Vicenza Guide: Palladio’s Masterpieces, Legends, and Hidden Secrets
"A place blessed by heaven, one of those nests prepared by nature for the birth of Italian art."
(Louis Courajod, French art historian, founder of the École du Louvre).
Vicenza is the fourth largest city in Veneto by population and one of the most important industrial and economic hubs in the Italian peninsula.
But above all, it is the city of Andrea Palladio, the ultimate architect behind the famous Venetian Villas. It is no surprise that many of his masterpiece creations have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Origin of the Name
The name Vicenza derives either from the Latin "vincens" (winning) or from the Greek "Oniketia" (land of the Veneti). However, we owe a fascinating legend to some local Vicentine humanists, according to which the city was originally called Cimbria. The story goes that the King of Rome summoned artists from all over to embellish the capital. The different groups of artisans competed fiercely against each other, and the first to complete the works would be proclaimed "vincente" (the winner). Cimbria initially sent no one, but, stung by criticism, later sent workers who unexpectedly finished ahead of everyone else. These workers were proudly proclaimed "vincentes," and the city changed its name.
"Magnagati" – The Story Behind the "Cat-Eaters"
“Veneziani gran signori, padovani gran dottori e vicentini mangia-gatti”
(Venetians are great lords, Paduans are great doctors, and Vicentines are cat-eaters)
Looking for the true origin of this infamous regional nickname, we found not just one, but three possible explanations.
According to the first theory, the people of Vicenza were tired of being under Venetian rule and tried to obstruct them in every way. When the Doge asked neighboring cities for cats to eradicate mice and improve sanitary conditions, the Vicentines were the only ones who didn't send any. Their excuse? They claimed they needed them for food.
Another explanation suggests that it was actually the Vicentines who requested cats to get rid of an infestation. However, they never returned them, so the annoyed Venetians stuck them with this cheeky nickname.
The third explanation is purely phonetic. The Venetian phrase “ti ga magnà?” (have you eaten?) in the ancient Vicentine dialect became “gatu magnà?”. Because of this distinct local pronunciation, Venetians began teasing them by calling them "mangia-gatti" (cat-eaters).
Galeazzo’s Column of Infamy
Walking under the beautiful arcades of Corso Palladio, you might notice a very peculiar monument: a column of infamy.
“This is the place where stood the house of the most wicked Galeazzo da Roma, who with Iseppo Almerigo and his other accomplices committed atrocious homicides in this city in the year 1548 on the 3rd of July.”
This is the chilling text inscribed on the column. But who was Galeazzo da Roma, and what did he do to deserve such a punishment? As we know, a woman is often at the root of historical rivalries, and this case is no exception. It all started with Isabetta, Galeazzo’s sister, who fell madly in love with Alberto di Valmarana. To get closer to him, she offered him her daughter’s hand in marriage. But Alberto flatly rejected her, and Galeazzo considered this refusal a supreme insult. At first, he limited himself to threatening letters, but in 1548, he stormed Villa Valmarana alongside his brother Leonardo, Iseppo Almerigo, and other bandits, brutally killing Alberto and his notary before fleeing.
The only accomplice to pay for the crime with his life was Iseppo. Meanwhile, Galeazzo’s house was completely razed to the ground, and a column was erected in its place to forever remember his infamy.
The Father of American Architecture
To say Vicenza is to say Palladio. Usually, it is impossible to reduce an entire city to a single artist—Florence isn't just Giotto, Rome isn't just Michelangelo—but Vicenza truly belongs to Palladio. Since this master’s work cannot be confined to a single building, the entire city of Vicenza has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Palladio’s revolutionary genius lay in seamlessly blending architecture with the surrounding landscape. His villas are not merely grand sitting rooms for hosting guests—like ancient Roman or Tuscan estates—but they also functioned as working rural villas.
On one hand, they perfectly satisfy the aesthetic desires of the owners; on the other, they serve the practical needs of agricultural management. Externally, they appear as magnificent temple-villas adorned with columns, pediments, and porticoes. Internally, however, they feature an extremely rational layout of space. The ground floor housed all the service quarters (kitchens, pantries, laundries); the attic was used to store grain, which also doubled as natural insulation; while the piano nobile (main floor) was strictly reserved for the family and their guests.
On December 6, 2010, the United States Congress unanimously passed Concurrent Resolution 259, which recognizes Palladio as the Father of American Architecture.
This is because the nation's most iconic buildings (including the White House and the Capitol) mirror the profound influence of Palladian style. The resolution reads:
“the United States Congress recognizes the immense influence of Palladio on the architecture of the United States and expresses its gratitude for the enrichment that his life and career conferred upon the architecture of the American Nation.”
Not bad for a man who built spectacular villas using cheap, humble materials just to keep the costs down for his clients.
Vicenza website: http://www.comune.vicenza.it/.
Altitude of the Municipality: 39 m (zone: 5)