Vicenza
a town of north Italy; capital of a province of the same name; 49 miles W. of Venice, on the Bacchiglione, where joined by the Retrone at the foot of some wooded hills. It is well built, containing handsome streets and several elegant squares. The public buildings are almost all the work of Palladio, who was born here, or of scholars who rather slavishly imitated him. The most remarkable edifices are the Duomo or cathedral; the Palazzo della Ragione (town hall), an ancient Gothic building, with fine connected buildings, by Palladio; the Museum, one of Palladio's finest buildings; the Palazzo-Prefetizzio, and the theater, both by Palladio; the lyceum, churches, and hospitals. The manufactures are silk, woolen, and linen tissues, leather, earthenware, hats, etc.
Vicenza (Vicentia) was founded above a century before the Christian era, and became a Roman municipal town. Pop. about 57,016.