Museo Nazionale Villa Pisani

The Pisani family of Santo Stefano, responsible for the construction of the Villa, formed an important branch of the Pisani lineage, an ancient Venetian patrician family, which, having fallen into ruin, were forced to sell the Villa to Napoleon Bonaparte on January 11, 1807.

The Pisani family of Santo Stefano, responsible for the construction of the villa, was an important branch of the Pisani family, an ancient Venetian patrician family. They became immensely wealthy during the 14th century thanks to commercial trade and real estate income, and in the 15th century they became owners of a large estate in the lower Padua area. Around the same time, they also embarked on the construction of the grand Venetian palace at Campo Santo Stefano (the current "Benedetto Marcello" conservatory), which was completed only in the 18th century. This latter century was indeed the golden age for the family, which came to hold the highest offices of the Republic of Venice. Alvise Pisani (1664 - 1741) was an ambassador at the court of the Sun King, who was the godfather of one of his children, and was later elected doge in 1735. But decline was already on the horizon: the fall of the Republic (1797) and later, the vice of gambling, drove the Pisani into ruinous debt. This is why they were forced to sell the villa to Napoleon Bonaparte who became King of Italy in 1805, on January 11, 1807, for 1,901,000 Venetian lire.

The villa was then gifted by Emperor Bonaparte to his stepson Eugenio di Beauharnais, Viceroy of Italy, who commissioned a series of modernization works that changed the appearance of many rooms in the residence and the park.

In 1814, the fate of Europe, decided at Waterloo, brought the Habsburg imperial family to Villa Pisani, which had now become the lady of the Lombardo-Veneto kingdom. The residence thus became a favored holiday spot for Empress of Austria Marianna Carolina and hosted the entire elite of European aristocracy, from King of Spain Charles IV, to Tsar of Russia Alexander I, from King of Naples Ferdinand II, to King of Greece Otto and many others. The vibrant court life came to an end in 1866 when Veneto was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. The Villa did not become part of the assets of the royal house of Savoy but instead became state property, thus losing its representative function. No longer inhabited, it became a museum in 1884 and was visited by figures such as Wagner, D'Annunzio (who set a crucial scene from his novel "Il Fuoco" there), Mussolini and Hitler (whose first official meeting took place here in 1934), Pasolini (who filmed a scene for his movie "Porcile" in the rooms of the villa and in the park).

The noble floor, comprising thirty rooms, preserves frescoes, paintings, and original furnishings. Great opulence is reached in the ballroom, located in the center of the building. Giambattista Tiepolo, the leading exponent of 18th-century painting in Italy, frescoed the ceiling with the Glory of the Pisani Family, a masterpiece miraculously saved, given that in the early 19th century it was about to be eliminated as part of the grand modernization project of the building ordered by Eugenio di Beauharnais. Of particular interest is the Napoleonic apartment, rich in treasures: the grand canopy bed topped with the initial of the Emperor, the splendid chests crafted by the Lombard inlayer Giuseppe Maggiolini, favored by European courts, the monochromes of Giovanni Carlo Bevilacqua that narrate the myth of Eros and Psyche, and the valuable Empire-style furniture made specifically for Villa Pisani. Inside the Dining Room, the table is set with a service of dishes used by the Napoleonic court.

The park, winner of the “Most Beautiful Park in Italy 2008” award, occupies an entire bend of the Brenta Canal, covering an area of 11 hectares and an outer perimeter of about 1,500 meters. It was designed by the Padua architect Girolamo Frigimelica de' Roberti. In the 18th century, the spectacular view was enhanced by broderies with large colossal statues on either side. The park’s organization for long perspectives recalls the French models applied by André Le Nôtre at Versailles and intersects with the Venetian tradition of enclosed gardens, opened through portals and windows that extend views over the Brenta. The Austrian 19th century, on the other hand, will be characterized by great attention to potted and ground botany, with tropical greenhouses and the introduction of large tree specimens, before the revival of the 20th century introduced long boxwood hedges and the grand water basin in the parterre.

ACCESSIBILITY & VISIT RULES

Access for persons with disabilities is guaranteed both on the noble floor via elevator and in the park via a dedicated ramp.

The visit to the noble floor follows a mandatory route. Backpacks and bulky items must be left at the ticket office in lockers.

