Palladio and Gnocchi

Another win for the ECCO program! A few weeks ago they took us on a lovely day trip to Vicenza in the Veneto region. I had never actually heard of this city, so it was quite the pleasant surprise to arrive to the sunny open streets and incredible architecture. Andrea Palladio is from Vicenza, and if you don't know who he is, let's just say that Wikipedia calls him "the most influential individual in the history of Western architecture." Dang. My little art history heart was a-thumping all day. Our first stop was the Teatro Olimpico. 

The Teatro Olimpico (constructed 1580-1585) was designed by Palladio but not completed until after his death. It is one of only three remaining Renaissance theaters in existence (the other two were largely based on it) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It gives the appearance of ancient and expensive marble and statues but is actually made of only brick and wood. The illusion continues behind the Palladian facade, where the stage recedes into an artfully crafted trompe-l'oeil city of streets receding into the "far" distance. The classical city scenery looks startlingly real and was designed by Vincenzo Scamozzi after Palladio's death. I only had my iPhone all day, but no camera could capture how cool this theater is. Definitely worth a visit.

Outside the streets are wide and well kept, and the buildings are classically simple interspersed with some architectural gems.

The main square, Piazza dei Signori, holds the gorgeously huge Basilica Palladiana (too big for one photo). We went inside for a fantastic treat- a visiting Monet show! Well not just Monet, actually Verso Monet was organized as a survey of landscape painting from the 17th to 20th centuries. I have to say the last room of impressionist landscapes was almost overwhelming in how many masterpieces they had collected in one space.

Two of my favorite works from the show were Van Gogh's Vegetable Gardens in Montmartre (1887), and Monet's Fisherman's Cottage on the Cliffs at Varengeville (1882). I actually got an iPhone case of the Van Gogh...

For lunch we went to a little trattoria off the piazza, recommended to us by our tour guide. La Gattaccia was a lovely little place, and it was warm enough to have our first outdoor meal of the year! I had fresh truffle and fennel gnocchi with clams. Wow. Dessert was a chocolate salami (NOT what you're thinking, it's like a soft cookie roll of chocolate and coffee dough sprinkled with bits of vanilla biscuit) served with cream and pomegranate seeds.

Last stop was the famous Palladian Villa Rotunda from afar, over a field of bright yellow flowers! It's one of the most perfectly proportional pieces of architecture in the world. Unfortunately closed on Saturdays. 

A sleepy but contented bus ride through the countryside had us back in Bologna by dinner.