Gallerie di Palazzo Thiene

About the museum

The first nucleus of the palazzo, on Contrà Porti, was commissioned by Ludovico Thiene and built at the end of the 15th century by Lorenzo da Bologna. In 1542 Marcantonio and Adriano Thiene entrusted Giulio Romano with the design of a large family residence, intended to occupy the entire block.

After Giulio Romano left, Andrea Palladio took over. He softened the more pronounced features of the original design and gave the building greater balance. Work came to a halt with the death of Marcantonio Thiene in 1560, and the palazzo remained unfinished, although it is still an important reference in Palladio’s work. The stucco work and sculptures are by Alessandro Vittoria and Bartolomeo Ridolfi, the frescoes by Bernardino India and Anselmo Canera.

In 1872 the Banca Popolare di Vicenza bought the palazzo and had it restored. Since 2021 the building has been owned by the City of Vicenza and has become part of the civic museum system. After an extraordinary opening on 25 September 2021, it has been open to visitors from Thursday to Sunday since 15 January 2022.

The galleries hold paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries, largely by Venetian artists, Antonibon ceramics, 19th-century Venetian popular plates and sculptures by Arturo Martini. The Galleria Nereo Quagliato is located in the attic.

Highlights

• Architecture of the palazzo, designed by Giulio Romano and continued by Palladio
• Venetian paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries
• Antonibon ceramics (visible on request)
• Sculptures by Arturo Martini
• Galleria Nereo Quagliato with 39 works by the Vicenza sculptor

Permanent exhibitions

• Dipinti, ceramiche e sculture delle Gallerie – Route through the palazzo’s rooms with paintings from the 16th to 19th centuries, Antonibon ceramics and sculptures by Arturo Martini.
• Galleria Nereo Quagliato – 39 works by the Vicenza sculptor are on display in the attic: 30 donated by Armando Peressoni and 9 from the civic collections.

Founded

2022

Operated by

Comune di Vicenza (Musei Civici)

Visitors per year

approx. 17,329

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month free for residents of the municipality and province of Vicenza. Also free for accompanying teachers, ICOM members, licensed tour guides, journalists and police officers.

The single ticket is valid for one day from the date of purchase. Reduced and free tickets are only available at the physical ticket offices, not online. Vicenza Cards are available (Gold €22, Silver €16).

Accessibility

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

The entrance has a small step of about 3 cm. Two lifts with Braille buttons and an audible signal serve all four floors. The second floor (sculptures by Arturo Martini and Nereo Quagliato) can only be reached by a flight of six steps. The accessible toilet is on the basement floor, without a grab rail. Benches line the route, captions are in Italian and English, and a museum guide in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is available.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check: not available

There is no cloakroom.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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