Fai - Villa dei Vescovi

Villa dei Vescovi is a pre-Palladian Venetian Villa owned by FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano – Italian National Trust). The Bishop of Padua, Francesco Pisani, had it built as a holiday home between 1535 and 1542 on a reinforced slope in the Euganeus Hills.

At the time, it became an important point of reference for numerous humanists who gathered there. The design of Villa dei Vescovi was entrusted to the painter and architect Giovanni Maria Falconetto, while the supervision of the work was carried out by the Venetian erudite Alvise Cornaro.

The interior is decorated with original furniture and magnificent frescoes painted by the Flemish artist Lambert Sustrise, starting from 1542. Villa dei Vescovi was the property of Padua's bishops until 1962, when it was purchased by Vittorio Olcese from Milan whose family then donated it to FAI.

The Villa was open again to the public in 2011 after restoration which lasted 5 years. Villa dei Vescovi is surrounded by a wonderful natural landscape, amidst verdant hills, vineyards and centuries-old woods.