VICENZA: (situated ca. one
hour by car from here) the city of Palladio, city
par excellence, not only for having taken him in
warmly as a young man when he left his native Padova,
and giving him the necessary tools and training
which enabled him to become the century's greatest
architect, but also for having remained faithful
to the ideals which he had introduced, even generations
later. Vicenza has chosen to remain Palladian in
spirit despite the temptations of other models and
fashions; in this it has shown itself to be truly
coherent right up to the present day. Naturally
there is also a pre-Palladian Vicenza, visitable
in Roman and medieval monuments.
You will admire: - Basilica dei SS. Felice e Fortunato:
the oldest part of it dates back to the fourth century.
Other bits were then added in the fifth century
the Martirion and the Battistero were built. Its
present appearance is mainly due to structural work
carried out in the tenth and twelfth centuries.
- S. Lorenzo church: a
large Franciscan church built towards the end of
the thirteenth century. Its doorway is decorated
with fourteenth century carvings, and inside there
are numerous large altars. - S. Corona church: it
is Dominican and contains prestigious works of art
such as the "Battesimo di Cristo" by Giovanni
Bellini and the "Adorazione dei Magi"
by Paolo Veronese. The presbytery was designed by
Lorenzo da Bologna in a clearly fifteenth century
style: he did much to introduce new Renaissance
forms into Padova as well as Vicenza. - Cathedral: Lorenzo da
Bologna also worked on the cathedral which was rebuilt
a number of times on the site of a primitive paleochristian
church. Its facade still bears traces of Gothic
influences and it can boast of a large polyptych
by Lorenzo Veneziano. - Porto Festa, Thiene, Chiericati's
Palaces: in the middle of the sixteenth
century Palladio had established his reputation
and the nobility of the city received him with great
honors. Palazzo Porto Festa, Palazzo Thiene and
Palazzo Chiericati were built more or less contemporaneously
although each of them gives the impression of being
the model of a different set of architectural values.
- Olimpico Theatre: Vicenza
conserves this theatre, which houses the first permanent
company in Italy, with great pride. It is called
the Olimpico after the academy that commissioned
it and to which Palladio also belonged. It is designed
in imitation of a typical theatre of ancient times
and symbolizes thereby the admiration for all classical
things, typical of this period. Its cornices, statues,
forms and illusions, bring us into a world of incredibly
fine harmony, unmatched elsewhere. - Villa La Rotonda: this
is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking
of Vicenza. It stands just outside the town, on
the so-called Riviera Berica, set apart on a ridge,
though clearly visible despite this - on a low and
hilly rise which looks out over a wide view. The
Rotonda raises high its limpid lines - embodiment
of the ideals of humanism - and extends its four
arches towards the horizon as though the universe
should unite with it, and revolve around its dome.
- Villa Valmarana: it's
costumary on leaving La Rotonda to take the path
from there to the nearby villa of Valmarana, better
known as the "Villa of the dwarves" on
account of the statues which adorn the low garden
walls. To be precise, the villa is made up of two
constructions, the villa itself and the rooms used
to house guests. They were apparently built at different
times, though fairly close together, by Antonio
Muttoni and his son Francesco. In 1756 both the
villa and the guest-rooms were decoreted by Tiepolo,
Gianbattista and Giandomenico with help from their
assistants.
Dans la province
de Vicenza:
Lonedo: it houses
the palladian Villa Godi
Poiana: Villa Poiana
Finale: Villa Saraceno
Caldogno: Villa Caldogno
Bagnolo: Villa Pisani
Quinto: Villa Thiene
Trissino: Villa
Trissino with one of the most beautiful gardens
dating back to 1700
Lonigo: Villa Rocca
Pisana. There is no other villa which can compare
with this one either in or out of the region. It
was built in 1578 by Vincenzo Scamozzi. Like the
Palladian Rotonda, it makes the building seem even
more remote, and it therefore commands an unlimited
view.
MAROSTICAit is surrounded by
the walls built in the fourteenth century when it
was under Della Scala domination. Each year in September
Marostica is the site of an unusual game of chess,
its players dressed in fifteenth century costume.
The game marks the unusual decision by the lord
of the castle to give his daughter's hand in marriage
away to whichever of her two determined suitors
should win, rather than letting them fight a duel
over her.
