Museo Nazionale di Villa Pisani

Museo Nazionale di Villa Pisani

Museo Nazionale di Villa Pisani
4
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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4.0
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352
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105
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ANGELO V
Milan, Italy2,939 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Family
Villa Pisani is one of the most famous Venetian villa on the Brenta River, located in Stra, in the province of Venice. It is home to a national museum, which preserves works of art and furnishings from the 18th and 19th centuries. The villa includes 168 rooms and covers an area of 15,000 square meters (approx. 161,500 square foot).

It was built starting in 1721, based on a design by Gerolamo Frigimelica and Francesco Maria Preti for the noble Venetian family of the Pisani di Santo Stefano .
In 1807 it was bought by Napoleon I Bonaparte, and it was included into the assets of the French Crown and ceded to Eugene Beauharnais.
In 1814 the villa became the property of the Habsburgs, and after the annexation of the Veneto to the kingdom of Italy in 1868 Villa Pisani became property of the State, and becoming a museum in 1884.

The ballroom ceiling has a fresco by Giambattista Tiepolo celebrating the Apotheosis of the Pisani family.
Written October 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vicky Silve
Abbadia Lariana, Italy697 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Family
The Villa is interesting, rich of furniture and paintings and even a woman’s dress. The highlight was the ceiling of the dancing room painted by Tiepolo. I’m sorry to say the gardens are not so well-kept, but it’s due to the storms which hit Veneto this summer.
Written August 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

kpiddy
Brisbane, Australia12,256 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2013 • Couples
I have wanted to go here for some time now, but had to wait three visits to Venice before we got to go. On the afternoon of our visit in May this year, we caught the number 53 bus from Venice (4 euros each one way), it takes roughly one hour to arrive in the village of Stra. Careful attention was required as to when to disembark the bus, we asked another traveler on the bus for assistance.

From the village it is a short walk to the entrance of the villa. We purchased a ticket which included a visit to the villa as well as the gardens. We were both disappointed with the condition of the interior of the villa, the rooms were dusty, lots of crooked paintings, looked rather run down. The back rooms of the villa have a stunning view over the garden and water feature, which made up for the disappointments. Of more interest was a photographic exhibition in the villa showcasing the work of Tomaso Filippi, a famous Italian photographer: photos of Venice and the region in the late 1800s and into the 1900s.

I was expecting the gardens to be in the condition like Versailles in France, they are not, instead wild and rustic. The maze was fun to visit. At the far end of the gardens is a cafe, we did not visit, but on the day of our visit, Mothers Day, it was very popular.

We walked back to Stra to catch the #53 bus back to Venice, make sure you have a valid bus ticket as we witnessed 8 plain clothed bus inspectors go through the bus and charge many people for trying to evade paying for a ticket, and this was a Sunday afternoon.

http://www.actv.it/en/movingmainland/suburbanlines
Written July 12, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Roger R
Schio, Italy74 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2016 • Friends
This large palace Villa was built back in the 18th century and belonged to Venice's 114th Doge (chief magistrate) Andrea Alvisae Pisani.

Since the 15th century his family had began becoming very wealthy due to land renting and trade and by the 18th century, Andrea Pisani, was selected by the city council as the new doge for the Republic of Venice; a lifetime position, though not hereditary nor hierarchy related, but rather highest possible rank position that provided him with wealth, political and military power.

To show off his magnificence, he bestowed upon Girolamo Frigimelica, a landscape Italian architect for the work; nonetheless, Frigimelica's job only included the layout of the external gardens (which are in 11 hectares, about 1.5km perimeter), the maze with its exedra, turret and Minerva sculpture (which has a significance of achieving knowledge, for those who get to her) and the Villa's stables (which mark his work piece).

He was also known for making the fountain and pond that are currently situated in between the villa and the stables, which follow the French perspective models of the time; possibly inspired by the works of Andrè Le Notrê (landscape architect of the Sun King and most famous work: Versailles Castle, Paris).

The Villa was a project made by architect Francesco Maria Preti and the most important frescos inside it belong to Giambatista Tiepolo (Italian painter with great renown also in Germany and Spain for his use of a lighter palate of colors- pastels to create light; his most admired piece lies on the ballroom, the Glory of the Pisany Family).

