Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani, better known as the Monumental Garden of Valsanzibio, was built between 1665 and 1696 and is an extraordinary example of a fully functioning garden, complete with a prestigious symbolic labyrinth and an extensive water garden. The grounds represent one of the world’s most extensive and intact period gardens and is overlooked by a stunning Villa, which can be hired out for special events and overnight stays.
The history
The Monumental complex of Valsanzibio was elevated to its contemporary magnificence in the second half of the Seventeenth Century by Venetian nobleman Zuane Francesco Barbarigo, who commissioned the project from the Pontifical architect and fountain-maker Luigi Bernini, brother of the highly celebrated Gian Lorenzo, assisted by his sons Antonio and Gregorio. It was in fact, the latter, his firstborn son (who later became Cardinal Gregorio Barbarigo) who, following a solemn vow made by his Father to Our Lord in 1631, desired the garden of Valsanzibio to be a monumental, symbolic emblem of the pathway of perfection that leads man from Error to Truth, and from Ignorance to Revelation.
The baroque garden
This exceptional example of a baroque garden consists of more than 60 statues which were engraved in Istria stone, and as many other unique minor sculptures that blend in with the architecture. There are streams, waterfalls, fountains, small ponds, water games and fishponds, all positioned among hundreds of different species of trees and plants, covering an area of more than 10 hectares. In addition, the monumental grounds are home to the centuries-old Boxwood Labyrinth, the symbolic Hermit’s Grotto, Rabbit Island and the Statue of Time.
UNESCO sites in the vicinity
If you are staying at or visiting Villa Barbarigo, the following UNESCO sites are within easy reach: Venice, Vicenza and the Palladian Villas, the historical centre of Verona, the Botanical Garden of Padua.
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