow enough time to walk through all three buildings and view the fresco paintings throughout.
Seventeen stone dwarf statues line the property edges, originally designed based on sketches by one of the Tiepolo painters. These small figures gave the estate its distinctive name and add a theatrical touch to the grounds.
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