Half Day Tour to Vicenza
Description
DEPARTURE FROM PADUA OR ABANO / MONTEGROTTO TERME Vicenza's golden age began in 1540, when the Venetian aristocracy decided to reorganise the city and its countryside and called Andrea di Pietro della Gondola, known as Palladio, one of the greatest architects of the time, for the arduous task. ‘The city of Vicenza and Palladio's villas in the Veneto region’ have thus been nominated a UNESCO Site for a total of 23 palaces in Vicenza and 24 villas in the surrounding area. The tour will start from the central Piazza dei Signori with its elegant monuments and we will have a stroll around the city, including Corso Palladio the main street of the city. It will not miss the visit to the Basilica Palladiana, a masterpiece by Andrea Palladio (in case of closure we will visit the Church of Santa Corona). Finally we will visit the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monte Berico, and from the square in front you can admire a fantastic view of the city of Vicenza.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The origins of the Sanctuary of Monte Berico are linked to two apparitions of the Madonna to Vincenza Pasini, a woman bringing food to her husband who was working on the hill: the first on 7 March 1426, the second on 1 August 1428. Our Lady promised an end to the plague and asked that a church be dedicated to her in that place. So in 1428, within a few months, the first late Gothic church and a small cenoby were built to house a religious community dedicated to welcoming pilgrims.
The Basilica Palladiana, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, is the symbol of the city of Vicenza. The beating heart of Vicenza's political and economic activity, in medieval times the Palazzo della Ragione appeared as a Gothic building, characterised by an enormous hall on the upper floor and animated on the ground floor by an active group of workshops. Following the collapse of the 15th-century loggias designed by Tommaso Formenton, in the 16th century the City Council discussed the renovation of the building: the great names of architecture of the time were involved, from Giulio Romano to Sebastiano Serlio, from Jacopo Sansovino to Michele Sanmicheli. In spite of such illustrious opinions, in March 1546, the Council approved the design of a local architect of only thirty-eight years of age, who was decidedly little known at the time: Andrea Palladio.
Walking tour of the city of Vicenza
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Transfer by minivan from your accommodation included. Schedules in the booking are approximate and are subject to slight variations. The agency will contact you a few days before the tour to confirm the meeting or pick-up time. You must provide a valid contact (phone number with Whatsapp or email).
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(5)
We absolutely loved this charming city and our guide! Since my partner and I were the only ones booked on this tour, we had the luxury of enjoying the attention most guests would only have experienced on a private one. Nico treated us like friends and customized our experience like only a local could. He took the time to learn our interests and emphasized aspects of our tour he knew we’d enjoy. Nico took a bit of extra time to enjoy lunch with us and the restaurant he recommended turned out to be a real treat. In the middle of our day we realized Nico would be our guide on the following day as well, and we were all delighted, but that tour review will come a bit later.
Thank you so much for the wonderful words you have chosen to say about our tour leader, Nico, and the quality of the service provided. We are delighted to hear that you had such a wonderful time and would be honored to have you join us on future adventures. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Pleasant experience with Lovivo tour. Afternoon visit to the historic center with entrance to the Palladian Basilica and visit to the Sanctuary in a panoramic position. Excellent transport service and pleasant meeting with Nicola , guide and excellent escort.
Grazie mille per aver scelto Lo Vivo per questa esperienza e per le belle parole che avete speso per noi. Doveste decidere di tornare, saremo felici di riavervi con noi per altre avventure.
Wonderful experience, Nicola our escort very prepared, kind and attentive. It was a very nice day full of pleasant discoveries.
Thanks a lot to choose us and for the nice words you took the time to share with us. Hope to have you back for some other new experiences if you ever gonna come over here again. Thank you so much.
So much to see in Vicenza. Niko did a superb job of blending history and anecdotes about this delightful city.
Hi Ellen and thank you so much for your nice words. We are really happy to know you had such a great time and you enjoyed our Vicenza Tour. We hope to have you back in the future. Thanks a lot.
To have a very knowledgeable tour guide, who spoke English and German, which was extremely helpful for questions that came up. I also appreciated her punctuality, which is rare in Italy
Hello Mrs Ute, Thank you it was a great pleasure to take you to Vicenza along the Palladio buildings. Thank you and see you soon, Team Lovivo Tour Experience
