Vicenza

Coordinates: 45°33′N 11°33′E / 45.550°N 11.550°E / 45.550; 11.550
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the city in Italy. For the province, see Province of Vicenza. For other uses, see Vincentia (disambiguation).

Vicenza
Vicensa (Venetian)
Comune
Città di Vicenza
Clockwise from top: Villa La Rotonda; the classical temple in the Parco Querini; Piazza dei Signori; the Renaissance Basilica Palladiana; and a panorama of the city from the Monte Berico
Clockwise from top: Villa La Rotonda; the classical temple in the Parco Querini; Piazza dei Signori; the Renaissance Basilica Palladiana; and a panorama of the city from the Monte Berico
Flag of Vicenza
Flag
Coat of arms of Vicenza
Coat of arms
Location of Vicenza
Map
UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
36100
Dialing code0444
Patron saintMadonna of Monte Berico
Saint daySeptember 8
WebsiteOfficial website
Vicenza
Palladian Villas of the Veneto
CriteriaCultural: i, ii
Reference712-001
Inscription1994 (18th Session)
Area218 ha (540 acres)

Vicenza (/vɪˈtʃɛntsə/ vih-CHENT-sə, Italian: [viˈtʃɛntsa] ⓘ; Venetian: Vicensa [viˈtʃeŋ(t)sa]) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the River Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Venice and 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of Milan.

Vicenza is a thriving and

palazzi. With the Palladian villas of the Veneto in the surrounding area, and his renowned Teatro Olimpico ("Olympic Theater"), the "city of Palladio" has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.[3]

In December 2008, Vicenza had an estimated population of 115,927[4] and a metropolitan area of 270,000. Vicenza is the third-largest Italian industrial centre as measured by the value of its exports, and is one of the country's wealthiest cities,[3][5] in large part due to its textile and steel industries, which employ tens of thousands. Additionally, about one fifth of the country's gold and jewelry is made in Vicenza, greatly contributing to the city's economy. Another important sector is the engineering/computer components industry (Federico Faggin, the microprocessor's co-inventor, was born in Vicenza).[6]

History

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Vicenza.

Roman era

Vicentia was settled by the Italic Euganei tribe and then by the Paleo-Veneti tribe in the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC.[7] The Romans allied themselves with the Paleo-Veneti in their fight against the Celtic tribes that populated north-western Italy. [8] The Roman presence in the area grew exponentially[citation needed] over time and the Paleo-Veneti (whose culture mirrored Etruscan and Greek values more so than Celtic ones) were gradually assimilated. [citation needed] In 157 BC, the city was a de facto Roman centre and was given the name of Vicetia or Vincentia, meaning "victorious".

The citizens of Vicetia received

Patavium (Padua). Little survives of the Roman city, but three of the bridges across the Bacchiglione and Retrone rivers are of Roman origin, and isolated arches of a Roman aqueduct
exist outside the Porta Santa Croce.

During the decline of the

Benedictine
monasteries were built in the Vicenza area, beginning in the 6th century.

Middle Ages

In 899, Vicenza was destroyed by

Magyar
raiders.

In 1001,

Guelphs
).

The tyrannical

Scaligeri lords of Verona, who fortified it against the Visconti of Milan
.

Vicenza

Emperor Sigismund, and Maximilian I
held possession of it in 1509 and 1516.

Early modern era

Vicenza was a candidate to host the Council of Trent.

The 16th century was the time of Andrea Palladio,[9] who left many outstanding examples of his art with palaces and villas in the city's territory, which before Palladio's passage, was arguably the most downtrodden and esthetically lacking city in Veneto.

After the

Caulaincourt, also imperial Grand-Écuyer. One of the consequences of the city's occupation was the destruction of a prized silver model of the city, the Jewel of Vicenza
.

19th century and later

After 1814, Vicenza passed to the Austrian Empire. In 1848, however, the populace rose against Austria, more violently than in any other Italian centre apart from Milan and Brescia (the city would receive the highest award for military valour for the courage displayed by revolutionaries in this period). As a part of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, it was annexed to Italy after the Third War of Italian independence.

Vicenza's area was a location of major combat in both World War I (on the Asiago plateau) and World War II (a focal center of the Italian resistance), and it was the most damaged city in Veneto by Allied bombings, including many of its monuments; the civil victims were over 2,000. The end of World War II was followed by a period of depression, caused by the devastation during the two world wars. In the 1960s, the whole central part of Veneto, witnessed a strong economic development caused by the emergence of small and medium family businesses, ranging in a vast array of products (that often emerged illegally) that paved the way for what would be known as the "miracolo del nord-est" ("miracle of the northeast"). In the following years, the economic development grew vertiginously. Huge industrial areas sprouted around the city, massive and disorganized urbanization and employment of foreign immigrants increased.

