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MUSEUMS
IN VICENZA
Palazzo Chiericati
(Civic Museum):
dominates Piazza Mateotti – at the end of Corso Palladio
– historically known as “the island.” The
Palazzo is one of the most illustrious projects of Andrea
Palladio: dating back to 1550 and built on the wishes of Girolamo
Chiericati. The façade, though utilizing evident classical
elements, is extremely original in the composition of these
elements and in alternating between empty and full spaces.
Since 1839, the Palazzo has been the seat of the Civic Museum,
which was inaugurated in 1855. Since the end of the 20th Century,
various works of reconstruction and change have taken place
to enable the building to adapt to new criteria for visits
to works exhibited. Today in the Palazzo, visitors can enjoy
the Art Gallery (Italian artists and above all those from
the Veneto area during the 16th-18th Century) and the section
of Medieval Art.
Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre):
is to the left of Piazza Matteotti, with entrance through
the essential courtyard and scanty exterior; which doesn’t
allow for the imagination of the magnificence and elegance
of the internal structure. It’s the final masterpiece
of Palladio which was initiated in 1580, a few months from
his death and terminated by his son and Vicenzo Scamozzi (whose
merit created the scenographic prospectives of the stage).
The theatre is similar to the structure of classical open
theatres and is a triumph of fantasy and scenic make-believe.
Palazzo Leoni-Montanari:
is in Santa Corona. This is a Baroque building, perfectly
restored and adapted to host museums and exhibitions. The
present collections are diverse with different themes. There’s
an important collection of art dedicated to the 18th Century
Veneto area. There’s also a huge Italian collection,
one of the largest in the world, of Russian Icons: all of
high quality and of which approximately 130 out of 400 of
the collection are exhibited.
Museo Naturalistico e Archeologico di Santa Corona
(Naturalistic and Archaelogical Museum of Santa Corona):
is annexed to the homonymous church, prepared in the ex Dominican
monastery. In the Naturalistic Section, various phases of
settlement in the territory are studied along with the various
geological phases of the area. There are testimonies of modern
flora and fauna. In the archaeological section, a succession
of various finds from various digs effected in the territory
– dating from the Palaeolithic to the Roman age and
finally to the High Medieval era - are presented in chronological
order.
Museo Diocesano (Diocesan Museum):
was inaugurated in 2005 and is housed in a wing of the Palazzo
Vescovile (Bishops Building), to the right of the Cathedral
in Piazza Duomo. It contains a collection of archaeological
finds, tablets and an Art Gallery (on the upper floor).
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