VILLA CAPRA VALMARANA "LA ROTONDA" (1570 - Arch. Palladio, Scamozzi)
Via Rotonda 29 - tel. 0444 321793 - 049 8790879 - fax 0498791380
Opening time: from 16/3 to 2/11
visiting hours: garden Tue-Sun 10-12, 15-18
Inside Wed 10-12, 15-18
From 03/11 to 15/03
Visiting hours: garden Tue-Sun 10-12, 14.30-17
Admission: garden € 5,00
Inside € 10,00
Remarks: other hours for groups of 25 persons minimum by written request four weeks in advance € 15,00

In his own treatise Palladio included this villa among the town buildings "for pro0imity" to the town. The architect describes the surrounding environement with these words: "the place is one of the most pleasant and delightful that can be found, because it is washed by the navigable river Bacchiglione, on one side, and surrounded, on the other side, by beautiful hills, so that it looks like a very great Theatre"
The building started between 1566 and 1568 and the rough works probably ended in 1571. After the death of the customer, the canon Paolo Almerico, the construction was resumed by Mario and Olderico Capra in 1591. The Capra family ended the works of decoration appro0imately in 1620.
Four identical facades with ionic pronaos of si0 columns are reproduced at each side of the villa. Palladio's design considered the roofing of the central hall with a semispherical dome; but, as the works were taken up by Vincenzo Scamozzi, he transformed the original idea into a different structure.
Inside, the ceiling is decorated with frescos by Alessandro Maganza, whereas some Greek gods painted by Louis Dorigny in the eighteenth century appear on the side walls.
The villa was completed with the sidehouse design by Vincenzo Scamozzi and with the family chapel erected by Girolamo Albanese for the earl Marzio Capra between 1645 and 1663.
In december 1994 this villa was included in the World Heritage List of Unesco.