Museo della Calzatura di Villa Foscarini Rossi

About the museum

The museum is housed in Villa Foscarini Rossi, in Stra, along the Riviera del Brenta. The villa dates back to a country residence remodelled in 1602 by Jacopo Foscarini to a design by Vincenzo Scamozzi. In 1652 the Foresteria (guest wing) was decorated with frescoes by Domenico De Bruni and Pietro Liberi. Later owned by the Garzoni and Negrelli families, in 1838 the main residence was renovated in the taste of the time, while in 1943 a bomb mistakenly hit the right wing of the Foresteria.

In 1989 Luigino Rossi bought the villa and the Foresteria and began a major restoration. Rossi was the son of Narciso, who had been making shoes under his own name since 1947. The shoe company Rossimoda obtained its first licensing contract with a fashion house, Yves Saint Laurent, in 1963, and from then on it worked with many international designers. The Riviera del Brenta district had a long tradition, already linked to work for Venetian nobles, and in Stra the first mechanised shoe factory in Europe had been founded in 1898.

The museum opened to the public in 1993, after four years of work. In 2003 the LVMH group acquired control of Rossimoda and of the villa, and since 2015 the museum has been independent of the company.

The collection includes about 1,350 women's models on about 700 square metres. On the ground floor are presented the collaborations with English, American and German fashion houses; on the first floor, those with French, Italian and Spanish houses. In the Salone a small collection of antique and ethnic footwear, assembled by Luigino Rossi on his travels, is displayed.

Highlights

• About 1,350 women's shoe models signed by some twenty fashion houses
• Route divided between “Nordici” on the ground floor and “Mediterranei” on the first floor
• Salone with antique and ethnic footwear arranged by continent
• Villa designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi and the frescoed Foresteria
• Tactile map and 3D model of the villa

Permanent exhibition

• Collezione permanente di calzature – About 1,350 women's models created for international fashion houses, divided between “Nordici” (ground floor) and “Mediterranei” (first floor), with a collection of antique and ethnic footwear.

Founded

1993

Admission & discounts

Free admission also for tourist guides, group escorts, journalists and ICOM members. With a single ticket you can visit the Villa Padronale and the Foresteria. Guided tours by reservation are priced according to the number of participants.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

At the Villa Padronale there is one step at the entrance: staff help visitors and, with advance request, a ramp is available. There is no lift, and the first floor can only be reached by stairs. The Foresteria is reached by a ramp and its upper floors have a lift; the equipped toilet on the mezzanine has a baby-changing table. On the ground floor of the villa there are a tactile map and a 3D model of the complex. A guide in AAC (augmentative and alternative communication), with images, easy-read texts and pictograms, is available in print and as PDF. Small animals on a lead are allowed.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Baby changing facilities

Educational workshops for different age groups, guided tours for children, treasure hunts and picnics, including “A spasso con il fantasma”, “La scarpa dei sogni e dei sentimenti” and “Le Maschere Veneziane e della Commedia dell'Arte”. Baby-changing table in the equipped toilet of the Foresteria.

Getting there & parking

By car from the A4 Milan–Venice motorway, Padova Est exit, then State Road 11 Padua–Venice. The villa is at the third traffic light on the left after the Brenta bridge, Vigonza and Stra. Taxi service from Padua: +39 049 651333.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Bookshop. The Foresteria and the garden are available for events.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

The Foresteria is available for private and prestigious events, team building, and photo and film shoots.

Plan your visit