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Basilica (Palazzo della Regione)
Of
all the structures in Vicenza that bear the mark of Andrea Palladio, none is
more famous than the
Palazzo della Regione,
a.k.a. the "Basilica,"
a civic building that dominates the Piazza dei Signori in the heart of town.
The Basilica consists of two parts: The original Gothic town hall, which was built in the
mid-1400s. (You can see the roof, which resembles an overturned boat, in the
photo above.) Palladio's two-story loggia of white Istrian stone, which
was wrapped around the existing brick structure over a 65-year-period from
1549 to 1614. (The loggia was needed to stabilize the town hall, which was
sinking and in danger of collapse.) Today, the old town hall is used for exhibitions, and you can
visit it free of charge every day but Monday. (It's also closed for lunch and on
Sunday afternoons during the off-season.)
The
arcaded passages beneath the loggia are usually filled with people, and a
produce market takes place daily on the southeast side of the Basilica in the
Piazza delle Erbe. Things get really busy on Thursday, the biggest market day of
the week, when the Piazza dei Signori and the arcades around the square are
packed with farmers and other vendors.
Nearby, the Torre di Piazza (see top photo) rises over the Basilica and
the square. The slender 11th and 12th Century brick tower, which stands 85
meters or 269 feet high, measures only 7 meters or 23 feet square at its base. Next page: Teatro Olimpico
About the author:
Durant Imboden has
written about Venice, Italy since 1996.
He covered Venice and European travel at About.com for 4-1/2 years before launching
Europe for Visitors (including
Venice for Visitors) with Cheryl
Imboden in 2001. |
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