Villa Foscari (La Malcontenta)

The Veneto region of Italy is dotted with villas designed by Andrea Palladio. There are roughly two dozen of these Palladian Villas. My favourite is the Villa Foscari, located on the Brenta Canal, just a few kilometres from the Venetian lagoon. It was built between 1558 and 1560 for the wealthy Venetian Foscari family. It stands just outside the small town of Malcontenta and I’ve never been sure whether the villa is named for the town, or the town for the villa. There is a story that the villa became known as La Malcontenta when one of the Foscari brothers kept his discontented spouse there, presumably against her will. I’ve no idea whether there is any truth to the story, but either way, the name contrasts with the peace and tranquility of the villa and garden.