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There are some interesting things to see while walking through the historic city center of Vicenza, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This entry covers the things we saw other than Piazza dei Signori, architectural works by Palladio, and other lesser-known palazzos.
Campo Marzo
We started exploring Vicenza at Campo Marzo, a large park just outside of the historic city center. In ancient times it was used as a burial ground. In the Middle Ages, public executions and markets were held there. During French and Austrian rule, it was used as a parade ground. The park has had several other uses as well.
Porta Castello
Next, we walked past the Porta Castello, which is one of the gates to the city. The Torrione de Porta Castello is a medieval tower on the gate that dates back to the 12th century.
Piazza del Castello
On the other side of the gate is Piazza del Castello, which is surrounded by some interesting buildings and has a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) in the center.
Salvi Gardens
Just outside the city center from Porta del Castello is an arch built in 1608 by architect Otavio Bruto Revese. It leads to the Salvi Gardens (Giardini Salvi), which were planted in 1592. The Loggia Valmarana, built by Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), is located in the garden.
Church of San Lorenzo
From the garden, we walked to the Church of San Lorenzo (Chiesa di San Lorenzo), which built between 1280 and 1300. A monument to Italian poet Giacomo Zanella (1820-1888) stands in the square out front. Unfortunately the church was closed as we walked by.
Corso Palladio
Next, we made our way to Corso Andrea Palladio, a pedestrianized street full of shops and historic buildings.
Two churches sit on the street. The Church of San Marcello in San Filippo Neri (Chiesa di San Marcello in San Filippo Neri), built between 1730 and 1832, sits near the western end of the street. Near the eastern end of the street is the Church of San Gaetano (Chiesa di San Gaetano), built between 1721 and 1730. Both churches were closed when we walked by.
Piazza Duomo
From there, we walked to the Piazza Duomo, where the city’s cathedral is located. Also on the square is the Roman Cryptoportico (Criptoportico Romano), a covered passageway dating back to the late 1st century BC. It was discovered in 1954. Unfortunately it was closed on the day we visited.
Natural History and Archaeological Museum
After visiting the Church of Santa Corona, we walked past the Natural History and Archaeological Museum (Museo Naturalistico Archeologico), which is housed in the cloister of the church. Adult admission is €3 (as of August 2024) or free with a Biglietto Unico. It’s open daily except Mondays. We didn’t visit.
Palazzo Leoni Montanari
On the next block is the Palazzo Leoni Montanari, a palace built in 1678. It now houses a branch of the Galleries of Italy (Gallerie d’italia). Admission is €5 for adults, €3 for visitors over 65, and free for visitors under 18 or holders of a Biglietto Unico (as of August 2024). It’s open daily except Mondays from 10am to 6pm. Inside is a collection of paintings, ancient pottery, and Russian icons. It looked interesting but we decided not to visit.
Piazza Matteotti
Next we walked to Piazza Matteotti to visit the Olympic Theatre and see Palazzo Chiericati, both works of Palladio. It’s a nice square with a statue of Italian economist Fedele Lampertico (1833-1906) near the entrance to the theatre.
Retrone River
Finally, after seeking out some more of Palladio’s buildings, we walked along the Retrone River. We got a glimpse of the historic San Michele Bridge (Ponte San Michele) as well as some nice views of the city.
