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| Map of the villa and surroundings |
Pontecasale, a district of Candiana, 5 m/16 feet above sea level; the villa is situated on Via Liston; train station at Pontelongo on the Venezia-Adria line 5 km/3 miles to the northeast, or alternatively, at Monselice on the Venezia-Bologna line about 15 km/9 miles to the west.
This villa is the only one designed by Jacopo Tatti, better known as Sansovino, a Florentine sculptor and architect who emigrated to Venice after the sack of Rome in 1527, and known primarily for his planning contributions that shaped the current character of Piazza San Marco in Venice, and in particular the Libreria Marciana. Sansovino was commissioned only one time to design a Venetian villa, that is this Villa Garzoni at Candiana located on the Padua lowlands between Monselice and Chioggia.
The Garzoni were a rich family of Venetian bankers that acquired and reclaimed a lot of land in this area. During the middle of the 16th century Alvise Garzoni commissioned Sansovino to create a prestigious residence to be the center of their holdings. The resulting villa and the entire estate are surrounded by a castellated wall.
Sansovino created this villa in the Roman classical style, atypical in comparison to the Venetian model and one that wasn’t imitated afterwards; characteristic are the wide penetrations at the center of the structure that suggest a villa intended primarily as a summer residence.
Currently (June 2012) the villa appears to have been restored and in good condition; normally it is not open to the public.
Latest visit: 2014-07-12
