Last updated on .
The beautiful city of Vicenza, located in northern Italy, is culturally and architecturally rich, making it a wonderful place to spend a few days.
History
Vicenza was settled as Vicentia in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. After the decline of the Roman Empire, the city was sacked and changed hands several times. Among the rulers were the Ostrogoths, Byzantines, Lombards, and Franks. The Venetians took over in 1404 and ruled until 1797 when Napoleon rolled into town. The Austrians ruled from 1814 until Vicenza united with the rest of Italy in 1866.
Architecture
Vicenza is an important city for architecture. It’s known as the “City of Palladio” thanks to having 23 buildings designed by Andrea Palladio. The city and all of Palladio’s buildings have been named a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Getting There
We arrived in Vicenza on a train from Verona, which took about 45 minutes. The railway station, which opened in 1846, offers direct service to cities such as Venice, Milan, Padua, Turin, Treviso, and Udine. The bus terminal is attached to the train station.
Biglietto Unico
With a Biglietto Unico, you can visit 12 different attractions. It costs €20 for adults, €15 for students aged 18-25, and free for children up to 17 (as of August 2024). It’s a significant savings compared to what you would pay for individual visits. Included on the ticket, which is good for seven days, is the Olympic Theatre, Civic Art Gallery at Palazzo Chiericati, Galleries of Italy at Palazzo Leoni Montanari, Church of Santa Corona, and the Palladio Museum, among others.
Hotel Campo Marzio
We stayed at Hotel Campo Marzio, a four star hotel just outside the historic city center and a short walk from the train station. The location was excellent and the staff was wonderful.
We decided to splurge a bit and got a deluxe double room, which was very spacious. It had the most comfortable bed on our entire trip through Italy.
The bathroom was big and had a nice tub, but the mood lighting was a little interesting to say the least.
Food
Vicenza has a good selection of restaurants and a distinct local cuisine. Read about the places we tried here.
