Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza, the city of water and rivers, was born on the alluvial height at the foot of the Berici Hills right at the confluence of navigable waterways, convenient and indispensable to trade, it is still renowned today for its goldsmithing activities.
From the Roman era there are the remains of the grandiose Berga Theater, built at the time of Emperor Hadrian and preserved in the Civic Museum. Proving its active religious past, you can find here many churches and basilicas, including the basilica of San Felice and Fortunato, paved with Paleo-Christian mosaics.
There are also many palaces and villas that enrich the artistic heritage of the city: Palazzo della Ragione, Palazzo Thiene, Palazzo Civena and Palazzo Chiericati which were partially or completely designed and followed by Palladio or like the Rotonda, the most Palladian one of the Vicenza villas.
BASSANO DEL GRAPPA - Marostica
Close to the first slopes of the plateau of the seven municipalities, Marostica is located on the highroad that leads from Vicenza to Bassano del Grappa. The castles and the mighty walls are clear testimonies of the historical beauty of the city. The splendor and charm of the past times are recalled every year by the famous living chess game on the square of the Castle where people dress up in fifteenth-century costumes.
Flowered gardens and balconies, ancient streets, a historic center around the castle, rich shops, historic squares recreate in Bassano the relationship with the past which has created traditons, habits and customs. Goldsmiths, blacksmiths, potters and distillers, printers and artists and of course the tradition have created an unmistakable image of beauty for the town. The Great War and Mount Grappa make it a tourist destination, but the most famous monument of Bassano is undoubtedly the Ponte Vecchio, a witness to numerous battles and also a legend thanks to the popular songs and tales.