When: on Sundays, at 11:00 am

Where: Villa Valmarana « ai Nani », address: Stradella dei Nani 8, Vicenza, Italy

Distance from Residence La Mason: 26 km, 23 minutes.

 

Villa Valmarana « ai Nani »: general information

Villa Valmarana « ai Nani » is a famous Venetian villa in the hills around Vicenza, not far from Monte Berico and the famous Villa Capra « La Rotonda ». It is especially known for a magnificent cycle of frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo and his son Giandomenico.

The frescoes, which are described by Goethe in his « Italian Journey« , are of mythological and epic theme. The scenes are taken from immortal literary works such as « Iliad« , « Odyssey« , « Orlando Furioso » by Ludovico Ariosto, and « Jerusalem Delivered » by Torquato Tasso.

The Villa takes its curious nickname from the presence of 17 statues of dwarfs. Originally, the statues were in the park, but are now arranged above the wall.

One legend tells that the daughter of the villa’s lord was a dwarf. The father, not to let her know that she had such a physical defect, took only dwarves servants. One day, however, a prince came into the villa: the girl, seeing him, learned that she was a dwarf, and desperately committed suicide by jumping into the void. The servants, because of the pain for the lady’s death, were petrified.

 

Sundays guided tours

The Villa, every Sunday morning at 11:00 am, offers the opportunity to participate in a guided tour of the entire complex. During the visit, the guide will explain the historical park, the Palazzina (main building) with frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo, and the Foresteria (guest rooms) with frescoes by Giandomenico Tiepolo. A journey through charm, history and beauty.

The cost of the tour is 13 Euros per person (8 Euros for residents in Vicenza and province).

The tour lasts about 60 minutes, and reservations are not required.

 

For more information, visit the official web site.