Vicenza is home to the

173d Airborne Brigade. In January 2006, the European Gendarmerie Force
was inaugurated in Vicenza.

Geography

Vicenza lies in the Veneto region, at the northern base of Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Venice and 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of Milan.

Climate

Climate data for Vicenza (1971–2000, extremes 1951–2008)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 15.9
(60.6) 		21.7
(71.1) 		26.8
(80.2) 		30.0
(86.0) 		34.8
(94.6) 		37.4
(99.3) 		37.4
(99.3) 		38.2
(100.8) 		33.2
(91.8) 		29.4
(84.9) 		24.4
(75.9) 		17.8
(64.0) 		38.2
(100.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 7.0
(44.6) 		9.3
(48.7) 		13.5
(56.3) 		17.3
(63.1) 		22.8
(73.0) 		26.2
(79.2) 		29.1
(84.4) 		28.7
(83.7) 		24.3
(75.7) 		18.4
(65.1) 		11.8
(53.2) 		7.5
(45.5) 		18.0
(64.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 3.0
(37.4) 		4.6
(40.3) 		8.4
(47.1) 		12.1
(53.8) 		17.4
(63.3) 		20.8
(69.4) 		23.4
(74.1) 		22.9
(73.2) 		18.9
(66.0) 		13.5
(56.3) 		7.5
(45.5) 		3.5
(38.3) 		13.0
(55.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −1
(30) 		−0.1
(31.8) 		3.3
(37.9) 		7.0
(44.6) 		11.9
(53.4) 		15.5
(59.9) 		17.7
(63.9) 		17.2
(63.0) 		13.5
(56.3) 		8.5
(47.3) 		3.1
(37.6) 		−0.4
(31.3) 		8.0
(46.4)
Record low °C (°F) −20
(−4) 		−18.6
(−1.5) 		−10
(14) 		−3.2
(26.2) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		2.6
(36.7) 		9.5
(49.1) 		8.0
(46.4) 		3.8
(38.8) 		−3.6
(25.5) 		−8
(18) 		−13
(9) 		−20.0
(−4.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 76.5
(3.01) 		67.9
(2.67) 		76.9
(3.03) 		97.3
(3.83) 		100.0
(3.94) 		104.3
(4.11) 		74.0
(2.91) 		79.5
(3.13) 		92.7
(3.65) 		115.5
(4.55) 		93.7
(3.69) 		81.5
(3.21) 		1,059.8
(41.73)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.0 5.0 6.4 9.5 10.0 9.3 6.8 6.7 6.1 7.5 7.1 6.4 87.8
Average
relative humidity
(%) 		81 77 73 74 72 73 72 73 74 78 80 82 76
Source: Servizio Meteorologico (humidity 1961–1990)[10][11][12]

Demographics

Panoramic view from Monte Berico

In 2007, there were 114,268 people residing in Vicenza of whom 47.6% were male and 52.4% were female. Minors (children ages 18 and younger) totalled 17.17% of the population, compared to pensioners, who number 21.60%. This compares with the Italian average of 18.06% (minors) and 19.94% (pensioners). The average age of Vicenza residents is 43 compared to the Italian average of 42. In the five years between 2002 and 2007, the population of Vicenza grew by 3.72%, while Italy as a whole grew by 3.85%.[13] The current birth rate of Vicenza is 9.16 births per 1,000 inhabitants compared to the Italian average of 9.45 births.

In 2010, 83.5% of the population was

Sikh
followers.

Government

See also: List of mayors of Vicenza

Architecture

Basilica Palladiana
A night view of the Basilica Palladiana
Basilica Palladiana with clock tower
The three-dimensional stage of the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza
Palazzo Thiene Bonin Longare, designed by Palladio and built by Vincenzo Scamozzi
Porta Castello Tower
Plaque for Vicenza in the UNESCO World Heritage List

In 1994 UNESCO inscribed "Vicenza, City of Palladio" on its list of World Heritage Sites. In 1996, the site was expanded to include the Palladian villas outside the core area, and accordingly renamed "City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto".

