A barchessa is a rural service building, typical of the architecture of Venetian villas. The concept was created and popularized by architect

Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ; 30 November 1508 – 19 August 1580) was an Italian Renaissance architect active in the Venetian Republic. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily Vitruvius, is widely considered to be one of th ...

. A barchessa contains the working portions of the estate, separately from the central body of the villa. Barchessas were characterized by a long arcade with high round arches and used for services including kitchens, farm staff, stables, and barns. As interpreted outside of Italy, the barchessas (''barchesse'' in Italian) evolved to become defining elements of

Palladian architecture Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

Description

In the historical region of the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

the barchessas are almost always are arranged on either side of the main house, and are an integral part of a large productive agricultural complex.

gave architectural dignity to the barchesse, placing them side by side, aligning them and connecting them to the manor house, giving the whole greater

symmetry Symmetry (from grc, συμμετρία "agreement in dimensions, due proportion, arrangement") in everyday language refers to a sense of harmonious and beautiful proportion and balance. In mathematics, "symmetry" has a more precise definit ...

and monumentality. The orientation was also important: in his ''

I quattro libri dell'architettura ''I quattro libri dell'architettura'' (''The Four Books of Architecture'') is a treatise on architecture by the architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580), written in Italian. It was first published in four volumes in 1570 in Venice, illustrated wi ...

'' (Venice, 1570), Palladio states that the barchesse should face south to keep the stored hay from fermenting and burning. In the Veneto countryside - and in particular along the

riviera del Brenta The Riviera del Brenta is an area of the Metropolitan City of Venice of particular tourist-cultural interest due to the great architectural heritage of the Venetian villas built between the 15th and 18th centuries by the nobles of the Venetian Rep ...

- barchessas may be found without a villa: due to the taxation on villas. During the

19th century The 19th (nineteenth) century began on 1 January 1801 ( MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 ( MCM). The 19th century was the ninth century of the 2nd millennium. The 19th century was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was abolis ...

many buildings of the

Venetian patriciate The Venetian patriciate ( it, Patriziato veneziano, vec, Patrisiato venesian) was one of the three social bodies into which the society of the Republic of Venice was divided, together with citizens and foreigners. was the Imperial, royal and n ...

were demolished, leaving only the barchessas, useful as cottages or warehouses.

Examples

Among the most famous and characteristic barchesse there are those combined with the following villas: *

Villa Badoer A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became sm ...

, known as "la Badoera", designed by

, in the municipality of

Fratta Polesine Fratta Polesine is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rovigo in the Italian region Veneto, located about southwest of Venice and about southwest of Rovigo. Its main attraction is Andrea Palladio's Villa Badoer. Fratta Polesine is the ...

province of Rovigo The Province of Rovigo (''Provincia di Rovigo'') is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Rovigo. It borders on the north with the provinces of Verona, Padua and Venice, on the south with the province of Ferrara, o ...

(the only villa in which Palladio actually built his idea of curved hemicycle barns). * Villa Tiretta Agostini,

Giavera del Montello Giavera del Montello is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italy, Italian region Veneto, located about northwest of Venice and about northwest of Treviso. Giavera del Montello borders the following municipalities: Arca ...

(

Province of Treviso The Province of Treviso ('' it, Provincia di Treviso'') is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Treviso. The province is surrounded by Belluno in the north, Vicenza in the west, Padua in southwest, Venice in the so ...

). *

Villa Emo Villa Emo is one of the many creations conceived by Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. It is a patrician villa located in the Veneto region of northern Italy, near the village of Fanzolo di Vedelago, in the Province of Treviso. The pat ...

Capodilista in Fanzolo di

Vedelago Vedelago ( vec, Vedeàgo) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about northwest of Venice, about east of Vicenza, about north of Padua and about west of Treviso. The main attraction is ...

(province of Treviso), by Andrea Palladio *

Villa Barbaro Villa Barbaro, also known as the Villa di Maser, is a large villa at Maser in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It was designed and built by the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, with frescos by Paolo Veronese and sculptures by Al ...

in Maser, (province of Treviso), by Andrea Palladio, at the ends of which are dovecotes and sundials. *

Villa Manin Villa Manin at Passariano is a Venetian villa located in Passariano of Codroipo, province of Udine, northern Italy. It was the residence of the last Doge of Venice, Ludovico Manin. Napoleon Bonaparte and Josephine de Beauharnais lived there for ...

in Passariano di Codroipo (

Province of Udine The province of Udine ( it, provincia di Udine, fur, provincie di Udin, sl, videmska pokrajina, Resian dialect, Resian: , german: Provinz Weiden) was a Provinces of Italy, province in the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia of Italy, borderi ...

