Images of Vicenza

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Let's face it, it's not nearly as much fun going round with your head in a book.
Our guides are experts at bringing periods and places to life, they give you an insider's point of view, meaning you take home an experience, not just words on a page.
Cecilia Masaracchia is Tour-Vicenza's main guide, she is an Official Tour Guide for Vicenza and the Veneto Villas Cecilia Masaracchia is Tour-Vicenza's main guide, she has over ten years experience in the field and is an Official Tour Guide for Vicenza and the Veneto Villas, selected and accredited by the provincial authorities.

Along with nearby Venice, Vicenza is the most important architectural heritage site in Northern Italy, and no trip to Venice, or the Veneto region, is complete without it.

From the UNESCO to modern-day travel resources such as the New York Times Travel or the UK's Daily Telegraph, to the famous travelers of yesterday such as Goethe (1749-1832, Germany's most famous author), to name but a few...

...Throughout the ages the the most wide-ranging and authoritative sources have confirmed Vicenza, as a pivotal destination in any Italian journey:

"These buildings have reverberated around the world...If you want to drink at one of the fountains of Western architecture, then a visit to Vicenza is a must"

The Daily Telegraph Travel (UK)

In awarding the entire city a prestigious listing, the United Nations' world heritage organisation, UNESCO, recognised that there was just no way of restricting it to any one site.

Mainly on account of architect Andrea Palladio's (1508-1580), all-pervasive contribution, the entire historic centre forms a unique jewel, a veritable treasure trove of renaissance beauty:

"The message of Palladio has been carried from Vicenza around the world to become a paradigm for excellence"

UNESCO evaluation document

The UNESCO's findings echo very closely, those of a very distinguished traveler of some two hundred years earlier. When Johann Wolfgang Goethe visited Vicenza in 1786 he was uniquely struck by the town, so much so that he considered it second only to Rome.

" Only by experiencing these buildings can one appreciate their value, because they fill the eye with their true greatness and presence, and satisfy the spirit with the beautiful harmony of their dimensions."

J. W. Goethe on Vicenza

Best known reasons why Vicenza is a destination that you cannot afford to miss when visiting Northern Italy or Venice.

  • Vicenza's Olympian Theatre is the vital connection between all Western covered theatres and those of the ancient world. Or, in the words of the Telegraph's travel writer, "The Teatro Olimpico is one of the cultural wonders of the world, and justifies a visit to Vicenza on its own. Plays and concerts are still performed here, making it the oldest functional indoor theatre in the world".
  • As Palladio’s workshop, only Vicenza gives the insight needed to appreciate the far fewer Palladian buildings in Venice such as Il Redentore. From the Basilica Palladiana, to the Palazzo Chiericati, in Vicenza Palladio was able to develop a completely synergic and harmonious concept throughout the town centre, if you like what you see in Venice, just wait to you see what Palladio achieved in his hometown.
  • Vicenza's La Rotonda is often acknowledged as the most influential and representative model of Palladian neoclassical architecture which forms the basis of all European and New World interpretations. From Chiswick House (Chiswick, England) to the Irish Houses of Parliament (Dublin, Ireland) to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello (Monticello, USA)
  • Aside from the critical cultural aspects, Vicenza is a long time world centre of excellence for goldsmithing and the working of other precious metals, as well as one of the largest European centres of gold importation, if you have an interest in fine jewellery, you can also find unique items at excellent prices
  • In Vicenza one can still sample food and wine to the high standards that the local Italians expect and insist upon, and with no associated high price tag. This is sadly no longer true of other destinations such as Venice, which have largely succumbed to the ravages of mass-tourism. The outstanding culinary and wine traditions of the province have earned praise from Europe's most distinguished food critics.

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