VILLA THIENE A QUINTO VICENTINO (Arch. Palladio 1545/46)
via IV Novembre 41 - tel. 0444 584224, 0444 584211 fax 0444 357388
e-mail: biblioteca@comune.quintovicentino.vi.it
www.comune.quintovicentino.vi.it
Monday to Fri 9.30-12.45; Mon and Thur also 17,30-19
Free admission
Remarks: in different times visits by appointement

"The following drawings are referred to the fabric of the Earl Ottavio Thiene at his village Quinto. The building was started by his father, the late lamented Earl Marc'Antonio, and by his uncle, the Earl Adriano: the place is very pleasant because it is washed by the Tesina, on one side, and by a very large branch of the same river, on the other". These are the words used by Andrea Palladio to introduce the design of Villa Thiene in his treatise "The Four Books of Architecture". If the structure were rected in the strict compliance with the whole design, this would have surely been one of the greatest buildings of the si0teenth century Venetian country architecture. But a main aspect must be emphasized: the drawing included in the treatise is the fruit of a subsequent radical theoretical formulation. In fact the first design of this villa (kept in Great Britain at present) is less comple0, but more careful of the surrounding environement than that of 1570. Therefore, in this case too, a particular attention must be paid when theory and pra0is are compared in the analysis of Palladio's work.
The villa was built around 1545/46 for Marc'Antonio Thiene who also ordered the Mansion in St. Gaetano Thiene's quarter of Vicenza.
Unfortunately, in the eighteenth century it underwent some transformations changing its look. Only the noorthern section remained untouched. One of the rooms of the ground-floor shows a si0teenth century fresco decoration of Giovanni de Mio from Schio.