) where the

treaty of Campoformio The Treaty of Campo Formio (today Campoformido) was signed on 17 October 1797 (26 Vendémiaire VI) by Napoleon Bonaparte and Count Philipp von Cobenzl as representatives of the French Republic and the Austrian monarchy, respectively. The treaty ...

(now Campoformido) was signed *

Villa Contarini Villa Contarini is a mostly Baroque-style, patrician rural palace in Piazzola sul Brenta, province of Padova, in the region of the Veneto of northern Italy. The villa is spread over a 40 hectare area, with canals, and a lake. Now owned by the gov ...

Piazzola sul Brenta Piazzola sul Brenta is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about northwest of Padua. Main sights *Villa Contarini, begun by Andrea Palladio Andrea Palladio ( ; ...

(

province of Padua The Province of Padua (''Provincia di Padova'') is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Padua. Geography It has an area of 2,142 km2, and a total population of 936,492 (2016) making it the most populated pr ...

) * Villa Albrizzi Franchetti, designed by Andrea Pagnossin, in

San Trovaso San Trovaso (dedicated to Saints Gervasius and Protasius) is a church in the sestiere or neighborhood of Dorsoduro in Venice, northern Italy. The church dates to at least the 1028. The present church was rebuilt by 1584. The architect was probab ...

(municipality of

Preganziol Preganziol is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about northwest of Venice and about south of Treviso. As of 1-1-2017, it had a population of 16,908 and an area of .All demographics and ot ...

in the

province of Treviso The Province of Treviso ('' it, Provincia di Treviso'') is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Treviso. The province is surrounded by Belluno in the north, Vicenza in the west, Padua in southwest, Venice in the so ...

). Or the single barchesse, today without the villa: * Barco della Regina Cornaro in Altivole (Treviso) *

Barchessa Loredan The Barchessa di Villa Bressa Loredan, known as the ''Palazzon'', is a 16th-century Palladian barchessa of the Loredan family immersed in the vineyards of Volpago del Montello, but clearly visible from the Schiavonesca state road, between Montebel ...

Volpago del Montello Volpago del Montello is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about northwest of Venice and about northwest of Treviso on the southern slopes of Montello. History The fall of the Republic of ...

(Treviso) * Barchessa of Villa Grollo in Selva del Montello of

(Treviso) * Barco Barbarigo Biagi to

Montebelluna Montebelluna is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, Italy, approximately northwest of Venice. It has an estimated population of 32,000. Montebelluna borders the following municipalities: Altivole, Caerano di San Marco, Cornuda, Crocetta del Montello ...

* Barchess of Villa Thiene to Cicogna of

Villafranca Padovana Villafranca Padovana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about northwest of Padua. Villafranca Padovana borders the following municipalities: Campodoro, Limena, M ...

(A. Palladio) * Barchesse of Villa Valmarana in

Mira Mira (), designation Omicron Ceti (ο Ceti, abbreviated Omicron Cet, ο Cet), is a red-giant star estimated to be 200–400 light-years from the Sun in the constellation Cetus. ο Ceti is a binary stellar system, consisting of a varia ...

along the

Riviera del Brenta The Riviera del Brenta is an area of the Metropolitan City of Venice of particular tourist-cultural interest due to the great architectural heritage of the Venetian villas built between the 15th and 18th centuries by the nobles of the Venetian Rep ...

* Barchessa di Villa Pola known as the "Barcòn" after Barcòn of

(Treviso) * Barchess of Villa Monza in

Dueville Dueville () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. It is south of SP50. As of 2007 Dueville had an estimated population of 13,988. Twin towns – sister cities Dueville is twinned with: * Calatayud, Spain (1989) * S ...

(Vicenza) * Barchessa of

, known as "La Rotonda" of Badoere of Morgan, Treviso) * Barchess of Villa Monselicense by Davide Boetto

Gallery

File:Villa Barbaro Maser barchesse 2009-07-18 f01.jpg, The left barchessa of Villa Barbaro a Maser File:Villa Barbaro Maser barchesse 2009-07-18 f02.jpg, The right barchessa of the Villa Barbaro File:Villa Contarini Piazzola by Marcok 2009-08-08 n01b.jpg, Left barchessa of the

File:Villa Emo pianta Bertotti Scamozzi 1781.jpg, Plan of the Villa Emo. The main house is in the center, flanked by the barchesse (drain by Ottavio Bertotti Scamozzi, 1781) File:Barchessa.jpg, Barchessa di

Limena Limena is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Padua in the Italian region Veneto, located about west of Venice and about north of Padua. Limena borders the following municipalities: Curtarolo, Padua, Piazzola sul Brenta, Vigodarzere ...

(Padova), oggi sede del Municipio File:VillaThieneCicogna 2007 07 18 1.jpg, Barchessa of the Villa Thiene in Cicogna, the only remnant of a Palladian project

References

{{authority control Palladian architecture Agricultural buildings in Italy