Vicenza in a day: Palladio’s city from Montecchio Maggiore

Vicenza is small enough to walk in a day and grand enough to keep you looking up the whole time. From Montecchio Maggiore it is 20 minutes by car or about half an hour by bus. This route covers the highlights at an easy pace.

Getting there

Take a local bus from Montecchio to Vicenza, or drive and park in one of the car parks outside the historic centre. Do not drive into the ZTL limited traffic zone, where cameras record number plates.

Morning: Piazza dei Signori

Start in Piazza dei Signori, Vicenza’s main square, dominated by the Basilica Palladiana. Palladio wrapped the old town hall in two storeys of white stone arches, the project that made his name. Climb to the terrace for views over the rooftops, then look up at the slender Torre Bissara.

Late morning: Corso Palladio

Walk the length of Corso Palladio, the main street, lined with palaces by Palladio and his followers. Stop for a coffee, and look into the courtyards of the palaces along the way.

Early afternoon: the Teatro Olimpico

At the end of the Corso is the Teatro Olimpico, Palladio’s last work, opened in 1585. Its stage set, painted wooden streets that seem to stretch into the distance, has survived for more than four centuries.

Afternoon: Palazzo Chiericati

Across the square, Palazzo Chiericati houses the civic art gallery, with Venetian paintings in a Palladian palace. A combined museum card covers it and the Teatro Olimpico.

Sunset: Monte Berico

Finish on Monte Berico, the hill above the city, with its sanctuary and a terrace looking out over Vicenza to the mountains. From here it is a walk down a lane to Villa La Rotonda.

Tips

• Avoid Mondays: many museums are closed.
• Buy the museum card: it covers several civic museums at a saving.
• Read more: our Vicenza guide and Palladian villas guide.