The origins of the Sanctuary of Monte Berico are linked to two apparitions of the Madonna to Vincenza Pasini, a woman bringing food to her husband who was working on the hill: the first on 7 March 1426, the second on 1 August 1428. Our Lady promised an end to the plague and asked that a church be dedicated to her in that place. So in 1428, within a few months, the first late Gothic church and a small cenoby were built to house a religious community dedicated to welcoming pilgrims.

The Basilica Palladiana, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, is the symbol of the city of Vicenza. The beating heart of Vicenza's political and economic activity, in medieval times the Palazzo della Ragione appeared as a Gothic building, characterised by an enormous hall on the upper floor and animated on the ground floor by an active group of workshops. Following the collapse of the 15th-century loggias designed by Tommaso Formenton, in the 16th century the City Council discussed the renovation of the building: the great names of architecture of the time were involved, from Giulio Romano to Sebastiano Serlio, from Jacopo Sansovino to Michele Sanmicheli. In spite of such illustrious opinions, in March 1546, the Council approved the design of a local architect of only thirty-eight years of age, who was decidedly little known at the time: Andrea Palladio.

Walking tour of the city of Vicenza