The inside of the villa is conformed of about 30 interconnected rooms in which most of the social activities took place. The rooms are so diverse from one another in terms of usage of space, function, frescos, lightness etc that it makes it more interesting to learn from.

Each room has a description available in EN- SP- IT-FR making it easy for the tourists to have a self guided tour of what they are seeing.

Due to gambling debts and because of the collapse of the Serenissima (the Republic of Venice) the Doge was forced to sell his Villa Pisani to Napolean, for 1,901,000 Venetian liras.

Napolean made some changes to the Villa including removing some of the 114 rooms that had been originally built in honor of the 114th doge of Venice. Luckily, the "Glory of the Pisany Family" fresco did not suffer any inconveniences.

Napolean's room is one of the new rooms introduced as well as his bathroom; which are both part of the rooms that are acailable to see in the visit.

It was said that during that time, Napolean slept sitting down, because he dread of the contagious tuberculosis and was told that by sleeping in this position it could prevent him from getting the disease; reason why his bed is so small.

Additionally, Napolean created an Orangery and introduced greenhouses for other plants who needed special needs. Today, the orangery is still growing and has lots of species both indoors and outdoors.

Close to the Orangery, you can find the Gardener's house. On the bottom, you will find an assortment of gardening instruments used back in the 18th century and in the top part of the building, a 3D film on the Grand Tour awaits you. The film shows very old photos from Egypt to Denmark in a journey. Very interesting, although, only shown in Italian.

There is a coffee shop with restrooms available close to the maze as well as restrooms inside the lobby of the villa's main building.

The tkt has a cost of 10€ with access to the maze, the gardens and the upper rooms.

The first Sunday of every month, the entrance is Free of charge.

The parking lot is free of charge

If going by bus:
From Padua train station, walk towards bus terminal.
Across from bus terminal there is a newspaper kiosk, buy the bus tkt there. €5.6 (two way). Mi da due biglietti per andare a Stra, Villa Pisani?

Return to bus terminal and go to line 13. Take bus 53E. Ask driver to stop at Stra'. Io vado a Villa Pisani, mi potrebbe fare lo stop a Stra? (You have to get off at Stra, otherwise you'll end up in Venice).

From the bus stop you continue walking straight ahead. First, you will see a villa that has been turned into a shoe museum to your left, to your right you will pass along a park and if you continue walking ahead, on your left you will see a white wall that will lead you to Villa Pisani. You can't get lost!

Written September 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fabrizio L
Venice, Italy58 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Family
I visited last weekend with my family as a side trip. If you are in Venice or Padua and spare a few hours, it is worth a visit. If your time is limited, there are much better kept Venetian villas around the area. Please read on.

The Pisani was a wealthy family during the Republic of Venice. The villa was probably built to showcase their power in the early 18th century. With the fall of the Serenissima, the villa has been sold several times. Eventually the new owners did not have much interest to keep it in the original status. Today, it is in need of repairs and restorations.

My young daughter asked me to compare with Versailles! Of course, there are no comparisons. Versailles was owned by the absolute monarch of France. This was a private residence of a rich Venetian family. I am mentioning this detail to avoid your eventual disappointment.

The gardens are the main focus of your visit. It is a pleasure to stroll around: make sure to spend time at the maze which is open in the spring and summer only. Check the website for details. You will probably need around 30 to 45 minutes to complete the garden circle. Unless it has been raining, the paths are no problem with any kind of shoes. At the time of my visit the central pond was not well kept.

The interiors are nice. But, a few rooms are actually painted or completely furnished. Regrettably paintings from Giuseppe Zais are badly lit and cannot be appreciated in their details. A short room description is available in English and other languages. However, I shall suggest you a good guidebook with detailed descriptions of the interiors.

The Apotheosis of the Pisani Family fresco from Tiepolo is the highlight of villa and shall not be missed. Have a look at the animals. Eventually Tiepolo painted the elephants without actually having seen one.

Villa Pisani could be visited for free on the first Sunday of each month.

