No matter how you look at it, this villa is a showstopper: the namesake dome caps a square base, with identical colonnaded facades on all four sides. This is one of Palladio’s most admired creations, inspiring variations across Europe and the USA, including Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Inside, the circular central hall is covered from the walls to the soaring cupola with trompe l'œil frescoes. Catch bus 8 (€1.30, €2 on board) from in front of Vicenza's train station, or simply walk (about 25 minutes).
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La Rotonda
Top choice in Vicenza
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Nearby Vicenza attractions
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From La Rotonda, a charming footpath leads about 500m to the neoclassical elegance of Villa Valmarana ‘ai Nani’, nicknamed after the 17 statues of dwarves…
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Six metres below modern Vicenza lies one of the city's lesser-known historical treasures – a 1st-century Roman cryptoportico. Discovered during postwar…
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Vicenza's expertise in jewellery dates back to 600 BC when the Vicentini were crafting clothing fasteners, called fibula. This museum celebrates that…
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The heart of historic Vicenza is Piazza dei Signori, where Palladio lightens the mood of government buildings with his trademark play of light and shadow…
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Designed by Lorenzo di Bologna, construction of Vicenza's cathedral began in the late 15th century. In the mid-16th century, Andrea Palladio added his own…
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This is one of the few Palladio palaces not strictly open to the public, though as it is the seat of the town council, you can in theory take a sneaky…
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