Editing Vicenza (section)

==Visiting Vicenza==

[[image:Vicenza mappa bronzea.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Detailed map of Vicenza]]
While one day is more than enough to visit the city center, in case you want to see Palladio's villas or the surrounding area you will probably need at least 2-3 days, and a car.
There are two tourist offices ('''APT''') in town: one is in Piazza dei Signori, opposite the Basilica Palladiana; the main one is in piazza Matteotti, just on the right of the entrance of Teatro Olimpico. They provide maps and brochures in different languages, and a lot of information about Vicenza and the whole province.

===Palladio's works===
Vicenza is home to twenty-three buildings designed by Palladio. The famous ones include:

* The ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Capra Villa Capra]'' (also known as "La Rotonda"), located just outside the downtown area;
* The ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_Palladiana Basilica Palladiana]'', centrally located in Vicenza's Piazza dei Signori, of which Palladio himself said that it might stand comparison with any similar work of antiquity;
* The ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teatro_Olimpico Teatro Olimpico]'', designed for the ''Accademia Olimpica''.  Construction had started on this project when Palladio died in 1580. The wooden scenes are by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincenzo_Scamozzi Scamozzi];
*''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Chiericati Palazzo Chiericati]'', home of the Town pinacotheca;
*''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Barbaran_da_Porto Palazzo Barbaran da Porto]'', home of the ''Museo Palladio'';
*''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_del_Capitaniato Palazzo del Capitaniato]'', home of the Town council;
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Porto_in_Piazza_Castello|''Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello'']];
*''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Thiene_Bonin_Longare Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare]'';
*''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Thiene Palazzo Thiene]'';
*''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Gazzotti_Grimani Villa Gazzotti Grimani]'', in the nearby Bertesina.

===Churches===
*The ''cathedral'', dating from early in the 11th century, and restored in the 13th, 16th, and 19th, possesses numerous pictures and sculptures, nearly all of them by Vicentine artists (Cittadello, Celestia, Liberi, Ruschi). 
*The church of ''Araceli'' (1244), by Guarino Guaroini, formerly belonged to the Clarisses, contains statues by Orazio Marinali and Cassetti, and paintings by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiepolo Tiepolo]. 
*The churches of the ''Carmini'' (1372) and ''St. Catherine'' (1292), formerly belonging to the Humiliati, possess notable pictures. 
*''Santa Corona'' (1260) was built by the Dominicans after the death of Ezzelino, and contains pictures by Montagna (''The Magdelene''), Bellini (''Baptism of Christ'') and Veronese. 
*''Santa Croce'' (1179)
*''SS. Felice and Fortunato'' (8th century)
*''SS. Filippo and Giacomo'' (12th century)
*''S. Lorenzo of the Friars Minor'' (1280), in the Gothic style, contains the tombs of many illustrious Vicentines. 
*In the cloister of ''S. Maria of the Servites'' (1319) took place the miracles of St. Philip Benizi de Damiani.

===Secular buildings and others===
*Villa Valmarana "ai Nani", belonging to the Valmarana family and taking its name from the statues of dwarves (''nani'') which decorate its garden wall; frescoes by Tiepolos.
*The ''Torre Bissara'' (clock tower) (1224-1446).
*The ''Biblioteca Civica Bertoliana'', public library founded by Count Giovanni M. Bertolo. 
*''Casa Pigafetta'', house of the historian travelmate of Ferdinando Magellano.
*The ''Pinacoteca Civica'' houses mainly Vicentine paintings in the Palladian [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Chiericati Palazzo Chiericati].
* ''corso Palladio''
* ''piazza Matteotti''
* ''contrà Porti''
* ''ponte degli Angeli''

===Parks===
* ''giardini Salvi''
* ''parco Querini''

===Nearbies===
We strongly recommend visits to nearbies [[Bassano del Grappa]] and Marostica (reachable by car or bus), and to [[Padova]], [[Verona]] and [[Treviso]] (by car, train or bus); [[Venice]] is just an hour away by train.