Bernini's villa an heirloom of majestic nobility
Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani is a true aristocratic palace immersed in nature. At the heart of a regional park and, in a garden designed by Luigi Bernini (the famous sculptor’s brother), the property has often been called the “most beautiful garden of Italy.”
The incredible beauty is set in Valsanzibio, in the province of Padua. Current owner Armando Pizzoni Ardemani belongs to a noble Italian family with more than 1,000 years of history, and like many other old families, its fortune and wealth suffered many ups and downs over the centuries.
In the early years of the 1900s, Armando’s grandfather, Armando Segre of Jewish origin, made a fortune in the northeast city of Trieste, but later kept a low profile to avoid problems for himself and his family as antisemitism was on the rise.
The family took on the name of Pizzoni Ardemani (Armando’s grandmother’s family name, the last descendant of this noble Italian family) and moved to Rome to start a new anonymous life. The grandfather started to reinvest a big part of his capital in real estate and bought properties and land in Milan, Rome, Venice and, with the dowry of his wife, bought a big country estate in the Euganei Hills in Padova province — the Estate of Valsanzibio. It was an estate comprising one of the most prestigious Venetian country residences, Villa Barbarigo, also called the “Small Versailles.”
Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani is a true aristocratic palace immersed in nature.
The monumental complex of Valsanzibio was elevated to its contemporary magnificence in the second half of the 17th century by the Venetian noble Giovani Francesco Barbarigo, assisted by his sons Antonio and Gregorio. In fact, it was Gregorio — Cardinal and Bishop of Padua and future saint — who inspired the symbolic meaning of the plan drawn by Luigi Bernini — the top Vatican architect and fountain expert.
“The then Cardinal Gregorio Barbarigo, as the result of a solemn ‘vow’ made by his father to our God in 1631, desired the garden of Valsanzibio to be a monumental, symbolic pathway to perfection; a journey that brings man from the false to the truth, from ignorance to revelation,” said Armando.
The whole garden was designed as a salvation itinerary after the black plague ended without killing the members of the Barbarigo family so to thank God, the Barbarigo cardinal decided to build this garden as a path of salvation. “Diana’s Doorway” was not only the main entrance by water to the Barbarigo estate in the 17th and 18th centuries, but this majestic doorway represented, as it still does today, the beginning of a salvation’s itinerary. The path, by Saint Gregorio Barbarigo, ends in the square in front of the villa known as the Square of the Revelation’s Fountain.
This exceptional example of a baroque garden consists of more than 60 statues which were engraved in Istria stone by sculptor Merengo.
The “Arazzo” small hall exudes a warm atmosphere with an impressive handwoven arazzo tapestry on the wall.
There are also many other different minor sculptures that integrate into a world of architecture, waterfalls and small ponds, all positioned among the different trees and plants, over an area of more than 10 hectares. The garden was hailed as the most beautiful garden in Italy in 2003 and as the third most beautiful garden in Europe in 2007.
“A total of 31 years (1665-96) was spent to complete the overall Bernini’s project. The plan of the garden resembles a Roman city. In fact, Bernini drew two main boulevards that cross each other perpendicular like in the Roman town: the Decumano, East/West, and the Cardo, North/South. The overall garden is developed on different levels and it contains various areas representing different important steps in the allegorical and symbolic purification path,” said Armando.
Armando, 46, has lived in Valsanzibio most of his life since his mother passed away in 1973 and the villa today is the family’s main residence with his wife Elisa and their two children. In contrast to the impressive garden, the villa is relatively small compared to other Veneto’s villas. The three-floor, 1,000-square-meter villa had been refurbished in the 1990s by Armando’s father.
Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani is a true aristocratic palace immersed in nature.
“Today, the interiors reflect a mixture of many styles assembled around the family furniture: empire style, classic style and many others. My father’s aim was to use all the important family heirlooms in order to create an elegant, warm and comfortable place where to live and receive guests,” Armando said.
The entrance is a typical Venetian residence entrance as the width is about 5 meters. Until the mid-18th century there was a Venetian law that stated no entrance hall could be wider than 5 meters. Armando revealed this length is the same as a battle ship and, in case of an invasion, all the palaces or country villas would have to be dismantled to make war ships.
The six rooms on the ground floor, on both sides of the main hall, serve different purposes: dining room, private library and the remaining four living rooms are used to play games of cards or have private interactions with guests or family members.
The second floor living room, with two big 17th-century paintings, is where one can enjoy a magnificent view of the garden.
“If a family has a long history like mine, most of the furniture and art were acquired during the centuries. At present in the villa we also integrate Chinese furniture, carpets and objects bought by my grandfather around the 1920s. However, the highlight among my family antiques is an important canvas of an ancestor of mine that was painted by Lorenzo Lotto,” he said.
The first floor has the owner quarters made by a main hall, the studio and two bedrooms. On the second floor there is a main hall and four bedrooms for the guests. Each bedroom is completely different from each other. The princess room is light blue-colored with a queen-size bed and a large bathroom with a terrace. The bear room is cream-colored with double beds and a wooden bathroom resembling a mountain chalet. The tent room is a single bedroom with bathroom resembling a Bedouin tent.
The villa and garden, normally closed to visitors, is now part of the Beyond The Gates program initiated by Alessandro Cavazza de Altamer and his brother Giacomo, who are descendents of the noble Borghese family. Through Beyond the Gates, guests from around the world get an opportunity to stay in this incredible villa with the family.
The Villa Barbarigo garden has been called “the most beautiful garden of Italy.” It boasts more than 60 statues and several other minor sculptures that integrate into a world of architecture, streams, waterfalls, fountains and small ponds.
