North Italy holiday: Vicenza 7-9 June

the Villa Valmarani ai Nani, the fresco in the entrance hall made byTiepolo

Wednesday, 8 June

We started exploring the city with the Chiesa di S. Corona, which is situated in the same street as our hotel. What an amazing amount of art inside this church, designed by Palladio.

left Giovanni Bellini's masterpiece the baptism of Christ

Altar piece made of marble and inlaid gemstones in the Cappella Maggiore

right below: the last supper made of inlaid gemstones

so many great fresco's on the walls of this church

 
Next stop is the famous Teatro Olimpico designed by Andrea Palladio. In 1580 Palladio, 72 yrs old, was commissioned by the Olympic Academy, the cultural forum of which he himself was a part, to prepare this building in Vicenza. The theater was his last work as Palladio prepared the design a few months before his death, and did not see it realized. 

Lunch time. On our way to the Teatro Olimpico we had spotted Gastronomia Il Ceppo, which also served the food they sold upstairs in their shop, downstairs in the cellar/restaurant. They also had an extensive collection of wines. 

the bistro and the salumeria of Il Ceppo, a great choice

tasting local dessert wines 

After our lovely lunch, we visited the Palazzo Leoni Montanari, which happened to be situated in the palazzo next to our hotel. 

very very baroque interior, not really our taste 

walking in the rain 

a light dinner at restaurant Tira Tardi

*****   *****  *****

Thursday, 9 June

After leaving our hotel, we visited two famous villa's which Palladio designed, before heading for Verona. 



Villa la Rotonda, a very symmetric building, was closed, however, the garden was open for visitors. Loads of great smelling roses, that were pruned by the gardener, who gave me a a rose. 

We walked up to Villa Valmarani ai Nani, which was not far away (lots of villa's in that neighbourhood). This villa was open for public and we admired the great fresco's on the walls of the guesthouse made by father and son Tiepolo.
Great smelling roses and jasmine. The jasmine we encounter everywhere during this trip. It's definitely jasmine blossoming time; love it!

villa Valmarani ai Nani

Dido and Aeneas by Tiepolo

 

there's more in the garden than flowers

 to be continued