No matter how you look at it, this villa is a showstopper: the namesake dome caps a square base, with identical colonnaded facades on all four sides. This is one of Palladio’s most admired creations, inspiring variations across Europe and the USA, including Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Inside, the circular central hall is covered from the walls to the soaring cupola with trompe l'œil frescoes. Catch bus 8 (€1.30, €2 on board) from in front of Vicenza's train station, or simply walk (about 25 minutes).
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Nearby Vicenza attractions
1. Villa Valmarana ‘ai Nani’
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From La Rotonda, a charming footpath leads about 500m to the neoclassical elegance of Villa Valmarana ‘ai Nani’, nicknamed after the 17 statues of dwarves…
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Six metres below modern Vicenza lies one of the city's lesser-known historical treasures – a 1st-century Roman cryptoportico. Discovered during postwar…
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