Villa Barbarigo a Valsanzibio
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Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
, located on over 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) at Valsanzibio, a frazione
Frazione
A frazione , in Italy, is the name given in administrative law to a type of territorial subdivision of a comune; for other administrative divisions, see municipio, circoscrizione, quartiere...
of Galzignano Terme
Galzignano Terme
Galzignano Terme is a comune in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about 50 km southwest of Venice and about 15 km southwest of Padua.-Main sights:...
, south of Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
, northern Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
; it was built by the Venetian
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
aristocratic family of the Barbarigo
Barbarigo
Barbarigo is the name of surname of several notable individuals, as well as the name of two submarines.* Marco Barbarigo Doge of Venice from 1485-1486* Agostino Barbarigo Doge of Venice from 1486-1501, brother of Marco Barbarigo...
.
It is girded by a remarkable Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
garden, with statuary (including a statue of aged and winged time carrying a cuboctahedron
Cuboctahedron
In geometry, a cuboctahedron is a polyhedron with eight triangular faces and six square faces. A cuboctahedron has 12 identical vertices, with two triangles and two squares meeting at each, and 24 identical edges, each separating a triangle from a square. As such it is a quasiregular polyhedron,...
), water works, architecture, and even a Boxwood labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
. Originally commissioned in 1669 by Zuane Francesco Barbarigo, the villa was once accessible by canal from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. The construction continued under Zuane's son, Gregorio Barbarigo, a Cardinal and future Saint, with plans by Luigi Bernini. The sculpture was mainly completed by Enrico Merengo. The plan was meant to define the approach to the villa as an allegory of man's progress towards his own perfectibility or salvation.
This villa should not be confused with Villa Barbarigo at Noventa Vicentina
Noventa Vicentina
Noventa Vicentina is a town and comune in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, northern Italy. It is west of SP247 provincial road.The main attraction is the patrician Villa Barbarigo.- Sources :*...
.