Vicenza, a northeastern province in Italy, is seeking to share and promote its identity to a global audience. Helmed by local community project Exploro, the “Explore Vicenza” initiative aims to highlight the region’s unique offerings and promote tourism.
Vicenza serves as a calmer, culturally rich counterpoint to neighboring Venice and Verona. Significant highlights include its 4,300 Venetian villas, many of which have been converted into reasonably priced accommodations, including 23 16th-century villas designed by architect Andrea Palladio. Vicenza also holds UNESCO World Heritage status and is home to Teatro Olimpico (equipped with the oldest surviving stage set still in existence) and the Basilica Palladiana.
The region is also home to Nove, “The Town of Ceramics.” The province is also the birthplace of Italian staples such as Asiago cheese, grappa, Recoaro spring water and baccalà alla vicentina. Vicenza’s Beric Hills, Brenta River, and scenic grottos host rafting, hiking, biking and other outdoor sports. The province sustains its ancient customs, illustrated in the town of Marostica’s biannual Living Chess Match, where costumed locals replace pawns in a live, large-scale chess game in the central square. Lastly, Vicenza, not Verona, is the location of the Juliet house: Shakespeare lifted the idea for his star-crossed lovers from Vicentino Luigi da Porto’s novella, inspired by a duo of fortresses in the small town of Montecchio Maggiore. The medieval castles, aptly named I Castelli di Romeo & Giulietta, are open to visitors.
“Exploro is a community project born from the strong desire of a group of Vicenza entrepreneurs to highlight their territory through its local excellences and people,” said Lorenza Breda, president of Bassano KMQ, lead member of Exploro. “A land rich in small villages and hill-top towns waiting to be discovered, from Vicenza to Bassano del Grappa, from Marostica to the Berici Hills, from the Brenta Valley to Asiago. Authentic places that, unlike neighboring Venice and Verona, remain unexplored from a tourist perspective. Vicenza is a destination that captivates nature enthusiasts, architecture lovers, and food and wine enthusiasts alike, all throughout the year.”
For more information, visit www.exploro.it.
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