Vicenza
Vicenza is a comune in the province of Vicenza in the region of Veneto. The city is also the capital of the province of Vicenza.
It is situated on a floodplain at the foothills of the Colli Berici, straddling the Bacchiglione river. Vicenza is approximately 60 km west of Venice and 200 km east of Milan.
It has a population of 115.550 (as of 2010) spread over 80.46 Km.
Vicenza is the third-largest industrial centre for value of exports, and is one of the country's wealthiest cities. Its textile and steel industries employ tens of thousands and about one fifth of the country's gold and jewelry products are made here. Another important industry that contributes to the wealth of the city is the engineering/computer components industry (Federico Faggin, the inventor of the silicon chip, was born in Vicenza).
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Origins
Vicenza has ancient origins, which date back to prehistoric times. In medieval times, Vicenza was ruled by the Scala family till 1404 when it became part of the Republic of Venice and enjoyed peace and prosperity for almost 4 centuries. In ‘800, after the fall of Napoleon, Vicenza passed under the dominion of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and later became part of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Veneto. In 1866 it was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy. The Second World War saw the city heavily bombed.
Art and Culture
Vicenza is a city with a rich artistic heritage. The great architect Andrea Palladio created here works of art such as the Palladian Basilica, the Olympic Theater and the Round, jut to mention a few. But Vicenza also boasts masterpieces from other great artists like Tiepolo, Veronese, Maganza and Zelotti.
In 1994 UNESCO included the city of Vicenza, with its old town and sixteen Palladian villas in the list of World Heritage Sites.
Notable People
- Andrea Palladio - architect
- Antonio Pigafetta – writer and explorer
- Guido Piovene - writer and broadcaster
- Luigi Meneghello - writer
- Roberto Baggio - footballer
Multimedia
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Trivia
- Inhabitants of the city of Vicenza are still known as magnagati (cat eaters), and in some butchers' shops rabbits are sold with their heads to assure buyers that they are not cats. This arises from the common practice of eating cats during times of economic hardship in the city.
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