Cosa vedere a Vicenza

It is hard sometimes to see the building for what it is, especially for American and British tourists, because it has been copied so many times and inspired other great buildings all over the world. As harmonious as the exterior is, the interior is also breathtaking, being completely frescoed with tromp l'oeil scenes from the villa's ideal everyday life. The grounds are open on Tuesdays to Sundays, 1000-1200 and 1500-1800. the interior is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The entire villa is closed from November to February. The best time to visit is in late Spring, when the surrounding hills are covered with fiery-red poppies. Even if the villa is closed, it is often enough just to admire the villa from the gate and from the road, the way it is intended to be seen by non-residents.

An apparition was purported to have occurred here, and every 8 September flocks of devotees walk from the base of the hill up to the church. The walk from the town to the church is lined with beautiful porticoes. The interior of the church is the mostly richly decorated in the city, with an overabundant use of gold, marble and fresco work. In the old convent is a huge painting by Veronese the "Supper of St. Gregory the Great." Torn apart into 32 pieces during the Austrian invasion, the painting was miraculously pieced together and later restored to its original location.

All three buildings are extensively covered with frescoes by Giamattista and Giandomenico Tiepolo, who were hired by the Valamrana family in 1757. Light, airy, and decidedly Rococo, the villa is the Tiepolos' masterpiece and one of the pinnacles of Rococo art in Europe. Open Tuesdays to Sundays 1000-1200 and 1500-1800. Closed from November to March.

Closed July and August.