Description of the attraction
Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello, as the name implies, is located in Piazza Castello in Vicenza. It is one of two palaces built by Andrea Palladio for the Porto family (the second is simply called Palazzo Porto). The construction of the Palazzo began in 1571, but remained unfinished - only two spans were erected. The reasons why the customer, Alessandro Porto, did not complete the construction to the end remain unknown.
To complete the palace, which was to be quite spacious, it was necessary to demolish a 15th century building belonging to the Porto family, still standing to the left of a huge column with a twisted pillar. The work was completed after the death of Palladio under the direction of the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi. True, the construction of a large arched niche with an arched plan in the courtyard was never completed.
The Palazzo Porta in Piazza Castello reflects the changes that have taken place in the work of Palladio after his visit to Rome. Its grandiose scale cannot be compared, of course, with the Palazzo of the Thiene family, to which Porto was linked by marriage and which stood directly opposite, on the other side of a wide square, but it is quite comparable with its location. According to the architect's idea, the palace was supposed to dominate the open space.
From the two built spans of the facade, one can judge how it should have looked: a large order of composite semi-columns stands on high plinths, which, in turn, rest on a foundation higher than human height. The architrave protrudes steeply above each column: it is equal to one-fifth of the height of the columns and is dotted with Baldassar Peruzzi-style windows that illuminate the mezzanine rooms. The frieze is decorated with convex images of garlands of oak leaves that "hang" from the abacus capitals, and creates a rich sculptural belt that runs across the entire facade. The windows with alternating triangular and radial gables have balconies with balustrades.
In 1994, Palazzo Porto in Piazza Castello was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the category "Palladian Villas of Veneto".
