Villa Mandella, Renaissance villa in Isola Rizza, Italy
Villa Mandella is a country house in Isola Rizza with a square main building flanked by rectangular outbuildings on both sides. The complex sits within a park and is bordered by a stone wall with decorated pillars, while three levels make up the building's vertical structure.
Knight Andrea Mandelli founded the villa in 1589 by commissioning architects to design a grand country estate with a main manor house. The layout reflects the building strategy of wealthy Venetian families who constructed compounds with economic buildings on their lands.
The villa displays typical Venetian architectural features with symmetrical spaces and formal gardens that reflect Renaissance country living. Visitors can see in the grounds how the planting arrangements and carefully designed areas show how wealthy families organized their estates.
Access to the villa comes through an avenue that extends from the main drive and crosses the park before reaching the buildings. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes as the pathways through the grounds can sometimes be uneven.
An eastern section houses a lemon house with a rectangular layout and decorative columns, specifically designed to protect citrus plants during winter months. This specialized structure shows how Renaissance villa owners integrated economic functions into their gardens.
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