Villa Pisani Ferri “Rocca Pisana”

La Rocca Pisana, a sixteenth-century villa that dominates the hills of Lonigo, is distinguished both by its location and architectural structure, as well as by the events that led to its construction. In 1542, Vittore Pisani, his father Giovanni, and his brothers Marco and Daniele, members of the powerful Venetian family, commissioned the architect Andrea Palladio to design Villa Pisani in Bagnolo with the requirement that it meet agricultural needs.

In 1576, Vettor Pisani had another residence built in a commanding position, “placed on a hill called La Rocca,…very pleasing to behold…being almost round in shape.” This time, however, the project was entrusted to the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, then a twenty-four-year-old pupil of Palladio. In his treatise The Idea of Universal Architecture (1615), in which he describes the architectural features of the villa, Scamozzi himself recounts that “Signor Vettor Pisani…a gentleman of great judgment and generosity of spirit,” despite already having buildings in partnership on the estates of Bagnoli, nevertheless wished to build for himself, to have a place near Lonigo, for recreation in healthier air.” It is likely that the desire to distance himself from the infected air and mosquitoes of the Lonigo plain was merely a pretext for Signor Pisani, and that he was, in reality, driven by the pursuit—far removed from agricultural purposes and fieldwork—of hillside tranquility to enjoy relaxing and pleasant moments.

La Rocca Pisana is characterized by its austere and geometric structure in harmonious relationship with the surrounding landscape. The quadrangular volume is surmounted by an octagonal dome.

The façade, perfectly identical to the other three sides, is distinguished by the neoclassical pronao that confers solemnity upon it. The six Ionic columns of the pronao are surmounted by a dentilled pediment and create a harmonious connection between the interior space and the adjacent area.

Indeed, standing before the villa, the Roman staircase, flanked by embankments faced with rusticated stonework, guides the visitor’s gaze through the columns of the pronao to the portal of the façade, which corresponds to a symmetrical one on the opposite side. The pronao has the same depth as the corridors surrounding the circular central interior space, in the relationship between spaces.

The columns are enclosed by two compact lateral wings, which rest on a base reinforced at the corners with rustic rustication and adorned with a stringcourse. The corner rustication also characterizes the other three sides, where it is used to suggest the layering of the internal floors.

On each side there is a serliana with Ionic half-columns; the architrave surmounting the lateral openings rests externally on two other half-columns attached to the wall, a rather unusual feature.

Internally, La Rocca is articulated around a circular space from which proportional spaces develop: four symmetrical niches opening from the central hall, three corridors, the pronao, and, on either side of it, two parallel rectangular rooms of width equivalent to that of the pronao itself.

The central hall creates an impression of spaciousness, solemn harmony, and luminosity. Circular, elliptical, and square openings alternate on the walls. Light enters vertically from the opening in the dome and intersects with that coming horizontally from the serlianas and the loggia, creating an interplay of rays.

Positioning oneself in the middle of the circular hall, the viewer will find themselves at the center of the four cardinal points visible through the openings on the sides of the villa, the same from which light penetrates this tightly enclosed building. The summit of the dome is characterized by an open oculus, reminiscent of that of the Pantheon in Rome, beneath which, on the floor, there is a marble grate that serves to collect rainwater.

Beyond proportions, the architect’s care in design was also directed toward the internal use of spaces: the spacious kitchen from which one descends to the underground cellar, the rooms designed on the mezzanine floor. From the reduced dimensions of the area, Scamozzi creates rooms embellished with vaulted ceilings and with oval and rectangular openings overlooking the central hall. The furnishings include sixteenth-century furniture belonging to the Pisani family. However, the atmosphere of the rooms appears sober and austere, devoid of frescoes or paintings, precisely to highlight the purity of the stone and the spatial solemnity.

The internal marble staircase, wide and illuminated, serves as a secondary, “secret” staircase, as Scamozzi defines it in his treatise “The Idea.” The same architect explains that for this staircase he employed a “mixed” style, combining “almond-shaped, oval, and spiral” forms.

Another characteristic of this villa are the fireplaces, whose hoods were designed by Scamozzi in the “Roman” style, otherwise known as “French,” which are distinguished from hoods in the “Lombard” or “half-French” style. The fireplaces are located at the center of the wall of the halls and parlors or rooms and, in some rooms, between two windows or doors.

Outside, adjacent to La Rocca, there are two buildings: the stable and the “Gastaldia” or barchessa. The latter housed those who worked within the owners’ residence and took care of the park. These structures are well distanced from the villa and situated at a lower level, an aspect that emphasized the difference in social and economic status of the workers compared to that of the owners. Over the years, these annexes have undergone various modifications, so much so that some doubt that the current appearance is entirely attributable to Scamozzi.