Corso Andrea Palladio
by Sjalen
To me, the most cheerful part of Vicenza as it ought to be since it is the main road in the centre. Here you find shops and amongst other things a good cafe which I unfortunately cannot remeber the name of but it had an outdoor terrace and the interior is sort of green-ish. Here I really recommend that you raise your head and admire the great houses all around you. It doesn't say what half of them are called, that's how many they are. Coming from the station, this is when you begin to realise what Vicenza is about. Architecture.
There in spirit and in statue
by iandsmith
Yes, there he was, in the surprisingly-named Piazza Palladio, adjacent to one of his larger works, the two storied "Basilica", built over the old Palazzo della Ragione.
Its main frontage is on the Piazza dei Signori but it's nice to see he was remembered somewhere.
This building was Palladio's first public commission and dates from 1549.
The Palazzo Chiericati is a rectangular building enfronting a piazza. Designed as a house for an important Vincenza citizen, it makes a very public front to the square with open loggias on both the ground floor and the piano nobile. The first floor loggia, raised five feet above the piazza, runs the entire length of the facade in eleven bays. The central five bays project slightly and are separated from the side bays by columns. Clusters of four columns at each corner of this projection support the main room of the piano nobile, which projects to the facade, making two loggias, one on each of its sides, at this level. In contrast to the front, the ends of the loggias at the sides of the palazzo are walled, with arched openings flanked by pilasters. Doric and ionic capitals, entablatures with metopes of disks alternating with bulls' heads, and deep coffered ceilings richly ornament the loggias. The figures and urns above the cornice were added in the seventeenth century.
The main entrance is centered in the ground floor and leads to a rectangular room which links to minor rooms symmetrically arranged at each side. These rooms shift in proportion from rectangle to square to rectangle and diminish in size. Directly behind the central entrance room, a vestibule, off of which stairs on each side lead to the piano nobile, opens to the rectangular courtyard in the back.
The Creator's Words
"This fabric has in the part below a loggia forwards, that takes in the whole front: the pavement of the first order rises above ground five foot; which has been done not only to put the cellars and other places underneath, that belong to the conveniency of the house, which would not have succeeded if they had been made entirely under ground, because the river is not far from it; but also that the order above might the better enjoy the beautiful situation forwards. The larger have rooms the height of their vaults, according to the first method for the height of vaults: the middle-sized are with groined vaults, and their vaults as high as those of the larger. The small rooms are also vaulted, and are divided off. All these vaults are adorned with most excellent compartments of stucco . . . and paintings. . . . The hall is above in the middle of the front, and takes up the middle part of the loggia below. Its height is up to the roof; and because it projects forward a little, it has under the angles double columns. From one part to the other of this hall, there are two loggia's, that is, on each side one; which have their soffites or ceiling adorned with very beautiful pictures, and afford a most agreeable sight. The first order of the front is Dorick, and the second Ionick." He's on the extreme right of the pic. If you blow the photo up Palladio's statue becomes immediately apparent.
Duomo
by iandsmith
Looking down the Contra Cesare Battisti or Contra Muscheria you can't help but notice the main church. I couldn't help but notice also the peace flags that, to me, formed a double contrast inasmuch as what happened to the church in relatively recent times.
Though severly damaged in bombing raids during World War II it has been restored and looks positively modern. Only the choir and facade escaped any damage.
Casa Pigafetta
by croisbeauty
Casa Pigafetta (Pigafetta house) is another pre-Palladian rarity of Vicenza. Built in 1481 (the date is on the side of the doorway) this beautiful building combines Renaissance and late-Gothic style. It was was designed by Stefano da Ravenna and is unique in the whole of Veneto.
The house is situated in Via Pigafetta, just a foot from Basilica Palladiana.
Palazzo Colleoni-Porto
by Diana75
Dating from the end 1300, Palazzo Porto-Colleoni is one of the most beautiful gothic palaces in Vicenza.
With a superb facade and decorated windows, the palace's loggia opens in the garden with elegant columns and arches.
Address: Contra' Porti, 19 - 36100 - Vicenza (VI)
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Even the entry is special
Harbor view
Walkway along the lake
Information of Vicneza frescoes
