Vicenza Local Customs

Vicenza is very beautiful town, full of magnificent buildings designed by Andrea Palladio. This lovely couple of twins, however, are the most beautiful scene I have seen in Vicenza. They were infinitely cute and I just couldn't resist not to take this picture.

One of the local customs in Vicenza appeared to be taking a walk through the town center or one of the parks after mass on Sunday. You would see people of all ages dressed in their sunday best - walking.

I have visited Vicenza for the first time at the end of the year, before Christmas, and I still remember the wonderful evening walk in Piazza dei Signori decorated with colorful lights and full of peddlers selling all kind of things.

I wanted to buy the famous novel "I promessi sposi" from one of the book sellers (I was studing Italian at that time) and although I didn't do it, I'm still associating the book I received later as gift with the books market in Vicenza.

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This fest occurs in late October at the end of the harvest. Those chestnuts are just wonderful, hot and fragrant. You will see a pic of the castagna cracker. It is used to keep the chestnuts from exploding in the fire.

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Visit Vicenza, there is a lot more than Palladio. The restaurants serve a lot more authentic Veneto cuisine than those in Veince and the food is much less expensive. Vicenza is a rather quiet town most of the time but we do have our moments!!

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The magnificient Gothic Palazzo da Schio, also known as Ca d'oro, is located in the main street of Vicenza, Corso Palladio.
Built aroun 1400 it was almost completely destroyed by bombing during 1944, and was rebuilt in 1950.
The building has a double row of balustrades, quadrifore windows and is delightfully symmetrical. The doorway by Lorenzo da Bologna is Reneissance in style. Up to the last century the facade was covered by frescoes on a gold background.
The courtyard has a number of stone tablets and Roman inscriptions collected last century by Conte Giovanni da Schio.
The palace is situated in Corso A. Palladio, which is the central street in the old core of the town.

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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.

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Palazzo Chiericati was comissioned by Girolamo Chiericati and built by Palladio in 1550. Palladio took the advantage of the space available, building a large entrance on the ground floor and open lodges on the first floor. However, Palladio did not live to finish the building, and it is believed it was terminated by Carlo Borella.
The Palazzo Chiericati houses the Civic Museum since 1855. It is situated on Piazza Matteotti, right next to the Teatro Olimpico.