Basilica Palladiana

Vicenza, Italy

The Basilica Palladiana is a Renaissance building in the central Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza. The most notable feature of the edifice is the loggia, which shows one of the first examples of what have come to be known as the Palladian window, designed by a young Andrea Palladio, whose work in architecture was to have a significant effect on the field during the Renaissance and later periods.

The building was originally constructed in the 15th century and was known as the Palazzo della Ragione. The building, which was in the Gothic style, served as the seat of government and also housed a number of shops on the ground floor. The 82-metre tall tower Torre della Bissara precedes this structure, as it is known from as early as 1172; however, its height was increased on this occasion, and its pinnacle was finished in 1444. The 15th-century edifice had an upside-down cover, partly supported by large archivolts, inspired by the one built in 1306 for the eponymous building of Padua. The Gothic façade was in red and gialletto marble of Verona, and is still visible behind the Palladio addition.

A double order of columns was built by Tommaso Formenton in 1481-1494 to surround the palace. However, two years after its completion, the south-western corner collapsed. In the following decades, the Vicentine government called in architects to propose a reconstruction plan. However, in 1546 the Council of One Hundred chose a young local architect, Palladio, to reconstruct the building starting from April 1549. Palladio added a new outer shell of marble classical forms, a loggia and a portico that now obscure the original Gothic architecture. He also dubbed the building a basilica, after the ancient Roman civil structures of that name.

In 1614, thirty years after Palladio's death, the building was completed, with the finishing of the main façade on Piazza delle Erbe.

Since 1994 the Basilica has been protected as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site also including the other Palladian buildings of Vicenza. The building now often hosts exhibitions in its large hall used for civic events.

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Details

Founded: 15th century
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Italy

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Ermanno Quaggiotto (51 days ago)
Too much 6€ for what is offered, while I don’t argue the beauty and the architectural importance of it, it should be free for everyone to enjoy
M N (3 months ago)
Be aware that the art exhibitions inside are temporary and are not big at all. Only one large room inside. I expected to see more.
Ahmet Ihsan Kaya (9 months ago)
Nice, plain architecture with a beautiful terrace looking over the main square of the city. It's a shame that you have to get an additional ticket for different exhibitions to see the inside of the building.
Jill Stainforth (14 months ago)
Tickets for all city museums are sold here. Not at those museums. Go to those museums and you won’t be able to enter without first making your way to the Basilica to buy your ticket. It’s ridiculous. And there are no convenient taxi stands in the centre. Nor is there a tourist information kiosk at the train station. Vicenza is truly the capital of stupid.
Kristýna Vacardová (2 years ago)
Honestly, the basilica was disappointing for me. I expected a large and beautiful building, and instead I just got a weird exhibition space that could easily be mistaken for anything else. Plus, the orientation around the building was super confusing - definitely a few pointers would come in handy. On the other hand, the terasse you can just sit down and chill at and look over the town centre is super stunning and kind of makes up for it.
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