Vicenza

We set out early in order to take a water taxi across the lagoon, there to meet our bus, which took us to the town of Vicenza. Today is Italy’s National Liberation Day, so not everything was open. They were setting up for what appeared to be the main event this evening in the square.

 We met our guide, Roberta, who took us to the Teatro Olympico. This is the world’s oldest indoor theatre of the modern era. It was built in the old prison inside the castle walls. The castle had become redundant in the age of gunpowder, and the Olympic Academy of Vicenza commissioned Andrea Palladio to build a theatre inside, initially for a production of Oedipus Rex. Palladio is Vicenza’s local hero, a stonemason who studied the ancient Greek and Roman architecture, then starting building things in the classical style. Indeed, his name comes from the Greek goddess, Pallas Athene (originally he was just Andrea, son of Pietro). His work and that of his followers influenced everything from the White House to Woburn Abbey, Chiswick House in London, and even (former) Government House in Kolkata.

 

Inside, Roberta explained about the production of Oedipus and the false perspective of the stage. We watched a son et lumière production, which doesn’t really come out on camera. We then visited a house which she informed us was definitely not Palladio’s, before ending at the Palazzo Chiericati, where we also learned about golden ratios and the like. There were some murals on the ceilings too.

After a lunch of Roma Pinsa (pizza to you and me) we reboarded our bus for the drive to Trieste, This took about 2½ hours, and we arrived at Savoia Excelsior Palace Hotel around 5pm. If you think that the name sounds grand, that’s because it is: on the waterfront, it is a hotel in the grand old style of the European Grand Tour. Tonight we will be dining in-house – hopefully a bit better than some of the in-hotel offerings we’ve had so far.