Vicenza Private Walking Tour: Renaissance Architecture & Historic Gems

Highlights

• Renaissance Architecture
• Key Historic Sites
• Exclusive Private Tour

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Torre Bissara

   10min

   The tour starts at the western entrance of the Old Town, the 12th-century Castle Tower. Walking through the gate at the foot of the crenelated tower gives you an idea of how incredibly thick the 14th-century defensive city walls of Vicenza would be.

2. 2

   Villa La Rotonda by Andrea Palladio - World Heritage Site

   15min

   The portal opens to the charming street of Andrea Palladio Course, named after the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, one of the world’s most influential architects who left behind the UNESCO ensemble of "City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto". Elegant boutiques nestling under antique porticoes alternating with medieval buildings elevate window shopping on the street to an art and a journey through time.

3. 3

   Stop 3

   20min

   At its eastern end stands the 16th-century Chiericati Palace, an early milestone in Palladio’s career which boasts a magnificent loggia which, together with those of his other works, gave the architect a well-established trademark.

4. 4

   Stop 4

   Pass by

   Proceed to marvel at the Olympic Theatre nearby, the first permanent indoor theatre in Europe, and its beautiful landscaped garden. The final work by Palladio is now one of the only three Renaissance theatres in Italy.

5. 5

   Piazza Dei Signori

   10min

   The next destination of the tour is Lords' Square. The atmospheric square home to the most emblematic historic monuments of the city is the favorite hangout for tourists and locals alike with numerous delightful cafés and restaurants dotted around.

6. 6

   Stop 6

   20min

   The highlight of all is Palladio Basilica, dominating the charming square with its magnificent loggia in the characteristic “Palladian window” style. The striking Renaissance building was the seat of government despite its name which actually came from Palladio’s idea of remodeling the originally Gothic palace on a Roman basilica.

7. 7

   Torre Bissara

   15min

   Right next to the white palace is Bissara Tower, one of the tallest bell towers in Italy. For centuries, the 12th-century clock on the table has read time for the whole city with its lovely melody.

8. 8

   Stop 8

   15min

   Across the square stands another great work of Palladio, Loggia of the Captain. The exquisite carvings that celebrate the victory of Venice in the Battle of Lepanto on the façade of the striking reddish structure make it stand out beside the opposite white palace and offer a testimony to the indelible influence of the Venetian Republic in Vicenza in the Middle Ages.

Before you go

Location