Basilica Palladiana

About the museum

The ancient civic palaces of Vicenza stood in the area now enclosed by the Palladian loggias, and they are documented from the second half of the 13th century. After fires and damage, reconstruction began around 1450: on the lower walls the great hall was built, covered by a ceiling shaped like an inverted ship’s hull. The new Palazzo della Ragione, attributed to the municipal engineer Domenico da Venezia, housed the city councils and the administration of justice, with craft workshops on the ground floor.

The double-order loggias built by Tommaso Formenton between 1481 and 1494 collapsed after barely two years. For the reconstruction the Comune consulted the greatest architects of the time, and the discussion lasted almost fifty years. In 1546 Andrea Palladio’s design prevailed: it used the repeated serliana (Serlian window) to clothe the building in a new classical order, and it gave the building its name of “basilica”. The works continued for over sixty years, until 1617. The hall’s ceiling was rebuilt in the 19th century, burnt in the air raids of 1945 and replaced in 1947; after the latest restoration it is made of laminated wood and copper.

A conservation and functional restoration, decided by the Comune with an international competition in 2002, was carried out between 2007 and 2012: the basilica reopened on 5 October 2012. Today the monument comprises the hall, which hosts major exhibitions, the upper loggia, the terrace and, in the basements, the archaeological area of Corte dei Bissari, with structures from protohistory to the Renaissance.

Highlights

• Hall of 52 by 22 metres with a hull-shaped ceiling
• Palladio’s loggias with serliane
• Panoramic terrace over the centre of Vicenza
• Corte dei Bissari archaeological area, with a Roman road visible from the walkway
• Tactile model of the city with audio guide (Italian and English)

Operated by

Comune di Vicenza – Musei Civici

Visitors per year

approx. 143,011

Admission & discounts

The single ticket is valid for one day from the date of purchase. Also free for accompanying teachers of school groups, ICOM members, licensed tourist guides, journalists, military personnel and police in uniform or with a card, and children of the municipal nursery and pre-school schools of Vicenza. Reduced entry with the Gold, Silver and Platinum Cards of the Musei Civici. If the monument is partially closed, the reduced price for the terrace and tours is €1.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance from Piazza dei Signori, towards the Torre Bissara, is reached by 3 steps or by a ramp at 8%. All four floors are accessible by two lifts. Available: a tactile model of the city with audio guide in Italian and English, a tactile map of the archaeological area with texts also in Braille, 3D reproductions of finds, a guide to the monument in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), and seats in the hall and on the terrace.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

A toilet with a changing table on the first floor.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Cloakroom with lockable lockers on the ground floor. Bar service on the terrace in the summer months; bookshop when exhibitions are on.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit