Villa Godi Malinverni and Villa Piovene are set in beautiful location, adjacent to each other, in the hills of the north of the  Vicenza province, in the municipality of Lugo di Vicenza. From this place you enjoy a very beatiful view. 

The presence of these two villas, both very important and very different in the architectural style, makes this site really lovely.
 
Villa Godi Malinverni is known for being the first Villa built by Andrea Palladio (1542).
You can clearly realize it at first sight: designed before making his trips to Rome, so that would have influenced his way of building, the Villa is very different from all the other Palladian ones. In fact, it still bears some traces of castle architecture, with two bodies that resemble two towers, on the side of the main body. Instead the unmistakable hand of the master plan are the internal, designed with rational regularity, the stairway leading to the loggia into the main entrance, and the splendid interior decoration.

In fact, even in this residence one of the aspects that most impress the visitor is given by the frescoes, made by painters of fame as Battista del Moro and Battista Zelotti, who decorated the left wing, and Gualtiero Padovano, who decorated the right wing . Very interesting differences between the two styles, which represent two schools of painting: the classic for Zelotti and Del Moro, and the mystique for Padovano. So , we find differences in colours and subjects depicted: mythology for the classical school, grotesque decorations, sacrifices, emperors and putti for Padovano.

Also enjoyable outdoor loggia, with the fresco representing the surrounding rural landscape, with symbols of abundance and good luck for the crops and the life of the owners and their guests.

Remarkable garden adorned with beautiful statues of Orazio Marinali (the most famous sculptors of Vicenza at the time) and the important museum of Fossils, consisting of the rich collection put together by Count Andrea Piovene in 1859 with exhibits, some of which are very significant all from the surrounding areas. There is, for example, a specimen of giant palm (fossil) 9.85 meters high, and horizontally placed in the center of the main room of the museum.
 
Villa Piovene, located higher up on the hill, although very close to Villa Godi, is purely Palladian style, yet not officially attributed to the great architect, because many construction details to suggest subsequent interventions of other designers.

A draw is its spectacular external staircase leading to the important main entrance added to a colonnaded loggia and classical porch, as well as an inscription found inside the Villa, bearing the signature of the great architect.   Many other elements do however think of later additions, because they are extraneous to the design and build way of Palladio. The Villa is among the most beautiful in terms of purely aesthetic. It can not be visited: it is  open to visitors the large garden on highly scenic and magnificent park with precious trees and corners of wonderful tranquility in harmony with really lush nature.

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