4 Best Sights in Vicenza, The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

At the heart of Vicenza, Piazza dei Signori contains the Palazzo della Ragione (1549), the project with which Palladio made his name by successfully modernizing a medieval building, grafting a graceful two-story exterior loggia onto the existing Gothic structure. Commonly known as Basilica Palladiana, the palazzo served as a courthouse and public meeting hall (the original Roman meaning of the term "basilica"). Walk around the loggia for grandstand views of the piazza, and the cavernous salon which hosts wonderful art exhibitions. Take a look also at the Loggia del Capitaniato, opposite, which Palladio designed but never completed.

Palladio's last, perhaps most spectacular work was begun in 1580 and completed in 1585, after his death, by Vincenzo Scamozzi (1552–1616). Based closely on the model of ancient Roman theaters, it represents an important development in theater and stage design and is noteworthy for its acoustics and the cunning use of perspective in Scamozzi's permanent backdrop. The anterooms are frescoed with images of important figures in Venetian history. One of the few Renaissance theaters still standing, it can be visited (with guided tours) during the day and is used for concerts, operas, and other performances.

Commissioned in 1556 as a suburban residence for Paolo Almerico, this beautiful Palladian is the purest expression of Palladio's architectural theory and aesthetic. More a villa-temple than a residence, it contradicts the rational utilitarianism of Renaissance architecture and demonstrates the priority Palladio gave to the architectural symbolism of celestial harmony over practical considerations. A visit to view the interior can be difficult to schedule—the villa remains privately owned, and visiting hours are limited to the weekend—but this is a worthwhile stop, if only to see how Palladio's harmonious arrangement of smallish interconnected rooms around a central domed space paid little attention to the practicalities of living. The interior decoration, mainly later baroque stuccowork, contains some allegorical frescoes in the cupola by Palladio's contemporary, Alessandro Maganza.

Even without a peek inside, experiencing the exterior and the grounds, including the newly restored 19th century woodland Boschetto Romantico, is a must for any visit to Vicenza. The villa is a 20-minute walk from town or a cab (€15) or bus ride (No. 8) from Vicenza's Piazza Roma. Private tours are by appointment; see the website for the latest visiting details.

Inside this 17th- to 18th-century country house, named for the statues of dwarfs adorning the garden, is a series of frescoes executed in 1757 by Gianbattista Tiepolo depicting scenes from classical mythology, the Iliad, Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, and Ariosto's Orlando furioso (The Frenzy of Orlando). They include his Sacrifice of Iphigenia, a major masterpiece of 18th-century painting. The neighboring foresteria (guesthouse) is also part of the museum; it contains frescoes showing 18th-century life at its most charming and scenes of chinoiserie popular in the 18th century, by Tiepolo's son Giandomenico (1727–1804). The garden dwarfs are probably taken from designs by Giandomenico. You can reach the villa on foot by following the same path that leads to Palladio's Villa La Rotonda.