The Basilica Palladiana is a public building that overlooks Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza. Its name is inextricably linked to the Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, who redesigned the Palazzo della Ragione by adding the famous white marble serliana loggias to the pre-existing Gothic building.
Once the seat of the public magistrates of Vicenza, today the Basilica Palladiana, equipped with three independent exhibition spaces, is the scene of architectural and art exhibitions.
It was Palladio himself who gave the building the name "Basilica", since in the 16th century the term "basilica" did not indicate a church, but rather a meeting room or a courtroom. But it is only inside that one can perceive the enormous size of the imposing building. Especially in the great hall on the second floor you get a good perspective of the size of the building.
Since 1994 it is, with the other architectures of Palladio in Vicenza, in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Since 2014 the prestigious building receives the honors and the promotion to national monument by the Chamber and the Senate of the Republic.
