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Vicenza is a town in the northeastern part of Italy. It is located near the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it borders the Bacchiglione River, in the Veneto region. Vicenza is around 60 kilometers west of Venice and about 200 kilometers east of Milan.

Vicenza is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city with a rich history and culture, as well as a plethora of museums, art galleries, piazzas, villas, cathedrals, and magnificent Renaissance palazzi. The "city of Palladio" has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994, including the Palladian Villas of Veneto in the surrounding area and his famed Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theater).

Vicenza is the third-largest Italian industrial center in terms of export value, and one of the country's wealthiest cities, thanks to its textile and steel sectors, which employ tens of thousands of people. Vicenza also produces nearly a fifth of the country's gold and jewelry, which contributes significantly to the city's economy. Another prominent business is engineering/computer components (Federico Faggin, co-inventor of the microprocessor, was born in Vicenza).

The following are some of the most important historical churches:

The Cathedral of Vicenza (church of Santa Maria Annunciata), which dates from the early 11th century and has been restored in the 13th, 16th, 19th, and after the ruinous destruction of World War II, contains a number of paintings and sculptures, nearly all of which are by Vicentine artists; Andrea Palladio designed the dome and north side door.

The Basilica Sanctuary of Saint Mary of Monte Berico was built in two stages, establishing two churches in distinct styles: the first in Gothic style in 1428, and the second in late-baroque style in 1703 by Carlo Borella. The enormous painting The Supper of Saint Gregory the Great by Paolo Veronese is housed in the nearby convent. Antonio Piovene designed the bell tower in 1826. The basilica recalls two appearances of Our Lady to Vincenza Pasini, a devout woman from a nearby town, as well as the city's rescue from a dreadful disease.

Basilica of Santi Felice and Fortunato: a basilica erected within a Roman cemetery in the 4th century and enlarged in the 5th century to hold the relics of the martyrs Felice and Fortunato. The city and the cathedral were destroyed by the Hungarians in the 9th century; by the 10th century, the church had been rebuilt by Bishop Rodolfo with the help of Emperor Otto II. It was built in the style of a paleochristian basilica, with a rectangular plan that was later expanded and divided into three naves. The Benedictines rebuilt the baptistery and semicircular apse after the Hungarian invasions, adding the bell tower and rosette, as well as a series of blind arches and a Byzantine cross in front. The interiors were drastically altered in following years, with Baroque altars and ornamentation being added. Many of these embellishments were removed during a renovation in the twentieth century. A modest museum exhibition featuring archaeological findings from the church and the neighboring Roman necropolis is located next to the church.