Villa Emo a Fanzolo di Vedelago (TV), una delle più belle, intatte e fedeli al progretto originario di Andrea Palladio. Gli interni padronali sono completamente e splendidamente affrescati da Giovan Battista Zelotti (allievo del Veronese). Circondata da un bel parco e da un borgo che originariamente era abitato dai contadini che lavoravano i terreni della nobile famiglia veneziana degli Emo che l'hanno detenuta fino al 2004 cedendola al Credito Trevigiano. English The principles which informed Leonardo Emo's project in Fanzolo found clear expression in his architect's design: an extremely simple ground plan based on parallel fundamental axes, a language pared to its essence with no concessions to extra architectural elements, reveal the force of its creator's ideas and the purity of its composition. In the plan of Villa Emo the architect achieves perfect harmony between the architectural form, the functions to which it is linked, and the surrounding landscape. Inspired by the symmetry of Roman buildings, Villa Emo is the geometric epitome of t he spatial structures present in all Palladio's villas, becoming, through the simplicity of its style and plan, emblematic of the canons which characterise the Palladian opus. In this innovative project the "barchesse" (wings), continuations of the central dwelling-house, do not enclose an outside space but are anchored to the ground, and follow the lines dictated by the landscape, in which the old Roman grid can still be recognised. At Villa Emo simplicity and a certain severity prevail, qualities emphasised by the almost total alignment of the "barchesse" with the main façade, where the portico and fronton recess into the body of the villa, and confirmed by the austere dovecotes, set slightly back, which in no way reflect the elaborate architectural choices present in the façade of the villa at Maser. The balance and harmony of the architectural composition arise from the rhythmic succession of volumes, heights and spaces, coordinated but separate in the sequence of villa - barchesse - dovecotes. The frescoed decoration of the villa's interior, carried out by Giovanni Battista Zelotti (1526-1578), once again underlines the owner's concepts by depicting, with scenes dedicated to mythology, agricultural life, family and domestic virtues, the common goal of landlord and peasant to improve the yield of the land. This dwelling on mythological themes linked to agrarian allegories alluding to the fertility of the fields, has also been interpreted as a moral imperative, pointing the way to the abandonment of decadent aristocratic eroticism in favour of the labour and commitment which characterise rural life. The scenes are framed by trompe l'oeil architectural elements, typical of frescoes in Veneto villas of the sixteenth century.

• published: 14 Nov 2015
• views: 5