Palladio's works

Vicenza is home to twenty-three buildings designed by Palladio. Famous examples include:

Other sights

Churches

Some of the main historical churches:

  • Cathedral of Vicenza (church of Santa Maria Annunciata), dating from early in the 11th century, and restored in the 13th, 16th, 19th and after the ruinous destruction of World War II, possesses a number of paintings and sculptures, nearly all of them by Vicentine artists; the dome and north side door were designed by Andrea Palladio
    .
  • Basilica Sanctuary of Saint Mary of Monte Berico: the structure was completed in two stages, creating two churches in different styles: the first in 1428 in Gothic style, the second in 1703 by Carlo Borella, designed as a late-baroque style basilica. The adjacent convent, houses The Supper of Saint Gregory the Great, a large canvas by Paolo Veronese. The bell tower (1826) was designed by Antonio Piovene. The basilica commemorates two apparitions of Our Lady to Vincenza Pasini, a pious woman who lived in a village in the province, and the liberation of the city from a terrible plague.
  • paleochristian basilica, initially rectangular, then doubled in width and divided into three naves. After the Hungarian invasions, the Benedictines built a new baptistery and the semicircular apse, adding the bell tower and the rosette, as well as a series of blind arches and a Byzantine cross in front. In later centuries, the interiors underwent a radical alteration, enriching it with Baroque altars and decorations. A 20th century restoration removed many of these embellishments. Next to the church there is a small museum exhibition with archaeological finds from the church and from the nearby Roman necropolis
    .
  • Santa Corona: one of the oldest and most important churches of the city, this 13th century church first endowed by the bishop of Verona, the Blessed Bartholomew of Breganze, to shelter one of the thorns from Christ's crown. It was under the purview of the Dominicans after the death of Ezzelino III da Romano. It houses paintings by Montagna (The Magdelene), Bellini (Baptism of Christ) and others; the crypt
    hosts the Valmarana chapel by Palladio. The church underwent a major restoration in 2012.
  • San Giorgio in Gogna: one of the oldest churches in the city, built before the year 1000 with a Romanesque façade. The outer walls consist of agglomerates of different materials (brick, stone, marble salvaged from other buildings) are clearly a demonstration of the origin of the construction craft, which can be seen especially in the polygonal apse. It was restored by the diocese in 2011.
  • minorites
    in mixed Gothic and Lombard Romanesque styles. Located along Corso Fogazzaro facing the central Piazza San Lorenzo, it hosts the tombs of illustrious Vicentines and is served by the Conventual Franciscans.
  • Santa Maria Nova: late 16th-century church is the only religious architecture designed and built by Palladio in Vicenza, apart from the Valmarana chapel and the limited interventions in the cathedral.
  • Piazzetta and Tiepolo
    (now at the Pinacotheca Civica).
  • Servants of Mary. The church portal was executed in the studio where Andrea Palladio worked at the beginning of his career and would be one of his earliest works. In the cloister, in 1319, the miracles of St. Philip Benizi de Damiani
    took place.
  • Santa Maria Etiopissa (1154): a simple stone and brick structure church.
  • San Marco in San Girolamo (early 18th century): late baroque church built by the Discalced Carmelites on a previous convent and church of the Jesuati. The architect is unknown, but inside it is clear the influence of the style of the Venetian Giorgio Massari. After the Napoleonic abolition of the religious orders and their convents, it became in 1810 the church of San Marco, one of the oldest parishes in the city. It hosts many works by Vicentine and Venetian artists of the early 18th century, including some masterpieces. The sacristy preserves the complete original furniture of the time.
  • San Vincenzo: church dedicated to Saint Vincent of Saragossa – ancient patron of Vicenza – overlooks Piazza dei Signori, facing the Basilica Palladiana, interrupting the smooth texture of the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà. The church was built between the 14th and the 18th centuries. The baroque façade (1614–1617) hosts two lodges with three arches, in Corinthian and composite style. The lodges are surmounted by a crown with Christ mourned by angels by Giambattista Albamese, also author of the five statues in the pediment. Behind the lodge there is the ancient church of 1387, offset in relation to the building that has incorporated, with the altar facing east. The interior of the church, as amended in 1499 and again in the 18th century by Francesco Muttoni, was restored in the 1920s. It hosts the ark of Simone Sarego (14th century), the impressive altar, rococo work of Bernardo Tabacco, and the altar of Pietà, masterpiece of a young Orazio Marinali (1689). Within the porch, a red marble stele is engraved with the ancient official linear measures of the Community of Vicenza.
  • Cangrande della Scala
    between 1322 and 1357. The church has a rich decoration and a large altarpiece of 1404 by Battista da Vicenza.
  • Oratory of San Nicola da Tolentino
    : finished in 1678 on commission of the fraternity of St. Nicholas, it is a chapel that houses a series of paintings focused on the life of the saint, among the highest levels of the measured Baroque of Vicenza.
  • The Churches of the Carmini (1372) and St. Catherine (1292), formerly belonging to the Humiliati, possess notable pictures.
  • Santa Croce (1179)
  • Santi Filippo and Giacomo (12th century)

Secular buildings

Libraries

Economy and infrastructure

The surrounding country is predominantly agricultural. Major products are wine, wheat, corn, olive oil (in the Barbarano area) and cherries and asparagus are a particularity of Bassano. There are also quarries of marble, sulphur, copper, and silver mines, and beds of lignite and kaolin; mineral springs also abound, the most famous being those of Recoaro.

