Just a short drive from the historic small town of Asolo is the spectacular Villa Barbaro at Maser.  A long avenue leads up to this imposing Palladian villa. The villa is classical in style, with a central portico and elegant columns. There are two symmetrical wings extending on either side of the main entrance. The brilliant blue of the sky contrasts with the golden stones of this stunning house. The villa sits perfectly in its surroundings at a point where the flat Venetian plain meets the rolling hills of Asolo.

The villa was designed by architect Andrea Palladio in the 16th century for the Barbaro brothers Daniele and Marc Antonio. They later commissioned Paolo Veronese to paint frescoes in the principle rooms of the house. A magnificent country estate was the end result – a house for entertaining, dining, parties. It was also, and still is, an important farm and vineyard. Villa Maser wines are of the highest quality and are exported all over the globe. The Barbaro brothers were an impressive pair. Daniele Barbaro was a diplomat and politician – he represented the Venetian Republic at the court of Edward VI in London. His brother Marc Antonio was the Venetian Ambassador to the court of France. Eminent siblings indeed.

GLORY DAYS – It is easy to imagine visitors arriving here in their carriages, completing the final drive along the avenue to this beautiful house, one of Palladio’s most perfect creations. Their host and staff assembled on the steps to welcome them. The journey from Venice would have taken two or three days. Guests would then stay at the house for several days at least, enjoying fresh, clean air, superb views, excellent hunting in the surrounding hills and fabulous food and wine. It is interesting to think about these parties – the conversations, meetings, business deals, marriage proposals, that developed within the walls of the elegant Villa Barbaro.

VILLA BARBARO is open to the public and a tour of the house and the spectacular Veronese frescoes is really worth it. You enter the house through a courtyard filled with flowers, then proceed up a flight of stairs to the ‘piano nobile’ decorated extensively by Paolo Veronese, the most celebrated interior decorator of the 1560s. ‘The frescoes were designed to unite humanistic culture with Christian spirituality; wall paintings included portraits of the Barbaro family, and the ceilings opened to blue skies and mythological figures. Veronese’s decorations employed complex perspective and trompe l’oeil, which resulted in a luminescent and inspired visual poetry. The encounter between architect and artist was a triumph'(1). These are the words of Marco Bussagli, in his book ‘Italian Art’ referring to Palladio as the architect of Villa Barbaro and Veronese as the artist (2).

The frescoes portray images of gods and goddesses, beautiful country scenes and fantastical animals. The paintings are full of humour, if you look carefully you can see the family dog peering from behind a wall and a young girl peeping through a half-closed door. In one of the rooms Veronese has painted some cleaning materials and boots, casually left on a shelf.  In another room the skill of the painter gives the impression of a domed ceiling with people looking over the edge of a balcony, when in fact the wall is almost flat. This technique of trompe l’oeil, meaning literally ‘a trick of the eye’ allows the painter to create depth and perspective in a painting, even though he is working on a flat surface (3). When I remind myself that these paintings are almost five hundred years old I begin to fully appreciate the great talent of Paolo Veronese and his studio.

LUNCH – Looking at frescoes and inspecting historic houses  builds up an appetite. There’s a casual lunch place in the old granaio (next to the villa). It’s an excellent place to enjoy lunch, have a glass of local fizz (Prosecco) and discuss the fabulous frescoes in the villa next door.

You can even do a ‘degustazione’ of vini – tasting various local wines, although I’ll probably stick to the prosecco, produced on the Villa Maser estate.  

NOTES:

• Villa Barbaro, Maser is a wonderful Palladian Villa. It is the result of the combined skills of architect Andrea Palladio and artist/fresco painter Paolo Veronese.
• The villa was commissioned by brothers Daniele Barbaro (1514-1570) and Marc Antonio Barbaro (1518-1595). It is possible that William Shakespeare (1564-1616) had heard of the Barbaro brothers.
• Marco Bussagli in his book ‘Italian Art’ is very complimentary about Villa Barbaro and the skills of architect Andrea Palladio and artist Paolo Veronese. Giunti Gruppo Editoriale (2000).
• Trompe l’oeil comes from the french meaning ‘trick of the eye’ it is a technique used by painters to give the impression of depth and perspective, when in fact they are painting on a flat surface.
• The Louvre, Paris made a short video about the Paolo Veronese frescoes:
•  A short video – Villa Barbaro – frescoes
• The Palladian Villas of the Veneto and the city of Vicenza are recognised by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites, since 1996, this includes Villa Barbaro.

FURTHER READING:

• The Educated Traveller has also written other articles about the Veneto region:
• Why not try – Asolo – art, history, women, prosecco! OR
• Venice to Padova by the Brenta Canal OR
• Venice – The lagoon of Venice
• The architectural style of Palladio, Veneto, Italy
• Unique private tours of Veneto and Venice, Italy by our sister company: www.grand-tourist.com
• Enjoy!!

All this and the magical town of Asolo on your doorstep!

April 2025