AS A culture vulture seeking a short break somewhere in Europe, Italy is always a safe bet, and the Veneto offers something special.

Lake Garda to the west, Venice to the east, and the Dolomites to the north are well known, but it would seem that there is a wealth of less-frequently championed attractions between them.

I was intrigued to see if what laid within the Veneto region could shine through the shade cast by its siblings on a tour taking in various villas and places of interest in Verona, Vicenza, and Padua, concluding with an achingly glamorous on-board tour across Venice’s famous lagoon.

The Veneto boasts more than 5,000 Venetian villas whose presence, over the past 1,000 years, has carved out communities, and attracted and employed a plethora of architects, sculptors, and painters.

With economic insecurity an unwelcome backdrop, the Ville Veneto Project is an initiative in which 141 villa owners have come together to open their doors and gardens to the public to keep a roof over their heads, preserve their family’s heritage, and help build cultural tourism in a fascinating, beautiful, and largely unrepresented region of Italy.

Less than two hours out of Oxford on The Airline bus and I was at Gatwick in perfect time to check in for a 2.30pm British Airways flight to Verona airport.

After a short transfer to the city centre, I had quick freshen up in the very clean and comfortable Hotel Mastino, adjacent to Verona’s internationally famous Roman amphitheatre that hosts large-scale opera performances and is one of the best preserved ancient structures of its kind.

Then it was time to explore this dazzling city of curiosity. First stop, Casa Di Giulietta, Juliet’s balcony.

Then we meandered around Verona’s smart streets (many of which are pedestrianised) and took in several excavations, including the Scaliger Tombs, a group of five Gothic funerary monuments outside of the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Antica that celebrate the Scaliger family, who ruled Verona from the 13th to the late 14th century.

Having worked up an appetite, we dined in the traditional, warm and welcoming Al Bersagliere restaurant, renowned for its regional specialities and fantastic wine list, both of which left us sated.

Then it was time to find out about the villas, the local governance, microhistory of families and communities, artistic wealth of countless great architects, painters and sculptors that forms an intrinsic part of the region’s identity.

Some of the most inspirational villa itineraries follow the Brenta River, and a fun way to discover them might be by canal boat. Regardless, we took the high road, and around an hour out of Verona found the fascinating Villa La Rotonda by the extraordinarily influential Andrea Palladio. Villa La Rotonda is a place of pure joy and reminded me of a deer shelter by James Turrell.

A short walk away is Villa Valmarana ai nani, owned by the cousin of Count Valmarana, owner of La Rotonda. Take a tour around Villa Valmarana ai nani and learn about the fascinating frescoes by Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo, some of which were removed during the Second World War and replaced again.

We then took a 45-minute drive towards Padua, stopping at the magnificent crescent of Piazzola sul Brenta for a particularly tasty lunch at the restaurant Alle Logge and admired the view of the Villa Contarini that the crescent framed.

Boasting incredible acoustics inside and a jaw-dropping backdrop outside, Piazzola sul Brenta hosts a full calendar of events from performances to contemporary art exhibitions and music festivals.

The highlight of my trip came 30 minutes after leaving Villa Contarini upon arrival in Padua. We had pre-booked tickets to visit the Scrovegni Chapel, frescoed by Giotto di Bondone on the commission of Enrico degli Scrovegni.

Having studied fine art, I knew a bit about Giotto, namely that he was considered one of the first in a line of great artists to have contributed to the Italian Renaissance, but I hadn’t realised just how little I had actually appreciated him until I set foot inside the Scrovegni Chapel. I recommend going with a reputable guide, and soaking up every second.

From Padua, we meandered deep into the countryside to the recently renovated XVI century Villa Corner della Regina, which is well situated for exploring the surrounding area.

Sadly, my room was in the very comfortable, but very contemporary annexe, though I did manage to sneak a peek inside one of the rooms in the main villa, which was both enormous and quite gorgeous – the epitome of old-fashioned luxury, though the recently reapplied frescoes in the dining room left quite a lot to be desired.

A stone’s throw from Villa Corner della Regina is Villa di Maser, one of Palladio’s greatest masterpieces, and in another direction the pretty medieval town of Treviso. Amble the canal-lined streets, exploring the lovely shops, twist around monumental buildings, and perhaps treat yourself to a glass of Prosecco and a sweet – Treviso is also known for being the original production area of Prosecco, and the town where the popular Italian dessert Tiramisu was created.

Fifteen minutes outside Treviso, in Carbonera, is the elegant, and somewhat topiary-tastic stately Villa Tiepolo Passi, where we met the innovative members of the Passi family, who recounted tales of the “Civiltà di Villa”, the unique and refined way of life enjoyed by their ancestors in this stunning Venetian villa.

Now the Passis are working hard, diversifying to keep this, one of the last remaining family properties, in their possession, available for all to enjoy, and not left to go to ruin. This was a fascinating and very real insight into the difficulties facing families inheriting these marvellous millstones today.

Venice is a one and a half hour drive from Villa Corner della Regina, and what better way to round off this interesting trip than with a James Bond-style tour of Venice by boat followed by lunch at the Michelin starred restaurant Venissa located on Mazzorbo, one of the islands in the northern Venetian Lagoon, linked to Burano by a bridge, and from there to the airport, by boat – naturally! This whistle-stop tour of a relatively un-celebrated region was both fascinating, and insightful, and I think I probably would do it again, though perhaps exclusively by boat.

One thing is for sure, the Veneto doesn’t fail in its promise to present a slightly different side to this beautiful and captivating part of Northern Italy.

FACTFILE

  • Further information about the Villas of Veneto can be found at: www.villevenete.net and www.veneto.to
  • The Airline Oxford to Gatwick bus service: www.oxfordbus.co.uk
  • Al Bersagliere restaurant, Verona: www.trattoriaalbersagliere.it
  • Martin Randall Travel offer several Palladian Villas tours. For example, October 8-13, from £1,760 per person sharing on a B&B basis, including flights, transfers, tour guide services and some meals. Tours include a survey of villas and palaces by Andrea Palladio, led by an expert on the Italian Renaissance period. 020 8742 3355 www.martinrandall.com