Giardini Salvi

Between the Bacchiglione and Vicenza's medieval walls, the Giardini Salvi form a riverside garden of noble origin. The grounds include the Loggia Valmarana, a six-column classical structure raised above the Seriola and included in the city's World Heritage property.

Why it matters

The Valmarana family laid out a garden outside the city walls from 1556. Its riverside setting combines water, mature planting and the architecture of the Loggia Valmarana, positioned above the Seriola channel. The loggia is one of the components of the World Heritage property covering Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto.

What to notice

The loggia's six Tuscan-Doric columns rise on massive piers set in the streambed. Five bays open the façade beneath a triangular pediment spanning the central three. Three rooms at the rear meet the remains of the medieval Scaliger wall, and an arch topped by a tympanum opens on the western side. A frieze bears the name Leonardo Valmarana and the date 1592, though scholars question both the date and the traditional attribution of the design. One recent hypothesis credits Paolo Antonio Valmarana with a design derived from a drawing formerly attributed to Palladio and now assigned to Vincenzo Scamozzi.

Context and history

The grounds took shape as adjoining noble properties along the riverbank. The Valmarana garden is documented from 1556, with a small house recorded by 1563; the neighbouring Salvi family's name came to designate the whole site. The Comune di Vicenza acquired the complex in the early twentieth century. Over time, statue niches, walls and gates were added to the garden. The loggia's date and authorship remain subjects of scholarly discussion, reflecting the wider influence of Palladian design on Vicentine architecture.