Basilica palladiana (English)

Updated to: 06/03/2024

The Basilica Palladiana is a symbolic building of Vicenza, north-eastern Italy. It is well-known for the loggia on orders of serlians, designed by the great architect Andrea Palladio, which surrounds the medieval Palazzo della Ragione, and became heritage of Unesco in 1994.
Between 2007 and 2012, the Basilica was restored thanks to the essential contribution of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio of Verona Vicenza Belluno and Ancona. It has been reopened on October 5^th 2012, in conjunction with the great exhibit “Raffaello verso Picasso. Storie di sguardi, volti e figure”.
On May 9^th 2014, the Basilica Palladiana became a National Monument thanks to the draft law approved on March 27^th 2014 during its deliberation by the Culture Committee of the Senate. On May 5^th 2014, during the Basilica Palladiana’s restore, it has been assigned in Vienna the “European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/ 2014 Europa Nostra Award” for the cultural heritage preservation.

Set-up of "Great exhibitions in the Basilica" compacted into a "cube"

During the visit to the hall, you can admire the 8 metres by 8 metres metallic structure, 3.5 metres high.
It is a novel and virtuous architectonic solution from a technical and economic viewpoint.
The walls making up the set-up consist of modular blocks in black metal, with mechanisms that allow them to be easily shifted around and connected in order to create the chosen layout.
Currently underway is a project that will allow the walls of the cube to be used to tell the story of the Palladian Basilica, thereby offering visitors some cues to deepen their knowledge of the monument during the visit.

Visiting hours

Ground floor, Loggias and hall

from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm (last admission 30 minutes before closing time)

Ground floor, Loggias and hall (only watch if possible)

from Wednesday 21st February to Friday 2nd March 2024: from 10 am to 6 pm (last admission 30 minutes before closing time)
closed 23th February 2024
from Friday 2nd March to 30th June 2024 exhibition"POP /BEAT, Italia 1960-1979. Liberi di Sognare": from 10 am to 6 pm (last admission 30 minutes before closing time)

Basilica palladiana closed 20th February 2024

Terrace closed

Admission tickets

Full price
EUR 5
By booking with the call centre: reservation fee EUR 1.50 for individual visitors; EUR 5 for groups of 10 to 25 people
By booking online: reservation fee + 10% of the ticket price, valid for groups residing outside the province of Vicenza

Discounted price
EUR 2
By booking with the call centre: reservation fee EUR 1.50 for individual visitors; EUR 5 for classes)
Valid for:

schools
residents in Vicenza and province
students up to 25 years of age with student card or university record book
FAI members with card
Italian Touring Club members with card
Isic members with card
Ctg members with card
residents outside the Province of Vicenza with entry in the evening after 18:00 during opening hours of the bar service (if available), with possibility of visiting loggias and terraces
residents outside the Province of Vicenza in the event of partial visit to the Monument

Discounted price
EUR 1
Valid for:

residents in Vicenza and province with entry in the evening after 18:00 during opening hours of the bar service (if available), with possibility of visiting loggias and terraces
residents in Vicenza and province in the event of partial visit to the Monument

Subscription for evening entry to the terrace of the Palladian Basilica during the opening of the bar
EUR 10 (valid for 6 months from date of purchase)

Free entry

Kids up to the age of 17 included, no school groups (upon presentation of a valid ID document)
ICOM members - International Council of Museums (upon presentation of a valid ID document)
Tour guides and tour leaders only with group (upon presentation of a valid ID document)
Italian and foreign journalists (upon presentation of a valid document attesting their membership to the association)
Military and law enforcement officials (upon presentation of a valid ID document)
Teachers only if accompanying school groups
People with disabilities and their accompanying persons
Twinned cities or cities linked to Vicenza through a friendship agreement (free access to the host class and to the hosted foreign class)
Accademia Olimpica and its guests: free access to Teatro Olimpico

Archaeological area of Corte dei Bissari

Description
In the basements of the Basilica Palladiana there is the Archeological site of “Corte dei Bissari”.
The archaeological area allows visitors to immerse themselves in the living reality of a distant but crucial epoch to better understand the events that preceded the Palladian Renaissance. Not only ancient stored structures have been recovered, but also a selection of archeological materials retrieved during the excavation, shown in some reserved showcases, respectively, to the Protohistoric Age (VII-II century B.C.), to the first Romanization (II-I century B.C.), and to the Roman and Late Roman Age (I-V century A.D.). One showcase, located at the Langobardic burial reconstruction, keeps a precious golden cross. Thus, the site includes most of Vicenza history, from its foundation, made by the ancient Venetians, to the Renaissance, and also the main attraction, that generates much interest, a residential area urban reconstruction of the ancient Vicetia, at that time adjacent to the city forum.
The archeological site is 150 square meters and has a walkway, from which is possible to see, through the transparent glass floor, the remains of the original Roman road. The path also provides related explanatory materials with titles, subtitles, and captions, also in English.

Visits with the archaeologist

Only by booking (minimum 24 hours beforehand):

Thursday: 30-minute visits from 10 am to 12 pm
Saturday: 30-minute visits from 2 pm to 6 pm

Visits with fixed departure on Saturdays in February, March and April

Information and reservations:
3335764122, didattica.museivicenza@scatolacultura.it

Visitors will be led to the archaeological area by a Scatola Cultura (Culture Box) escort who will provide accurate explanations.

You will be admitted to the archaeological area from the main entrance of the Basilica Palladiana, in Piazza dei Signori.

Ticket
for visits on Thursday and Saturday: EUR 4 per person. The minimum rate of EUR 20 per shift will apply to a minimum number of visitors (from 5 to 7 persons).

Educational activities

For the 2021-2023 three-year period, the educational service of Vicenza’s Civic Museums has been assigned to Scatola Cultura, a non-profit cooperative that offers a very far-reaching program, with several types of educational courses for the various age brackets, from primary school to high school.
Download here the brochure with educational activities
For information on educational activities:
tel. 3483832395, didattica.museivicenza@scatolacultura.it, https://scatolacultura.it/
For bookings: Call Centre: +39 0444 964380 – Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:00, Saturday 9:00 to 14:00.

Jewellery Museum

This museum is the first in Italy and one of the few worldwide to be dedicated exclusively to jewellery. The Jewellery Museum (https://www.museodelgioiello.it/en), a permanent museum space of 410 square metres inside the Palladian Basilica, is a project first developed by Italian Exhibition Group in partnership with the City Council of Vicenza.
The new Museum, offers an original, varied aesthetic and educational jewellery experience, enhancing items with ancient origins, deeply rooted in human culture.

Contacts:
Phone 0444320799, email: info@museodelgioiello.it, website: www.museodelgioiello.it

Privates, concessions for events and shows

For the exclusive use of the terrace (for a maximum of 150 people), the loggia (for a maximum of 350 people), the hall on the noble floor (for a maximum of 90 people) and the Domus Comestabilis room (for a maximum of 50 people), please refer to the Cultural and museum activities service (email: basilicapalladiana@comune.vicenza.it- number 0444222122 - fax 0444222155).
Prices and forms available at: http://www.museicivicivicenza.it/it/other/condizioni.php