Though I have already posted seven posts featuring Vicenza, Italy, I could not help sharing a few other peeks with you in the gallery below. The pics at the bottom of the post are my less favourite as I think they don’t do it justice, but I am sure they will tickle your imagination and leave you wondering, unless of course you have been lucky enough to visit the place yourselves.

The first night I came to Vicenza I was mesmerised by its magic and took a walk through its breathtaking historical centre to Piazza dei Signori with gorgeous Basilica Palladiana. Its remarkable Renaissance architecture owes its design to  great Andrea Palladio, one of the most influential architects in Western architecture whose works have “been valued for centuries as the quintessence of High Renaissance calm and harmony” (Watkin, D., A History of Western Architecture).

Vicenza revealed its glowing beauty on that not so crowded Monday night. Having to compete with very few tourists and passers-by I felt welcome and could not pass on the opportunity to take a pic at every corner. Beautifully lit and intriguing were its doors and niches, and I realised that a day and a half visit that I had planned was a serious miscalculation.

The following day took me to Monte Berico and a hazy sky over the city left me with a dull panoramic image, but on the same hill I found this treasure that you might have seen before 🙂  

On my way down from Monte Berico I stopped by one of Palladian villas, La Rotonda (see the gallery at the bottom of the post) and that very afternoon the place I made sure not to miss was Teatro Olimpico, the most famous of the three still existing Italian Renaissance theatres. Remember its ceililng?

Teatro Olimpico

The list of Palladio’s designs is so extensive that I am not sure I could memorise and much less visit all the heritage he left behind that spreads through the entire Veneto region. A few summers back I was lucky to spend a few hours at Bassano del Grappa where I found a bridge built according to his design.

Being a well of inspiration Vicenza has also appeared in other few “anonymous” shots on my blog and it is possible that it will appear again, but this is the last virtual tour I am taking through this marvel of a town. Its classification among UNESCO World Heritage Sites is undoubtedly a well deserved one.

I hope that Jo will join me for this stroll starting from Monte Berico showing a panoramic view of the town, with a stop by La Rotonda (supposedly the most famous of Palladian villas), then a decent back to the town’s centre to Piazza dei Signori for the last glimpse of Basilica Palladiana, and a walk to the town’s cathedral Duomo Santa Maria Annunciata followed by a dinner in a cosy restaurant facing its north portal.

I applogize for reposting the photos in the above paragraphs. Here follow some that you could not see on this blog before 🙂

A panoramic view of Vicenza as seen from Monte Berico

Villa La Rotonda designed by famous Andrea Palladio

Famous Basilica Palladiana from an odd angle

Vicenza Cathedral (16th cent.) for which Palladio designed the cupola and the north portal.