To keep hard-partying Venetian nobles in line, Doge Alvise Pisani provided a Versailles-like reminder of who was in charge. The 1774, 114-room Villa Pisani Nazionale is surrounded by huge gardens, a labyrinthine hedge-maze and pools to reflect the doge’s glory. Here you’ll find the bathroom with a tiny wooden throne used by Napoleon; the sagging bed where new king Vittorio Emanuele II slept; and, ironically, the reception hall where Mussolini and Hitler met in 1934 under Tiepolo’s ceiling depicting the Geniuses of Peace .
On our last visit, the poorly funded property was badly lit, so consider visiting during full daylight hours to avoid staring into darkened rooms. Temporary exhibitions are also held at the villa throughout the year, generally between March and October.