Worth visiting? It depends. If you have time for just one Venetian villa, then I suggest heading to Maser (TV) for Villa Barbaro or Fanzolo (TV) for Villa Emo. They are smaller than Villa Pisani but a lot more fascinating. They are both designed by Palladio with fantastic frescoes.
If you are traveling with children keen to get lost in the maze, then, it is worth visiting. Remember: summer only!
Written February 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KPfeff
Dallas277 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2017 • Solo
I visited the Villa on a half-day trip from Venice. I used bus 53E; it was a bit over an hour to the stop and then a short walk straight along the road. Tell the bus driver where you are going - there is no way I would have recognized the stop as you can't see the stop names from the bus and you don't see the Villa from the approach. The bus driver rotated out during the trip so I had to tell the second driver as well - just pay attention so you don't miss the stop! Also, do be careful when walking to the Villa -
the road is highly-trafficked and there isn't a sidewalk. It's only a five minute or so walk straight ahead; you can't miss the parking lot and the Villa is straight ahead on the right-hand side of the road.

When you enter the Villa, you pass a group of cool statues on the right to get to the ticket office. A combined house and gardens ticket was 7.50 Euro for an adult. They have audio guides but I didn't rent one as I found the information cards in the rooms were very good.

In the house, you tour the second floor. It's really interesting to learn about the history of the house, the family, and the Doge connection. The furnishings, paintings, and frescoes are really beautiful. They save the best for last with the amazing ballroom with its fabulous ceiling.

The ticket taker didn't speak English, but he tried to tell me something which I obviously didn't understand. I visited during a week day in December, and I understand the maze is closed then. On the day I visited, at noon you could join a group to visit the maze - that is what the ticket taker was trying to tell me. Luckily, I asked some fellow tourists who spoke a little English what he was trying to say and they translated. I'm glad they did - the gardens are lovely to visit in their own rite, but the maze is super cool.

On the day I visited, I only saw about maybe fifteen other tourists the entire time. I'm sure that's likely mainly because it was December on a week day, but I really enjoyed getting out of Venice, seeing the countryside, and having some fresh air. This place is truly lovely.

Note - bus 53E back did not go all the way to Venice; the final stop was Mestre. I had no idea where to go, and the bus driver didn't speak English, but he told me to take bus 4L to get to Venice. I had to walk a few blocks to get to the correct stop to take bus 4L, but it eventually worked out.
Written December 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Karen A
Lake Geneva, WI59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2015 • Couples
A great example of the famous Venetian villas. Took an enjoyable bus ride here, just like the natives. Passed other villas on the way here as you parallel a river 20 minutes from Venice. Would have been perfect if we were here a little later in the year so that the cafe and the gardens would have been open, but we found a great restaurant in Stra to make up for this.
Written March 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

vashka0310
Winter Park, FL135 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2014 • Friends
We only paid entry to the gardens specifically to walk through the maze, so I cannot comment on the villa. The maze was actually a lot of fun and quite difficult to find the middle. The villa seemed like it might be quite nice, but the barn/greenhouse structure on the far side of the estate is in rough shape.
Written July 8, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sandra S
Perth, Australia738 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Friends
Due to a change in itinerary our Cruise company offered this visit by coach complimentary, and everyone who participated was rapt to find such a wonderful structure a short drive from Venice. We had a guided visit of the interior, and the frescoes were a highlight, and a wonderful overview of the property from the upper floor was a bonus. It was a stunning setting, very picturesque, but the only regret was not having time to walk the maze and take a photo from above. If seeking food a cafe is situated at the end of the pool area. Car parking can be congested, so try and plan
ahead.
Written November 13, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

lud2006
Las Vegas, NV280 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2013 • Couples
Don't miss this villa. Self guided tour with description cards (four languages) in each room. Must have been at least 40 of the 100+ rooms in this villa open to display. We did not buy the audio tour which was available for a nominal price (4E). Lots of good explanation boards on the grounds too. Visiting in spring was a good idea except for the one gang of loud, younger kids that came along well after we had started right after 9am when it opens. Don't miss the maze. We needed help getting in and getting out, but it was great fun. Lots of surprises too. Set aside at least two or more hours to make this visit worthwhile.
Written April 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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