Half Day Tour To Vicenza From Abano Montegrotto

The Palladian Villas Owners Network invite you to immerse yourself in our Unesco Heritage, with an itinerary to discover at least 7 places of historical interest that Palladio's brilliance has made so unique that they deserve universal recognition. In Vicenza in the 16th century, a very wealthy city in its heyday, a genius architect completely changed the face of the city and the way of conceiving architecture, becoming a timeless model. An itinerant tale in art and history, in which Vicenza offers itself to your eyes as a unique Renaissance gem in every glimpse. The only tour in the city to include the famous villa La Rotonda (on request even outside visiting hours), and Palazzo Valmarana Braga, a private heritage jewel of the Palladian Unesco Vicenza. Besides, purchasing the tour you can optionally use a Palladian E-Bike for free, a relaxing and pleasant way to optimize visit times, with a mileage of 15 km. The tour ends with a small exclusive surprise, only for our customers.

Our E-Bike tour explores the surroundings of Vicenza passing through 11 Villas, 7 of which are Unesco Palladian Heritage. The experience includes a special navigation system and an itinerant vocal narration: the guiding voice will be the spirit of Andrea Palladio, who retraces his history through the evolution of his villas (entrances excluded). The Network of the owners of the Palladian Villas invites you to immerse yourself in an original, active and healthy way in the history and landscapes of the Unesco Heritage that made our architect the most influential in history. In the depths of the Vicenza countryside, sumptuous residences follow one another as far as the eye can see in a widespread eco-museum, admiring the gaze of every traveler at the forms in which the teachings of the Ancients have shaped the country house of the nobleman, which from a medieval castle gradually becomes the villa Palladian, thanks to the genius of a modest, prodigious stonemason.

DEPARTURE FROM PADUA OR ABANO / MONTEGROTTO TERME Vicenza's golden age began in 1540, when the Venetian aristocracy decided to reorganise the city and its countryside and called Andrea di Pietro della Gondola, known as Palladio, one of the greatest architects of the time, for the arduous task. ‘The city of Vicenza and Palladio's villas in the Veneto region’ have thus been nominated a UNESCO Site for a total of 23 palaces in Vicenza and 24 villas in the surrounding area. The tour will start from the central Piazza dei Signori with its elegant monuments and we will have a stroll around the city, including Corso Palladio the main street of the city. It will not miss the visit to the Basilica Palladiana, a masterpiece by Andrea Palladio (in case of closure we will visit the Church of Santa Corona). Finally we will visit the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Monte Berico, and from the square in front you can admire a fantastic view of the city of Vicenza.

The most complete guided and narrated tour to discover Vicenza, a city of many priceless UNESCO World Heritage beauties, captivating stories and troubling events, and of a humble stonemason who will go down in history by forever redefining Architecture and its canons. You will enjoy it aboard a comfortable and fun Palladian E-Bike, to reach even the wonders out of town inaccessible on foot, and not really miss anything in the City of Palladio. Your Cicero Palladiano will lead you into the history of an unexpectedly ancient community, independent in spirit and merchant by vocation. A plot that will tell of international political alliances born from the ferment of the Reformation, of nobles not only in rank, and of the parable of a genius of the artist who became a model of modernity. From squares to palaces, from villas to bridges over the water to historic villages: every glimpse or panorama, every illustrious person will become part of an intertwining that you cannot help but love.

DEPARTURE FROM PADUA OR ABANO / MONTEGROTTO TERME With this tour to Cittadella, you will be able to walk along the walls which in the Middle Ages were an insurmountable limit for militias from everywhere. They have an average thickness of 2.10 meters and four access doors corresponding to the four cardinal points, identified by the city gates: Porta Padovana, Porta Bassanese, Porta Trevisana and Porta Vicentina, which all face the city from which they take their name. Once you descend into the centre, step by step, you will then admire the important monuments of the city: the Captain's House, where the Captain of the Guards resided, with original frescoes dating back to the 16th century; the Tower of Malta, of which the terrifying tortures at the time of the tyrant Ezzelino III da Romano are narrated, even mentioned by Dante in the Divine Comedy; the Praetorian Palace, ancient seat of the Powers of the city of Padua; the Teatro Sociale, whose façade is attributed to the well-known Giuseppe Jappelli and the Cathedral with the Art Gallery.

Your experience begins at the Venice Santa Lucia Train Station. To begin your tour, you will travel from Venice to Vicenza for 1 hour with a fast train ticket. Once there, you will enjoy one of the best Italian cities throughout a 3-hour tour with a local guide. You can discover the historic centre of city, seeing and discovering the history of the city's most prominent landmarks. You will encounter Piazza dei Signori, Basilica Palladiana, Palazzo Chiericati, Loggia Valmarana, the Roman Ruins and the neoclassic park, among other attractions. At the conclusion of your tour your guide will take you back to the train station from where you will return to Venice.

• 3-hour Segway tour lead by an expert local guide • See top Vicenza attractions including: Contrà Porti, Piazzetta Santo Stefano, the Church of Saint Corona. The Olympic Theatre, the architectural masterpiece of Andrea Palladio and the first indoor theatre in the world, and Chiericati Palace, the most representative Palladian building in the city. The Villa Capra Valmarana, better known as “Villa La Rotonda”. Brief stop at San Paolo Bridge to see San Michele Bridge on the other side of the River Retrone. Through Piazza delle Erbe, the ancient market area, we will arrive into Piazza dei Signori, the main square, and we'll find the Basilica, Palladio’s first public building and the Loggia of the Capitaniato, Palladio’s most famous attempt to use coloured architecture. • Hear tales of colorful history from a knowledgeable guide • Enjoy a Segway sightseeing tour that’s suitable for all fitness levels • Small-group tour with a maximum of eight people ensures a personalized experience

Discover the captivating beauty of Vicenza, the "city of Palladio", listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. Immerse yourself in the town’s charm with your private guided walking tour through the historical centre and marvel at the famous Basilica Palladiana, symbol of Vicenza and masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio. Admire the Teatro Olimpico, Palazzo Chiercati, Palazzo del Capitaniato, Piazza dei Signori, Piazza delle Erbe, Torre Bissara. Indulge in a gourmet lunch at a local restaurant, savouring Vicenza’s culinary delights. Make sure not to miss an aperitivo with the famous Spritz! The journey continues outside Vicenza to visit another of Palladio’s works: Villa Almerico Capra Valmanara, also known as "La Rotonda", designed in 1566. Built on the top of a hill, it appears majestic and exciting. Its park offers amazing views over the city and the countryside. Our luxury car will then bring you back to your hotel.

For a sampling overview of Vicenza's suburban Palladian Villas and the fascinating history of the great Architect. A splendid self-guided E-Bike ride among bucolic landscapes and works of genius that marked the history of our Golden Age. Every place in Vicenza has seen the works of this brilliant architect come to life. In the streets of the center, cobblestones recall the steps of a young stonemason who came from Padua to build the new face of the city and its fortunate countryside. Just outside the urban area, among the stones and dust of courtyards in the making, Giangiorgio Trissino coined the most famous name in modern architecture: Palladio, who, like an angel with golden wings, came to shape the forms of a new culture. In addition to the Unesco heritage sites listed in the tour details, you will also be able to pass by and admire the Oasis of the Sources of the Bacchiglione River and the beautiful Villa da Porto Pedrotti and Villa da Porto Casarotto.