Villa Saraceno, Finale di Agugliaro, Vicenza: the great barn or tezza

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. The great barn seen here is some 45 metres long (150 feet) and pre-dates the house. It was built circa 1500 and still retains its original roof trusses, spanning some 45 feet.