THE BRENTA RIVIERA

The Brenta Riviera is set on the banks of the river that flows from Padua to the Venice Lagoon.
Populated as early as the 5th Century A.D. , its importance grew in 1400 when Venice extended its dominion to all of the Veneto hinterland. The Venetian Patricians bought large estates on the Brenta Riverside and fascinated by the beauty of its landscapes turned it into a holiday location. From 1500 to 1700 they built imposing villas such as the Foscari Villa in Malcontenta, the Valmarana and Widmann Villas in Mira and the Pisani Villa in Strà, a real Ducal Palace on the mainland, where you can find its well-known maze of renaissance style hedges. However, the main attraction is the river with its calm waters that flow from bend to bend , waiting to be sailed on in order to offer the same lapses that Goldoni, Casanova, Goethe and D’Annunzio experienced. As the relationship between Padua and Venice intensified in the 1400’s, boats became the main mean of transportation used at that time. A regular boat service was set up along the Brenta Riviera in 1700. Since the so called Padua Boat was considered slow and of low-quality, a new barge was introduced called the “ Burchiello “ mean of transportation used by the best companies that later became customary. Nowadays, the Brenta Riviera means visits inside antique Villas, unique nature walks, relaxing river cruises and excellent seafood cuisine inspired by Venetian tradition.