Description of the attraction
Palazzo Thiene is a 15th-16th century palace in Vicenza, built for Marcantonio and Adriano Thiene. Probably, the creator of the palace project in 1542 was Giulio Romano, but already at the construction stage, in 1544, Andrea Palladio reworked it. In 1994, the palace was included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites. Today it houses the headquarters of the bank and sometimes hosts exhibitions and cultural events.
The construction of the original building in the Gothic style, Lodovico Thiene, was commissioned in 1490 by the architect Lorenzo da Bologna. Its eastern façade, facing the Contra Porti district, was made of bricks, while Tommaso da Lugano worked over the portal, decorated with a triple pink marble window. In 1542, the Thiene brothers decided to reconstruct the 15th century family palace and turn it into a huge residence measuring 54 by 62 meters. According to their idea, the facade of the building was to face the main street of Vicenza - the current Corso Palladio.
The wealthy, influential and sophisticated Marcantonio and Adriano Thiene were members of that aristocratic Italian society, whose members could easily move between the royal courts of Europe. That is why they needed an appropriate residence that would reflect their status and could receive the highest guests. Most likely, the experienced architect Giulio Romano worked on the project of the Palazzo (from 1533 he was at the Mantuan court of Gonzaga, with whom Thiene was in close relations), and the young Palladio was responsible for its implementation. After Romano's death in 1546, Palladio took over the construction management.
The architectural elements of Palazzo Thiene, attributed to Romano and which are clearly foreign to the Palladian style, are easily recognizable: for example, the four-column atrium is very similar to the atrium of Palazzo Te, despite the fact that Palladio changed its vaults. Romano's authorship also includes the windows and facades of the lower floors, facing the street and the courtyard, while Palladio added his features to the entablature and capitals of the upper floors.
Construction work, as mentioned above, began in 1542, but proceeded very slowly: the inscription 1556 was engraved on the outer facade, and 1558 on the facade of the inner courtyard. In 1552, Adriano Thiene died in France, and later, when Marcantonio Thiene's son, Giulio, became Marquis of Scandiano, family interests gradually shifted to Ferrara. As a result, only a small part of the grandiose Palazzo Thiene project was realized. Probably, neither the Venetian nor other Vicentine aristocratic families could afford the maintenance of such a personal kingdom in the very center of the city.
