Abstract The Venetian Villas are an historic body of 3782 buildings in Veneto and Friuli from the XVI century to the XVIII century. UNESCO has certified 24 villas of Andrea Palladio as World Heritage Sites. The Regional Institute for the protection of these sites has launched a competition to find innovative technological solutions that contribute to the energy needs of the villas without interfering with the architectural and landscape quality of the same. The paper illustrates the technological solution that won the competition. The possibility of powering the historical Venetian Villas with renewable energy sources is explored. The realization of submerged PV plants integrated with existing water basin is suggested as the best solution. Energy yield is adequate and landscape quality is conserved. Technical details and architectural layouts are discussed.