Villa Rotonda (La Rotonda)
Must-SeeThe most famous villa ever built — a perfect cube with four identical temple-front porticoes. Interior visits Wed and Sat only. Grounds open daily.
Villa Barbaro, Maser
Must-SeePalladio's villa + Veronese's frescoes = the perfect Renaissance country house. The trompe l'oeil paintings create imaginary rooms within rooms.
Villa Emo
Must-SeeA working farm villa — Palladio designed it for agriculture and beauty simultaneously. The long barchesse (barn wings) are iconic.
Villa Foscari (La Malcontenta)
Must-SeeOn the Brenta Canal — the name means "the unhappy woman" (an exiled wife). Atmospheric frescoes and a melancholic beauty.
Vicenza historic centre
Must-SeePalladio's urban works — the Basilica, Palazzo Chiericati, Teatro Olimpico (Europe's oldest surviving indoor theatre). All in one walkable city.
Where to start
Italy has the world's greatest concentration of palladio's villas. Use this guide to find the masterpieces — then let yourself be surprised by what you discover on your own.