Beginning in the 15th century, with the discovery of America, the Venetian Republic, which already occupied numerous territories on the sea, the so-called "Stato da Mar," decided to expand into what would be called the "Stato da Tera." It looked over its shoulder and discovered the lush mainland crossed by the Brenta River. They then began major reclamation works and between the 15th and 18th centuries built some of the most beautiful country villas in the world there. Since then, the Riviera del Brenta has been the ideal continuation of Venice on the mainland, and the Brenta draws the continuation of the Grand Canal.
Engaging illustrious architects (such as Palladio, Scamozzi, Longhena and Sansovino), imaginative painters (such as Tintoretto, Titian and Tiepolo) and creative gardeners has meant, to date, a heritage of more than 200 villas spread over a stretch of about 25 km with an extraordinary concentration of historic residences.
Imagining ourselves in the saddle of our bicycles, we go to admire the numerous villas: starting from Fusina, where the Riviera del Brenta meets the Lagoon, we pedal along the Naviglio and at Malcontenta, we encounter the 16th-century Villa Foscari, the only work of the famous Paduan architect Andrea Palladio.

As we approach Dolo, we discover Palazzo Bonlini, Villa Alberti, Villa Brusoni Scalella, Villa Velluti, Villa Tito, Villa Venier, and the 16th-century Villa Badoer Fattoretto, where the Museo del Villano can be visited, which houses a vast number of agricultural implements, ancient objects of daily life, and historical relics.

Arriving in Dolo, an ancient commercial center of the Serenissima, we stop for a Spritz and some typical Venetian cicchetti. We set off again toward Fiesso d'Artico and Stra, encountering Villa Recanati Zucconi, Villa Soranzo, the monumental Villa Barbariga and Villa Foscarini Rossi , which houses the Museo della Calzatura, whose handcrafted sector has a centuries-old tradition on the Riviera del Brenta.