Vicenza is one of Italy’s architectural treasures, showcasing numerous works by Andrea Palladio. It’s a perfect stop between Venice and Verona.
What is Vicenza all about?
Few people have had as great an influence on architecture as Andrea Palladio. His admiration for the symmetry and form of ancient temples inspired great buildings around the globe, whether the façade of Buckingham Palace in London or Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. But the place where it started – home to the greatest concentration of his works – is the small northern Italian city of Vicenza.
Sandwiched between big-hitting Venice and Verona, Vicenza regularly finds itself skipped through on a train. But given the chance, it’s one of those cherished finds. The city centre is small, mostly pedestrianised and delightfully walkable. Palladio’s sumptuous architecture can be taken as a given, but what strikes is how harmonious and elegant it looks as a whole.
A walk through Vicenza’s highlights
Start at the Palladio Museum to delve into the history of a miller’s son who became an agenda-setting, visionary architect. It also gives a good grounding of the principles – often formulated on trips to ancient Roman sites – that went into Palladio’s work.
From there, take on an amble around some of his inner-city buildings, including the Palazzo Capra, Palazzo Thiene and Palazzo Chiericati. The two stars, however, are the Basilica Palladiana and the Teatro Olimpico.
The former was the shopping mall of its day, and shops are still found in the arches of the lower loggia. The first floor, however, is now home to the Museo del Gioiello. This is home to some astonishingly fine examples of the jeweller’s art – the Van Clef functioning zip made from gold and diamonds that can be either necklace or bracelet is particularly ingenious.
The Teatro Olimpico, however, is in a league of its own. It looks like a marble temple, but everything is faked in wood. And the intricately detailed streetscape set behind it, using clever perspective to make it look much bigger than it is, has been in place since the first ever production, staged back in the 16th century.
A short detour for more Palladian architecture
A pleasant couple of kilometres’ walk south of the city centre, La Rotonda is arguably the perfect representation of Palladio’s vision. Totally symmetrical, with four identical facades and a dome topping it off, it’s a design that has been adopted and adapted around the world.
Vicenza tours and experiences
Top tours and experiences in Vicenza include pasta-making classes, wine tours and e-bike tours around the Palladian villas.
Food and drink in Vicenza
For a lunch stop, Il Ceppo on Corso Palladio is a deli right from the top league, as the queues outside will testify. Everything is priced by the kilo, whether roast beef slices, tortelloni or the local cod dish, bacala alla vicentina. Not a single option looks less that drool-provokingly stellar.
Bar Borsa in an arcade-like tunnel that goes through the middle of the Basilica Palladiana, is a jazz joint that manages to be both atmospheric and fun. The piano and old black-and-white photos inside contrast with the tables spread under the arch outside – which are particularly buzzy when it’s raining but people don’t want to give up on the al fresco vibe.
Shopping in Vicenza
The main street – Corso Palladio – is lined with shops; some high street chains, some discerning Italian couture chic. But veer off it for the Cappelleria Palladio on Piazetta Andrea Palladio – a fabulous hat shop of fur, feathers and fascinators that does a roaring trade come Venice Carnival time.
In the Basilica Palladiana, Soprana is a local legend on the jewellery front. Expect High class watches, earrings, necklaces and rings – plus a lovely range inspired by Palladio’s designs.
What to avoid in Vicenza
The Museo Naturalistico Archeologico manages to be dull, even by the standards of Italian archaeological museums. And Italy has no shortage of chronically dull archaeological museums.
Vicenza hotel recommendations
The eight bedroom Relais Santa Corona has large walk-in showers, heated towel rails and a few design touches to add to the cosiness.
Packing in far more flair, however, is the Glam Boutique Hotel, where chess set, piano and chandeliers congregate in the moodily low-lit lobby. Feature walls in the rooms look like either bookshelves or stamp albums, and all the technology is in the right place – handy in a country where plugs by the bed can be infuriatingly absent.
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