The Villa Godi is featured on our Private Vicenza & Villa Rotonda tour which departs from Venice
The Villa Godi was the first accredited Villa to Andrea Palladio. Most architects first commissions are perhaps a kitchen extension or perhaps, a vacation home hidden away in the countryside.
The Villa Godi, its immense size and prominent location upon a hillside above the river Astico, could have ended Palladio's career before it had even started. Not surprisingly, Andrea Palladio took no risks with execution of this plan.
In fact, many years later when he wrote the "four books of architecture", Andrea Palladio went back to the design of the Villa Godi to correct the errors he made in his original design of the Villa. The Villa houses frescoes by Zellotti and Padovano, and despite the inherant flaws in the facade of the Villa, Palladio remembered the Villa Godi fondly.
Ten years after the Villa Godi was completed he returned to the villa to plan the layout of the frescoes on the interior, and while doing so he added a Serliana to the rear of the property to bring extra light in to the main salon of the Villa to illuminate the frescoes.
Like many of the villas of Andrea Palladio, the Villa Godi has endured mixed fortunes over the years. The Grand approach to the Villa was lost in the 19th century, and during the first world war it was headquarters of the British high command and temporary of Prince Edward of Edward and Mrs Simpson fame.
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