Andrea Palladio was still a young architect, not long out of his training as a stonemason, when the Pisani brothers, members of a powerful Venetian family, asked him to design a country house at Bagnolo, near Lonigo, in the late 1530s or early 1540s. The result, now known as Villa Pisani Ferri, is one of his early villas, a solid, symmetrical house with a grand central hall and a facade facing the river, part of the UNESCO site of the City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto. Visits depend on the owners' arrangements, so check ahead if you hope to go inside.
Palladio's villas were not just luxury retreats. They were working farm estates, built at a time when Venetian families were investing in agriculture on the mainland, and they combined elegant living quarters with barns, stables and storage. Their classical forms, inspired by ancient Roman temples and houses, influenced architects for centuries, from England to the United States.
Lonigo, a short distance away, is a market town with a large church, a historic horse fair and, on the hill above, the Rocca Pisana, a villa built by Vincenzo Scamozzi, Palladio's pupil, for the same family. To the north-east rise the Colli Berici, a range of low limestone hills with vineyards, olive groves, caves and small villages, famous for their wines, including the local red variety called Tai Rosso.
The riding in the Colli Berici is delightful. Narrow roads climb and twist through the hills, with views over the plain towards the Alps on clear days and quiet villages to pass through. Traffic is light, though cyclists are common on weekends. On the plain, roads are flat and straight, sometimes busy with trucks. Fog is common in autumn and winter, and summer can be hot and humid, so spring and early autumn are the best times to visit.
Lonigo, about three kilometres away, has fuel, shops and restaurants. Try a plate of bigoli, thick spaghetti traditionally served with duck sauce, or baccalà alla vicentina, salt cod slow-cooked in milk and served with polenta, washed down with a glass of local wine.