During my first visit to Vicenza in 2017 I became acquainted with the local saints Felix and Fortunatus. The two brothers were depicted on a large polyptych by Lorenzo Veneziano in the Duomo of the city. Not much is known about them, but it is usually assumed that the brothers…
Vicenza’s Teatro Olimpico can be counted among the most famous creations of the architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580). Palladio designed the theatre, but died before it could be completed. It is therefore only fair to see the theatre as a work by his student Vincenzo Scamozzi (1548-1616) as well. Scamozzi not…
The thirteenth century church of San Lorenzo in Vicenza is of course dedicated to Saint Lawrence the Deacon, martyred in 258 (more information here and here). The church and adjacent monastery have always been administered by members of the Franciscan Order. Now Saint Lawrence is not a typical Franciscan saint…
As the name suggests, the church of Santa Corona in Vicenza is named after the sacred crown of thorns that Jezus was forced to wear after his arrest and that was part of his Passion. The church possesses one of the thorns of this crown as a precious relic. It…
The city of Vicenza was known as Vicetia during the Roman era. It seems to have been of relatively minor importance, but its cathedral goes back a long way. By the third century CE, Vicenza had a Christian community that made use of a Roman building from the first century.…