Palazzo Chiericati

On Piazza Matteotti near the Teatro Olimpico, this opulent palace is one of Palladio's most unusual. It keeps with his sense of symmetry, but is more decorated and adorned than most, with its statue-studded roof line and clusters of columns. It is said he was inspired by the Doge's Palace in Venice when he designed this noble home for Girolamo Chiericati, a Vicenza count. It was started in 1550 and placed on a prominent, elevated spot on the property.

The palazzo was purchased from the Chiericati heirs by the City of Vicenza to house the civic art gallery. Today the Civic Museum of Art can be visited to admire not just the paintings and sculptures, but the historic villa itself. Masterpieces included works by Tiepolo, Tintoretto and Luca Giordano, among other noted artists.