Things to Do and See in Vicenza

Vicenza and its province have been enriched by one of the greatest architects of the Renaissance, who left such a lasting mark on the city’s urban landscape—including its palaces, villas, and gardens—that in 1994 UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site. Palladio’s works can be seen starting from the historic center of the provincial capital, in Piazza dei Signori, which is dominated by the imposing Basilica Palladiana—for which the great architect designed the double row of porticoes and loggias—and by the magnificent Loggia del Capitano, built of red brick without stucco, which once served as the seat of the Venetian representatives in the city. Also designed by Palladio are Palazzo Chiericati, home to the Art Gallery and the Civic Museum, and the Teatro Olimpico, which is still used today for cultural performances. The artist is also known for his famous Venetian villas, including Villa Almerico Capra, known as “La Rotonda,” whose interior is decorated with splendid frescoes and exquisite stucco work, and Villa Valmarana “ai Nani,” characterized by 17 stone statues of dwarves now arranged along the perimeter wall and rich in brilliant frescoes by Giambattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo, the other great names who contributed to the artistic beauty of Vicenza and its province. Their works can be seen in the art gallery of Palazzo Chiericati, in the Church of St. Stephen, in the Church of Saints Vito, Modesto, and Crescenzia in Noventa Vicentina, and in the famous Villa Cordellina Lombardi in Montecchio Maggiore. In the Vicenza area, we recommend Marostica, where Piazza Castello serves as the backdrop for Italy’s most famous “living chess game”; Bassano del Grappa, famous for its grappa distillation, where the Vicenza mountains begin—the scene of many crucial episodes of World War I; right at the summit of Mount Grappa stands the Ossuary, which houses the remains of 12,615 soldiers who fell during the Great War, most of whom are unknown. The town of Asiago, famous for its eponymous alpine cheese, was also the site of bloody battles during World War I due to its isolated and strategic location.