Vicenza, Italy - Through My Eyes!
Italians are warm, welcoming people who love to relax, celebrate and socialize with family and friends. Celebration and relaxation usually take place around the table either at home or in a restaurant, where they can enjoy the traditions of the Italian cuisine.
Italians have a passion for eating but also for talking
In Italy conversation is an art form. As you walk in the streets or stop at a café in one of the many squares, you will notice Italians of all ages engaged in intense and animated discussions on a wide variety of topics ranging from family, work, politics, gossip, food, wine and sports, especially soccer.
The most world-famous and important cultural event is the Gold Exposition. It takes place in Vicenza three times every year, in January, June, and September.
The city’s exhibition center, Fiera, offers exhibitions and religious festivals, which is also a place of pilgrimage. It is the home of the Basilica di Monte Berico, with its sanctuary dedicated to Mary.
Must see parks in and around Vicenza:
Parco Querini
Giardino Salvi
Oasi degli Stagni di Casale
Villa Fracanzan Piovene
Oasi della Valletta del Silenzio
Civic Museums (Museo Civico)
Housed in Palladio’s Palazzo Chiericati, the Museo Civico’s substantial collection includes Montagna’s Madonna Enthroned, a Memling Crucifixion, Tintoretto’s Miracle of St. Augustine, Van Dyck’s Le Tre Eta Dell’Uomo (The Three Ages of Man), Veneto’s Ritratto Virile, and the works by Veronese.
Palladian Villas
Some of the most famous Palladian villas lie within a scenic 30-minute walk from Vicenza.
Piazza dei Signori
This is the city center where Palladio’s imposing Basilica stands, his first public project, a classical remodeling of a Gothic courthouse. On the same square, stands Palladio’s stately Loggia del Capitaniato, now the town hall.
Olympic Theater (Teatro Olimpico)
This is Palladio’s theatrical last work, begun in the year of his death and completed by his successor, Scamozzi, it lays claim to being the world’s oldest surviving indoor theatre. A testament to Renaissance architecture, its design was based on Palladio’s study of Roman structures. If you walk into the theater you will find a mesmerizing street scene carved into the very foundations of the stage. This miniature city is modeled on the ancient Greek City of Thebes. The theater opened in 1585 and was restored in 1934. In the summer, it is alive with dramas and comedies.
Villa Rotonda
Begun in 1550, Villa Rotonda is one of the most harmonious architectural achievements of the 16th century. Its geometrical precision and symmetrical alignment with the cardinal points produced a serene and majestic configuration. It became a model for buildings in France, England, and the United States, most notably Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
Veneto area is very popular to serve grilled meat (often by a barbecue, and in a mix of pork, beef and chicken meat) together with grilled polenta, potatoes or vegetables.
Other popular dishes include risotto, rice cooked with many different kinds of food, from vegetables, mushrooms, pumpkin or radicchio to seafood, pork meat or chicken livers.
Bigoli (a typical Venetian fresh pasta, similar to Udon), fettuccine (hand-made noodles), ravioli and the similar tortelli (filled with meat, cheese, vegetables or pumpkin) and gnocchi (potatoes-made fresh pasta), are fresh and often hand-made pasta dishes (made of eggs and wheat flour), served together with meat sauce (ragù) often made with duck meat, sometimes together with mushrooms or peas, or simply with melted butter.
Caserma Ederle is a post in Vicenza, Italy where the U.S. Army has troops stationed. The Vicenza Military Community is composed of soldiers, family members, civilians and retirees with a small number of airmen and sailors also stationed there.