For access with dogs, please follow these regulations: small dogs are allowed in the noble floor of the villa as long as they are within a suitable transport carrier. Dogs of small or large size are also allowed in the park, provided they are leashed with a leash no longer than 1.5m in length.

Villa Pisani, known as "Nazionale" - National Museum Villa Pisani
Catalog Number IRVV (Regional Institute of Venetian Villas): A0500001614

TICKETS

- Villa (includes: courtyards and portico; main floor and Tiepolo Hall; temporary exhibition)*:

⁃ full: 9 Euros
⁃ reduced: 6 Euros (holders of AREA ARTE CARD, members of the Friends of Gradenigo Association, and residents of the Union of municipalities of the Riviera del Brenta and Terra del Tiepolo: residents of the municipalities of Campagnalupia, Campolongo, Camponogara, Dolo, Fiesso, Fossò, Martellago, Mira, Mirano, Noale, Noventa Padovana, Pianiga, Salzano, Santa Maria di Sala, Scorzè, Spinea, Stra, Vigonovo) and others entitled by agreement and by law.
⁃ reduced 18-25 years: 2 Euros
⁃ free: under 18 years and as provided by law; holders of the Venetian Heritage Membership Card, valid for two people; for all visitors every first Sunday of the month.

* The ticket grants access to the courtyards and the main floor and does not authorize access to the Park under any circumstances.

⁃ Park (includes: monumental park; courtyards and portico; exhibition rooms on the ground floor)*:

⁃ full: 9 Euros
⁃ reduced: 6 Euros (holders of AREA ARTE CARD, members of the Friends of Gradenigo Association, and residents of the Union of municipalities of the Riviera del Brenta and Terra del Tiepolo: residents of the municipalities of Campagnalupia, Campolongo, Camponogara, Dolo, Fiesso, Fossò, Martellago, Mira, Mirano, Noale, Noventa Padovana, Pianiga, Salzano, Santa Maria di Sala, Scorzè, Spinea, Stra, Vigonovo) and others entitled by agreement and by law.
⁃ reduced 18-25 years: 2 Euros
⁃ free: under 18 years and as provided by law; holders of the Venetian Heritage Membership Card, valid for two people; for all visitors every first Sunday of the month.

* The ticket requires access to the Park from the East exit (ramp) and does not authorize access to the main floor under any circumstances.

THE PARK TICKET IS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED UNTIL THE REOPENING OF THE MONUMENTAL PARK.

⁃ Villa and Park (includes: courtyards and portico; main floor and Tiepolo Hall; temporary exhibition; monumental park)*:

⁃ full: 15 Euros
⁃ reduced: 9 Euros (holders of AREA ARTE CARD, members of the Friends of Gradenigo Association, and residents of the Union of municipalities of the Riviera del Brenta and Terra del Tiepolo: residents of the municipalities of Campagnalupia, Campolongo, Camponogara, Dolo, Fiesso, Fossò, Martellago, Mira, Mirano, Noale, Noventa Padovana, Pianiga, Salzano, Santa Maria di Sala, Scorzè, Spinea, Stra, Vigonovo) and others entitled by agreement and by law.
⁃ reduced 18-25 years: 2 Euros
⁃ free: under 18 years and as provided by law; holders of the Venetian Heritage Membership Card, valid for two people; for all visitors every first Sunday of the month.

* It is mandatory to access the main floor of the Villa first and only then the Park. It is not permitted to start the visit from the Park and subsequently access the main floor.

THE VILLA AND PARK TICKET IS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED UNTIL THE REOPENING OF THE MONUMENTAL PARK.

Free every first Sunday of the month.

OPENING HOURS

From March 29 to September 30, 2026:

- FROM TUESDAY TO SUNDAY and HOLIDAYS from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
(last entry to the Noble Floor of the Villa at 7:00 PM with mandatory exit by 8:00 PM. The ticket office closes at 7:00 PM).
- MONDAY: weekly closing day. In case of a holiday on a Monday, the closing day is postponed to Tuesday.

The PARK will remain closed to the public until the completion of the interventions required by the ongoing PNRR works, expected in June 2026.

NOTICE TO VISITORS: On the first Sundays of the month and on other free admission days, holders of the Villa+Park ticket must first visit the noble floor and the temporary exhibition and only then will they have access to the Park. For safety reasons, the flow of visitors to the noble floor will be managed and organized by the museum staff.