Villa Foscari

The Villa Foscari, also known as La Malcontenta, allegedly due to one of its occupants, an unhappy wife, exiled here for failing to perform her marital duties. An alternative, prosaic but rather more plausible version is that it is named after the village nearby which even a cursory glance would tell you predates the villa by some considerable time. The village was so named due to the local malcontents (bandits) once found here. Still, it brings in the gullible tourists, although quite why it is deemed necessary to inflate the attractions of what is one of Palladio's most romantic waterfront villas beats me. The canal frontage was originally the side from which it was approached, hence the portico on this side, subtly different from the Villa Capra with stairs at the side rather than directly leading to the portico. Rather weird that the central columns are still spaced slightly wider, implying the access should be there. Again the construction is revealed as the stucco has washed off in many places, but it is convincing enough from a distance.