Villa Saraceno, Finale di Agugliaro, Vicenza: the loggia looking towards the entrance with the figure painted above the door thought to be the owner Biagio Saraceno, dressed as an ancient condottiero, welcoming the visitor to his house

NOTES: The Villa Saraceno is one of the earliest and simplest of Palladio's villas (1549-1555). As published in 'I Quattro Libri', only the villa house was built according to Palladio's design, and the symmetrical 'barchesse' shown in his scheme were never fully executed. The colonnaded 'barchessa' on the right (east) of the villa house was added in the mid-17th century and links to the other existing farm buildings on the site. After becoming derelict in the mid-twentieth century, it was bought by the Landmark Trust and restored in 1990-1994.