The world-famous local attraction is the Teatro Olimpico resembling a prehistoric arena by its shape. The construction of the grand theater is connected with quite an unusual story. The project plan of the cultural institution presented by Andrea Palladio was so ambitious that the theater academy simply could not afford to implement it. Nevertheless, people of theater did not want to give up the original idea of building an antique theater and asked local patrons for financial support. In return, they offered to place sculptural portraits of patrons on the stage. These monuments can be seen in the theater even today.
Vicenza has a number of great museums, visiting which brings a lot of pleasure as well. A large collection of works by Italian artists is presented in the Civic Art Gallery. It stores many priceless works of Tintoretto, Giordano, van Dyck and Palladio. Interesting collections of natural and archaeological exhibits are displayed in the National Museum of Nature and Science. Watch interesting experiments and learn more about the achievements of modern science during a tour of the Risorgimento and Resistance Museum occupying a beautiful historic villa.
Gallerie di Palazzo Leoni Montanari introduces visitors to a huge collection of religious artifacts, as well as works by Venetian artists. There are more than four hundred icons alone. Of course, Vicenza has a museum fully dedicated to the architect Palladio who glorified it. Its collection is made up by miniature layouts of buildings, historical documents, and drawings, as well as films about the architect.
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