Barrel vault
The barrel vault of the Camerino preserves the elegant decorations by Canera and India.
Lister to the audio
Inside Villa Thiene, in addition to the large pavilion vault (properly known as a “a schifo” vault) that dominates the main hall, there is a second vaulted room: the so-called Camerino, now used as the mayor’s office. This space also preserves a decorative cycle of considerable interest, enriching the architectural narrative and bearing witness to the circulation of artists and artistic languages in sixteenth-century Veneto.
The paintings in the Camerino were not executed using the traditional fresco technique on wet plaster, but rather with limewash applied on dry plaster. Although technically different from true fresco, this method still allows for a refined visual quality while adapting to the practical requirements of the space.
These decorations are attributed to two of the leading Venetian painters active in the second half of the sixteenth century: Anselmo Canera and Bernardino India. Both were frequently involved in projects connected to the work of Andrea Palladio, and their collaboration is documented in other significant commissions of the period.
Canera and India worked together, for example, on the frescoes of Villa Poiana and on the interior decorations of Palazzo Thiene in Vicenza, where their painting reflects Mannerist tendencies and the influence of artists such as Giulio Romano.
The presence of these works within the Camerino of Villa Thiene not only enhances the artistic value of the building, but also situates the villa within a broader network of patronage and cultural exchange between architecture, painting, and decoration in sixteenth-century Venetian mainland society.
How to visit Villa Thiene
Villa Thiene in Quinto Vicentino can be visited by reservation and was recently renovated with the addition of accessible pathways.
