Villa Franceschi - Mira Porte (Brenta Riviera)

The city and its beauty Mira Porte is located just a stone’s throw away from the wonders of the lagoon, in the Venetian inland. The Most Serene Republic of Venice had control of this territory by 1405, and from the sixteenth to the seventeenth century Mira, one of the villages on the Brenta River Riviera, became a holiday location for rich patricians, who chose it for its proximity to the city and for the wild beauty of the location. Here they built country houses and villas according to the austere canons of the 16th century, then giving in to the imagination and playfulness of the 17h century and subsequently the rationality of the 18th century, making them even more beautiful with flowered gardens and botanic architecture. It was an ideal expansion of the Venetian borders, and a continuation of the Canal Grande (Grand Canal) waters into terra firma, on the route that led to Padua. Fame and prestige followed after the fall of Venice and attracted Goldoni and Casanova, Byron and Goethe to these riverbanks. Still today some admirable architectural examples remain: “Villa Foscari del Palladio” in Malcontenta, “Villa Soranzo” frescoed by Paolo Veronese’s brother in Fiesso, the baroque pomp of Villa Morosini in Mirano and the games of prospective of “Villa Pisani” in Stra. Not to mention some exemplary pictorial cycles in Villa Quercini in Mira Porte. Architectural beauty can also be seen from the river on Brenta boats (www.battellidelbrenta.it). FocusOne of the gems of Venetian baroque can be found in one of the bights that the River forms in Mira: Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari (can be visited, Via Nazionale 420, tel: 041424973), built at the beginning of the 18th century, by Noble Venetians of Persian origin, was transformed by Widmann mid-century with the fashionable taste of the time: French rococo. It has the appearance of a residence for parties and receptions, with a main reception room which shows the work of two highly esteemed artists: Giuseppe Angeli, follower of Gianbattista Piazzetta, and Girolamo Mengozzi Colonna, assistant of Tiepolo. Local FlavoursRestaurants on the Brenta Riviera are very well known for their cuisine based on sea fish. As in the rest of the Veneto region it is often accompanied by white or yellow polenta, served soft. This represents a kind of rural staple food, which is served with local cold meats, such as salami and lard, and vegetables from the region, especially Giare white asparagus and Castelfranco radicchio. A typical dessert is “Tortona”, which is eaten in autumn around the time of the “Madonna della Salute” celebrations, it is made with dried bread, figs and treacle. Typical productsIn this area there are many shoe factories that work for Italian and foreign designer names and in their own name. Therefore it is possible to make high-level purchases at reasonable prices in their factory outlets, most of which are in Fiesso d’Artico, Vigonovo and Fossò, such as Ballin Franco for men, Ballin Spa for woman's clothing and accessories, and Favaro Luigi for women's shoes. Not far away there is also the “Centro Calzature Fratelli Rossi”, in Vigenza (tel: 049/725904). They are generally open every day of the week and Saturday morning. There are also many flower growers, especially in Oriago, and asparagus producers. Culture, traditions and customsOn the second Sunday of September Riviera Fiorita (Riviera Abloom) is held, a parade along the Brenta River with traditional boats decorated with flowers and oarsmen in costume with over 1,100 participants. The parade, that leaves in the morning from “Villa Pisani” in Stra, arrives in Mira at lunchtime in front of “Villa Contarini”, now “Palazzo dei Leoni”, and makes its way in the afternoon to Oriago and Malcontenta before arriving in Venice. This recalls the passage on the Riviera, in 1574, of Enrico III, son of Caterina de’ Medici who travelled the stretch between Padua and Venice amidst music and festive patricians, and arrived at the lagoon to a triumphal welcome. EventsFebruary/March Carnevale “dei’ storti” (“Storti” Carneval, the festival of handmade hence imperfect or "storti” (twisted) waffles, to be eaten with hot chocolate). This carnival started in Dolo, and now involves all the villages/towns on the Riviera in interesting events such as allegoric parades and the “Carnevale in Villa” (at “Villa Pisani” in Stra).

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