Canal Cruise takes in sights of   Venetian Villas
 SITA S.p.A. - is a big firm that has a very esteemed past.
 It is one of the oldest transport firms in Italy with legal seat in Florence and 6 Regional  Directions: Veneto, Toscana, Puglia, Lazio, Campania e Basilicata.

Every year from March to early November, Il Burchiello ® cruises along the Brenta River with departure from Padua or Venice on alternate days. The excursion is highly interesting from the historical, cultural and artistic point of view. Along the Canal we can admire more than fifty villas, once summer residences of the Venetian nobility. . While the cruise takes us through some really beautiful spots, we can appreciate the high technological value of the engineering work carried out in order to create this ship canal, allowing the development of civilisation over the years. Along the way, Il Burchiello ® stops at three of the most important mansions: Villa Pisani, Barchessa Valmarana or Villa Widmann and Villa Foscari "Malcontenta".

Departing from Padua the first visit is devoted to the grandest of all the villas on the Brenta: Villa Pisani, which is now a National Museum. Built by the Pisani family of Venice between 1720 and 1760 to celebrate the election of Alvise Pisani as Doge, the villa was built on a project by Girolamo Frigimelica, later modified by Francesco Maria Preti. In 1807, the villa was sold to Napoleon I. Among the artists who decorated the apartments , the most outstanding was Tiepolo, whose masterpiece, painted in 1761-62 – Apotheosis of the Pisani Family – graces the ceiling of the ballroom. After pausing at the lock of Dolo, Il Burchiello ® docks at Mira to visit Barchessa Valmarana, a 17th century building, decorated with frescos by Michelangelo Schiavoni, known as "il Chiozzotto". Otherwise we visit the villa Widmann, a real jewel on the Brenta Riviera, with magnificent frescoes painted by G. Angeli and G. Mengozzi-Colonna. After the visit, we arrive at Oriago: here people can have lunch at the well-known restaurant “Il Burchiello” on the canal's banks.

In the afternoon our cruise proceeds towards Villa Foscari, also known as Villa Malcontenta (“The Unhappy”) one of the finest examples of Palladio's small country mansions. It was built in 1558 for Nicolò and Alvise Foscari and still belongs to the descendants of that noble family. According to the legend, the villa owes its name “Malcontenta” to the wife of one of the Foscari who was confined here against her will. The frescoes are by Giovanni Battista Zelotti and Battista Franco, two local 16th-century masters. After visiting Villa Foscari, we navigate through the ancient lock of Moranzani, heading towards the Venetian lagoon and docking near Piazza San Marco. Passengers who would like to end their trip at the historical centre of Venice, can disembark here. Il Burchiello carries on its navigation till the Maritime Station where all the passengers who must go back to Padua by bus will disembark.

The motorboats Il Burchiello ® used for the cruise are provided with a heating and air conditioning system, a well supplied bar, toilet, microphone and stereo equipment. The internal decoration features fine and precious materials such as briarwood, mahogany, moquettes and crystal. Three-seater couches placed opposite each other with a table in the centre allow passengers to sit in comfort while admiring the extraordinary synthesis of history, art and nature that only the Brenta Riviera can convey.

Return by bus

For individual clients the return from Venice to Padua and vice versa is always included in the programme and is to be meant as follows :

- from the Maritime Station in Venice to Piazzale Boschetti in Padua (and, on request, to the Railway Station);

- from Padua to Piazzale Roma in Venice.

For informations and reservations:

COOP. IL SOGNO
Viale R.Margherita, 192
00198 - Rome (Italy)
Ph. +39/0685301758
Fax +39/0685301756
Email: cpasogno@romeguide.it