Villa Barbarigo.
In the Venetian dialect Santi Giovanni e Paolo becomes San Zanipolo. Sant’Agostino becomes San Stin and Sant’Eustachio becomes San Stae. Once you have heard a number of these names, you will more easily understand what Valsanzibio means: Valle di Sant’Eusebio. The town, part of the municipality of Galzignano Terme, is mostly known for its Venetian villa, the Villa Barbarigo. The villa itself cannot be visited, but the gardens are open to the public (a ticket is required). These gardens were laid out in the second half of the seventeenth century on the orders of Francesco Barbarigo, a scion of an old and respected aristocratic family from Venice. It was, however, Francesco’s son Gregorio Barbarigo (1625-1697) who would truly leave his mark on the gardens. Gregorio, who was later canonised, was a cardinal and bishop of Padova (see Padova: The Duomo). He wanted an allegorical garden that symbolised the spiritual journey of Man towards Salvation.
The architect who was commissioned to transform Gregorio Barbarigo’s plans from dream into reality was Bernini. Not the world-famous Gian Lorenzo Bernini, but his younger brother Luigi Bernini (1612-1681). Several statues in the park were made by Enrico Merengo (died 1723), a sculptor of German extraction whose real name was Heinrich Meyring. Allegorical elements in the garden are for instance the cave of the hermit, a maze, the rabbit island and a statue of Time, whose is represented as a winged man with an hourglass and a dodecahedron on his shoulders. Once visitors could reach Villa Barbarigo by water. At the so-called gate of Diana one can still see the poles to which the Venetian gondolas could be tied. I do not doubt that the Barbarigo family spent many pleasant summers at the villa and in its gardens. In 1804 the family became extinct and Villa Barbarigo ended up in the hands of other families. Fortunately these have always respected the architecture of the gardens, so that visitors may still experience them in the same way as in 1669, the year of their completion.
Gate of Diana (in the background).
Cave of the hermit.
Rabbit island.
We certainly had a lovely stroll in the gardens of Villa Barbarigo, but I do want to add a critical note. The admission charge – 12 Euros in 2022 – is rather high, and it does not even include entrance to the maze. The price may on the other hand be justified by recent restorations and by the fact that these gardens are undeniably unique. After all, where else in Italy does one find so much intriguing symbolism?
Time.
Pond with swans and ducks.
Fountain in the gardens.