The Diana Portal at Villa Barbarigo in Valsanzibio | © Tenuta Valsanzibio
The path of purification and redemption leading to salvation begins at the impressive Gate of Diana - a monumental façade with a boat landing (you can see the spiral-painted poles, just like in Venice). Boats once arrived here via the San Eusebio Valley (from which the name Val San Zibio derives).
The canals no longer exist in their original form, but thankfully a small lake has been preserved so as not to deprive this beautiful allegory of its origins. There, two columns in the lake already flank the entrance.
So, when you enter the garden through the Portal of Diana, the path of purification begins:
From Rawness to Raffinement
The symbolic journey that begins here starts with the Viale delle Peschiere, a water feature fed by two reclining river gods. This contrasts the murky, dirty, rough water with the pure, crystal-clear, smooth water.
From an allegorical point of view, one leaves sin behind upon exiting the swamp, just after passing through the Arch of Silenus. It is a passive purification in which the pure water initiates an allegorical cleansing of the soul (this path is beautifully illustrated on the Villa Barbarigo website).
Opening Hours
for Villa Barbarigo in Valsanzibio
The villa itself is private and not open to the public (viewable only from the outside), but the garden is always open and we look forward to your visit.
Open | Every day |
Tickets | Can also be booked online. |
Admission | €12.80 (adults) €7.30 (children up to 14 years old) Garden maze: + €4.80 |
Where | Via Diana 2 , Valsanzibio di Galzignano Terme (PD) |
Phone | |
Website |
by Tenuta Valsanzibio srl
Grotto pond with fountain | © Tenuta Valsanzibio
Rainbow Fountain
After the purifying waters, we come to the Rainbow Fountain, where water, air, and the light streaming through them create a beautiful rainbow.
We continue on to the Grotto Fountain: Aeolus (with a beautiful nymph at his side) reigns over the Pond of the Winds. The winds Borea and Zephyrus are chained (as is fitting). Here, after the water has mingled with air and light, we step across to be cleansed by the fresh, pure air.
And on we go, step by step, upward:
Viale delle Peschiere | © Tenuta Valsanzibio
Now we reach the center of the garden, where there is an octagonal fountain made of red marble. Here, the path crosses the garden's main axis at a right angle. Technically, one could turn right here and just head toward the villa, but from an allegorical perspective, we are far from being ready to do so.
To achieve perfection, it is not enough for salvation to simply leave the sinful swamp and purify oneself with air and light.
Island of the Rabbits | © Tenuta Valsanzibio
Here,
time becomes space
So, after making our way into and out of the labyrinth, mastering all the trials, and meditating on them at the Hermitage, we finally set our sights on our destination - Villa Barbarigo, which is now coming into view.
But not before passing Garenna, or Rabbit Island (symbolically, the island of fertility) and immersing ourselves in the statue on the Hill of Time:
Depicted by a winged Chronos, the ancient yet still present god of time. He symbolizes that humans can transcend space and time when they rise spiritually to transcendence. Incidentally, the geometric shape resting on Chronos' shoulders is a cuboctahedron.
Villa Barbarigo Garden Maze | © Tenuta Valsanzibio
The Hermit's Cave
For starters, we must actively confront our sins. And so the path leads us directly into the garden maze on the left and to the hermit's cave. Symbolically, it represents the transcendent quest and the arduous path toward human progress, as well as meditation on the truths gained along the way through the maze.
Incidentally, the labyrinth consists entirely of boxwood trees. Anyone familiar with gardening who knows how slowly boxwood grows (10–20 cm per year) can hardly help but pay the gardeners due respect.
The labyrinth is the path of trials and feels a bit like being transported into Mozart's Magic Flute. But once you've made it through the path and passed all the trials, you ascendto the central observatory, where reality is revealed to you (or rather, you have a good view of the entire labyrinth, which you should commit to memory).
Is that all clear?
Anyone who thinks they've understood everything by now is sorely mistaken - we are still a long way from reaching the destination of this journey between immanence and transcendence. We are reminded of this by a putto on a fountain, spraying water all around (so that one easily runs the risk of being hit by the jets of water), with a banner hanging between his shoulders bearing the beautiful saying: Fear is not always hidden among the flowers.
And so we climb the last steps for now on the path to paradise, up to the
Fountain of Ecstasy
located in the Piazza delle Rivelazioni, the forecourt of Villa Barbarigo. In the center of the square stands an octagonal fountain, surrounded by eight allegorical statues that we have already encountered along our way.
Four of the statues represent the qualities of the garden and its bounty, while the other four symbolize the privileges of the householder.
The fountain itself in the center of the Plaza of Revelations is a stone mushroom. Which is quite interesting, since certain mushrooms are said to have a mind-expanding effect. Do they grow here as well?
The octagon, also known as the perfect square, is the symbolic symbiosis between the square and the circle (where the square represents the human, and the circle the divine).
If you've managed to follow the text this far, complimenti! Grasping the garden in all its complexity and depth is no easy task. To describe this garden properly, one can hardly write too much - so dense is the layout in its multifaceted arrangement. That's why we'll leave it at that for now.
In any case, the garden of Villa Barbarigo is a place where one could spend weeks studying and meditating. If you're interested, the best thing to do is simply go visit the villa (see opening times) and take a look for yourself.
Food for thought guaranteed.
If you've acquired a taste for this, you'll find more remarkable estates, starting with Villa Pisani in Stra, along the Brenta canal, not far from here.