Brenta Canal

In the days when road transport was rather less convenient than today, the Brenta Canal formed an important link from the coast near Venice to the city of Padua. Along its banks, rich landowners built imposing residences invariably facing towards the water which was the natural approach.

As a consequence there are dozens of beautiful villas, including the famous Villa Pisani and La Malcontenta both designed by Palladio. However, any thoughts of "doing" the canal in a day trip (as several guide books recommend) should be instantly dismissed; I tried and was overwhelmed by the sheer number of "important" buildings, not to mention the delightful and often tranquil scenery (particularly if you drive along the minor road on the West bank).

Individual villas, so far only La Malcontenta, have their own pages linked to the Palladian Villas page.

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