Giornata delle Ville Venete: What It Is and How to Take Part

In addition to being an opportunity for members of the public to visit villas that would otherwise be locked all year long, the Giornata delle Ville Venete (Open Day at the Venetian Villas) represents an annual event organised by the IRVV (Regional Institute for Venetian Villas), during which dozens of historical houses open their doors for a weekend each year. This is the most important moment of the year to cross the thresholds into those private villas many of which have rarely been seen - either because they belong to families who live there or because few have ever ventured inside; so as to admire painted rooms, barchesse (the farm buildings with a portico flanking a villa), oratories and gardens whose history tells us about Venetian villa life. So, for people interested in learning more about this aspect of Villa culture than can see them throughout the year with better-known names, this day should be noted on calendars.

In brief

• It is an IRVV initiative that opens normally closed villas to the public over one dedicated weekend.
• Many private residences take part with free or nominal admission, often including guided tours.
• It is held once a year: the dates change with each edition — check the IRVV website.
• The full programme of participating villas is published on the official portal before the event.
• It is the ideal occasion to visit residences that stay private the rest of the year.

What the Giornata delle Ville Venete Is

The Giornata delle Ville Venete is an event that has been established to create awareness and highlight the incredible historical heritage of residential properties located throughout the Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions; there are over 4,000 cataloged villas as part of the IRVV and only a small number regularly allow the general public to enter them. The concept behind this event is straightforward yet effective: for one weekend, numerous private homes (which are usually closed to visitors) open their doors so guests can take guided tours and may have the opportunity to meet the property owner(s), who will be available to answer questions about their home, or other volunteer guides will also be present.

Unlike a museum, this Villa is not a frozen artifact; rather, it's alive and a former working farm that includes its frescoes and park. This project unites dozens of homes to be part of one schedule, so you can plan your trip through multiple Villas in the same location.

How It Works: Admission, Tours and Events

Each participating villa sets its own opening arrangements, but the recurring pattern is this:

Many villas allow you to take part in guided tours of their frescoes, gardens and barchesse. The tour may be accompanied by other activities such as concerts, tastings of local food, exhibitions or family activities. In some cases the villa opens its doors free of charge during set hours while at others you will need to reserve your place before hand because either the interior is fragile or there are limited places available. For this reason I recommend checking out which entry each villa has put into the official program for that year prior to visiting them.

Photo: Marcok / it.wikipedia.org — Public domain

When the Giornata delle Ville Venete Takes Place

The event takes place annually; however, the exact dates vary from one year's edition to the next and are published by the IRVV a number of weeks prior to the start of that year’s event with preference being given for events in either spring or Autumn when the parks will be at their most attractive. Consequently it would be difficult to rely on a traditional date as an indicator of when your chosen villa may participate as the best way to obtain up-to-date information is via the official IRVV website which contains details of all participating villas along with an updated calendar of events for that year.

If you are planning a wider visit outside this event, you may find our guide to the opening hours and days of the Venetian villas useful, as it explains how to get around during the rest of the year too.

How to Take Part and Find the Participating Villas

Taking part is straightforward and, in most cases, free or nearly so. Here are the useful steps:

1. Check the IRVV portal in the weeks before the event: there you will find the exact dates and the full list of participating villas, province by province.
2. Choose an area. The villas cluster in well-defined districts — the Treviso countryside, the Riviera del Brenta, the hills around Asolo and Maser — so you can visit more than one in a single day.
3. Check each villa's arrangements. Look at opening hours, any compulsory reservation, and whether guided tours or events are on offer.
4. Arrive without rushing. Many residences sit in rural settings: allow for travel time and parking that is not always ample.

To get your bearings among the most significant residences and work out where to start, our selection of Venetian villas worth visiting can also help, gathering the region's must-see homes.

Why It's the Best Chance to Discover Private Residences

The real value of the Open Day is in this regard: It allows you to enter into villas that remain closed throughout the year because they are family owned (and therefore not open to the public) or run by families living in them. These are usually the "most genuine" dwellings -- less touristy than the well-known Palladian houses, but able to evoke the essence of a Venetian countryside villa: A manor house; a barchesse constructed for agricultural purposes; An oratory; a park supplied with water from springs.

Villa Loredan Valier Perocco di Meduna, too, at Vascon di Carbonera in the Treviso countryside, belongs to this category of residences best discovered in person: it is visited by appointment and preserves its manor house, twin porticoed barchesse, an eighteenth-century oratory and a frescoed hall within a historic park.

FAQ

How much does it cost to take part in the Giornata delle Ville Venete? In most cases admission is free or a nominal contribution, decided by each individual villa. Some residences may charge a small fee for guided tours or side events: the exact conditions are set out in each villa's official programme.

When does the Giornata delle Ville Venete take place? It is held once a year, over a dedicated weekend, but the dates change with each edition. To find the current dates you need to consult the IRVV website, which publishes the calendar in the weeks before the event.

How do you find the villas taking part in the initiative? The full list of participating villas, arranged by province, is published on the official IRVV portal before each edition, together with opening hours, visiting arrangements and any reservations.

In summary

This is the Giornata delle Ville Venete (the Venetian Villas Open Day), an event that brings dozens of otherwise closed private villas open to the public often at no cost, with guided visits and sometimes additional events. Because the date of this event changes annually, I will always refer to the IRVV website for information on which days are scheduled as well as which villas will participate. For those who have never had access to these exclusive properties such as those in the Treviso countryside that one has to schedule appointments to visit, it’s a great opportunity to get a glimpse into some of the real "hidden" gems of the Veneto region.

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Sources: Istituto Regionale per le Ville Venete (IRVV). Dates, opening arrangements and the list of participating villas change with each edition: always check the official programme on the IRVV website before setting out.