Long on my list of must-visit cities in Italy is Vicenza, home to Andrea Palladio, one of the Renaissance’s greatest architects. His genius lay in his understanding and respect of proportion. Vicenza is crammed with Palladio’s buildings including the grand basilica, a theater (the first indoor theater in Europe), additions to churches and many palaces. Outside the city are a number of villas, most famous is Palladio’s Villa La Rotonda. We tried to arrange a tour of several villas, but it was frightfully expensive. One day on a long walk I came across Villa I Nani and a kilometer or two further on, Villa La Rotonda. I was delighted to have stumbled across these gems. Vicenza remains in my mind for the splendid meals we enjoyed here.
