7 Highlights of the Brenta Riviera

When Venetian aristocrats of bygone eras needed an escape from the sweltering summer heat of the lagoon, they chose the Brenta. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, they commissioned the region’s top architects to transform this marshy river into a linear wonderland of opulent country estates. In its heyday, the Brenta Riviera counted around 200 villas and lured notable figures such as Goethe, Napoleon and Casanova to its boggy shores. 

Beyond the sheer spectacle, the Bre