The classic
Vicenza, Palladio's city
Teatro Olimpico, Corso Palladio, Santa Corona and the Basilica Palladiana on Piazza dei Signori: the essential walking tour for understanding Vicenza.
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Private guided tour · About 2.5 hours
Carlo Scarpa in Vicenza
A walk through twentieth-century architecture in Vicenza, following in the footsteps of the great Venetian master who spent his childhood here and came back to live in the city in his final years.
- Guiding since 2008
- Licensed guide no. 05000058
- Private tours only
- IT · EN · FR
At a glance
Where can you see Carlo Scarpa's work in Vicenza?
Carlo Scarpa left little-known but outstanding work in Vicenza, such as the Condominio Borgo in contrà del Quartiere (1974-79) and the interiors of Casa Gallo (1962). The private tour of about 2.5 hours, on foot in the historic centre, tells the story of the architect's bond with the city and his dialogue with Palladio. It is aimed at architects, students and design enthusiasts; many of the works are private and are seen from the outside.
Practical information
The tour in brief
- Duration
- About 2.5 hours, on foot
- Meeting point
- Historic centre, agreed when you book
- Languages
- English, Italian, French
- Ideal for
- Architects, architecture and design students, lovers of the twentieth century
- Admission
- Any tickets not included
- Interiors
- Mostly private works, seen from the outside except on special openings
Who Carlo Scarpa was, and why Vicenza
Carlo Scarpa (Venice, 1906 – Sendai, Japan, 1978) is one of the leading figures of twentieth-century Italian architecture: a master of detail, of light, of materials worked as if in a craftsman's workshop. He trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Venice, worked for many years with the Murano glassworks and created museum installations and buildings that are now studied all over the world.
His bond with Vicenza began early: the family moved here when Carlo was about two and stayed until his mother's death, when the thirteen-year-old returned to Venice with his father and brother. The Palladio Museum recalls that as a child he played beneath the portico of Palazzo Chiericati. In 1972 Scarpa came back to live in Vicenza, where he had a home until his death in 1978.
The route
Twentieth-century architecture in Vicenza: the stops
The route adapts to the works that are actually accessible at the time of your visit.
The portico of Palazzo Chiericati
We start where it all began: beneath Palladio's loggias where Scarpa played as a child. Here we introduce the themes of the walk: classical proportion, light, and the relationship between building and public space.
The Condominio Borgo in contrà del Quartiere
Designed in 1974 and built between 1975 and 1979 with his collaborator Francesco Guiotto, it was completed after the architect's death. It is Scarpa's only apartment building: we will look at the recessed entrance with its water garden, the red-painted steel beams and capitals, the concrete bands separating the floors and the asymmetrically placed windows. A private residential building, seen from the outside.
Casa Gallo, the 1962 interiors
An interior design project, now private, that reveals Scarpa at his most intimate: care for materials, bespoke furniture, finely judged light. We discuss it through drawings and images, and see it at close quarters only on special openings.
Scarpa's other work in Vicenza
In the 1970s Scarpa also worked in Vicenza on Villa Matteazzi Chiesa (1974-75), Villa Zileri (1975-76) and the interiors of Casa Golin (1977), as well as an unbuilt design for a new city theatre (1968-69). These are private or never-built works: we will place them in the context of the city, pointing out what can and cannot be seen.
From the twentieth century back to Palladio: the finale in the centre
We finish by returning to the Palladian monuments, to compare, a few steps apart, two ways of understanding classicism: the Renaissance rule and its modern reinterpretation.
Scarpa and Palladio: a dialogue across four centuries
What do a sixteenth-century architect and a twentieth-century one have in common? More than you might think. Both work with Venetian stone and plaster, both study antiquity, both conceive the building as a system of proportions and light. But where Palladio seeks rule and symmetry, Scarpa breaks symmetry, takes things apart, and emphasises the joints and transitions between one material and another.
Vicenza is the ideal place to see this comparison in real life: the city that Palladio transformed in the Renaissance is the same one in which Scarpa grew up and where he left some of his last works. During the visit we will use the Palladian façades as a key to reading Scarpa's details, and vice versa.
Before you book
What's included and good to know
Included
- Private visit with a licensed tour guide (National Register no. 05000058)
- A route built around your interests, including for study groups
- Suggestions for discovering more of Scarpa in the Veneto
Good to know
- Many of Scarpa's works in Vicenza are private homes: they are seen from the outside, respecting the residents, except on special openings.
- We cannot guarantee access to interiors; when visiting opportunities arise, we will let you know.
- Any admission tickets are not included in the guide's fee.
- A personalised, transparent quote before you confirm.
Who it's for
Who the Scarpa tour is designed for
Architects
A chance to see a little-known residential work by Scarpa in real life and compare it with Palladio.
Students and teachers
Routes for university groups and classes in architecture, design and art history.
Design lovers
For those who love materials, details and twentieth-century design culture.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Carlo Scarpa in Vicenza
Which works by Carlo Scarpa are in Vicenza?
The main ones are the Condominio Borgo in contrà del Quartiere (1974-79) and the interiors of Casa Gallo (1962). Scarpa also worked on Villa Matteazzi Chiesa, Villa Zileri and the interiors of Casa Golin, all private works.
Can you visit the interiors of Scarpa's works in Vicenza?
Generally not, because they are private homes. We look at them from the outside and explain them with drawings and images; if there are special openings during your visit, we will let you know.
Did Carlo Scarpa live in Vicenza?
Yes. His family moved to Vicenza when he was a child and he stayed until he was about thirteen, when he returned to Venice. In 1972 he settled in Vicenza again, where he lived until his death in 1978.
Is the tour suitable for university groups?
Yes. We can tailor content and length for architecture or design courses, agreeing in advance on the topics to explore.
Where can you see more of Scarpa's work in the Veneto?
Among the best known are the Brion Tomb at Altivole, the Gipsoteca Canoviana at Possagno, the Castelvecchio Museum in Verona and the Fondazione Querini Stampalia in Venice. We can advise you on how to plan an itinerary.
Gallery
Images from the tour
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Choose a date and the number of guests: you will receive a summary by email straight away, and Daniela will reply personally with availability and a written quote. The request is not yet a confirmed booking.
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Tell us about your interests and when you plan to visit: we will build the route and send you a clear quote before you confirm.
