Villa Foscari (La Malcontenta) Historical Timeline

Origins

The Foscari were a leading Venetian family -- one of them had been Doge -- and the Brenta was where the patriciate built once mainland land became respectable to own.

Turning points

Palladio designed the villa around 1555 for the brothers Nicolò and Alvise Foscari, and it was substantially complete by 1560.

Influential people

Unusually among his villas, this one had no agricultural purpose. Most Palladian villas are farmhouses with a temple front; this is a house for guests, arriving by boat from Venice.

Cultural evolution

The nickname La Malcontenta -- the discontented woman -- is traditionally explained by a Foscari wife confined here for infidelity. The story is almost certainly later than the name, which may simply be an older place name for the marshy ground. The villa is content to leave the question open.

Present-day significance

It was restored in the twentieth century and remains in private hands, opening on a limited schedule. It is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list with the other Palladian villas.