Massive industrial areas surround the city and extend extensively in the western and eastern hinterland, with numerous steel and textile factories located in the Montecchio Maggiore, Chiampo and Sovizzo area in the west and Camisano Vicentino and Torri di Quartesolo in the east, areas characterised by a disorganised and extensive cementifaction.

Elite sectors are the jewelry and clothing factories. Important vicentino clothing firms include: Diesel, Pal Zileri, Marzotto, Bottega Veneta, Marlboro Classics etc. The Gold Exposition is world-famous and it takes place in Vicenza twice a year (January and September).

Other industries worthy of mention are the woollen and silk, pottery, tanneries, and musical instruments. The headquarters of the bicycle component manufacturer Campagnolo and the protective wear for sports manufacturer Dainese are located here.

Transport

Vicenza railway station, opened in 1846, forms part of the Milan–Venice railway, and is also a junction of two branch lines, to Schio and Treviso, respectively.

Sport

Vicenza is home to Vicenza Hurricanes American Football team which currently plays in League 2. Founded in 2009, the Hurricanes have a junior team and a senior team with a roster of 35+ athletes.

Vicenza is home to football club

L.R. Vicenza Virtus, formerly Lanerossi Vicenza and Vicenza Calcio, which currently compete in Serie C. Their home venue is the Stadio Romeo Menti
.

Vicenza is home to Rangers Rugby Vicenza, a rugby union team who compete in Serie A2.

Cuisine and popular dishes

Main article:
Cuisine of Vicenza

Vicenza's cuisine reflects its humble, agricultural past: simple, hearty meals made with fresh local ingredients that reflect the province's geographical diversity.

Unlike Venetian cuisine where fish reigns supreme, game meat, cheeses and vegetables take center stage accompanied by polenta, soft from the stove or day-old sliced and grilled over the fireplace embers, better yet cooked in a pan under the spit where it lightly fries in meat drippings to create a crunchy golden outer crust.

Vicenza is known for its simple dishes, and often famous cheeses, fruits, ingredients and wines, such as sopressa vicentina, Asiago cheese, Marostica cherries, Nanto truffles, Bassano del Grappa asparagus and Breganze Cabernet wine.

A plate of baccalà alla vicentina, a typical dish of the city
  • Baccalà alla vicentina
  • Risi e bisi (rice and green peas)
  • Polenta e osei
  • Bigoli all'arna (thick fresh egg noodles with duck ragout)
  • Putana (in this case not the vulgar term meaning "whore", but a fruit cake traditionally made with poor ingredients such as old bread or polenta and dried fruit such as raisins)

The inhabitants of Vicenza are jokingly referred to by other Italians as mangiagatti, or "cat eaters". Purportedly, Vicentini turned to cats for sustenance during times of famine, such as during World War II.

People

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Italy

Vicenza is twinned with:

See also

References

General sources

See also: Timeline of Vicenza § Bibliography
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Diocese of Vicenza". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  •  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Ashby, Thomas (1911). "Vicenza". In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 20.

Citations

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Statistiche demografiche ISTAT" (in Italian). Demo.istat.it. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-470-29096-5
    . Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  4. ^ Data from Comune di Vicenza Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine (in Italian).
  5. ^ "The Economy". Vicenza. Archived from the original on 9 October 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Federico Faggin - Engineering and Technology History Wiki". Ieeeghn.org. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  7. ^ Pearce, M.; Peretto, R.; Tozzi, P.; DARMC; Talbert, R.; Gillies, S.; Åhlfeldt, J.; Becker, J.; Elliott, T. (8 June 2018). "Places: 393513 (Vicetia)". Pleiades. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  8. ^ Polybius, 2.23.3; Strabo, Geog. 5.1.9
  9. ^ Butler, Sophie (14 October 2009). "Vicenza: Who needs Venice?". Telegraph.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  10. ^ "Vicenza (VI)" (PDF). Atlante climatico (in Italian). Servizio Meteorologico. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  11. ^ "STAZIONE 094 Vicenza: medie mensili periodo 61 – 90" (in Italian). Servizio Meteorologico. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  12. ^ "Vicenza: Record mensili dal 1951 al 2008" (in Italian). Servizio Meteorologico dell'Aeronautica Militare. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  13. ^ "Statistiche demografiche ISTAT:2007" (in Italian). Demo.istat.it. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  14. ^ "中国无锡·无锡市人民政府外事办公室·维琴察市 (Vicenza, Italy)" (in Chinese). 2 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  15. ^ "Sister Cities International (SCI)". Sister-cities.org. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2013.

External links

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