ITINERARY INFORMATION:
Starting point: parking lot of Mira rugby field
Arrival point: parking lot of the Mira rugby field
Difficulty: easy
Length of the route: 6.8 km
Duration of the route: 1h40
Itinerary description:
A little healthy workout never hurts, especially when you can enjoy these charming Riviera views!
Here is a short and pleasant walk among the Venetian Villas, starting from the Rugby field in Mira. Begin the route by taking the Rio Serraglio and proceed to Mira Porte, a small village with an 18th-century charm and a tiny central square, beneath which a lock once opened. Mira Porte takes its name from the “Porte” (locks) built in the 1600s, along with a drawbridge that allowed wagons and pedestrians to cross. A few steps from the small square, we glimpse Villa Franceschi, dating back to the 17th century, consisting of of the main residence and its “barchessa“, now home to a prestigious luxury hotel with a restaurant.
Having crossed the small artificial island of Mira Porte, we turn left along the Naviglio to Villa Valier, which gives the nickname “La Chitarra” to the whole locality and Parco Valmarana. Walking along the park’s perimeter you can admire two other magnificent villas: Villa Widmann Rezzonico Foscari, a rococo-style residence located on the opposite side of the canal and home to Mira’s tourist office (IAT); and Barchessa Valmarana, all that remains of the original architectural complex of Villa Valmarana, once consisting of the central body and two “barchesse”.
At the end of Via Valmarana, we turn right onto Riviera Giacomo Matteotti to the bridge in front of the Church of San Nicolò. Then turn left onto Riviera Silvio Trentin, where we pass the final villa on our itinerary: Villa Contarini Dei Leoni, named after the two the two stone mlions (“marzocchi”) marking the entrance steps and nowadays home to the Municipal Theater.
We continue to the intersection with the state road, then cross it and take Via Cesare Battisti, the last stretch that leads us back to our starting point.
