VICENZA, a city, the capital of the delegation of that name in Italy. It is built on two streams, the Bachiglione, and the Recone, which divides it into two parts connected together by four bridges. It is surrounded with walls, having six gates, one of which, leading to the Field of Mars, is considered the master-piece of the celebrated Palladio. Vicenza contains an ancient castle, twenty-two churches, and thirty-three chapels or oratories, with several hospitals. The inhabitants within the walls amount to 20,478, but including the suburbs, are 33,000. These chiefly find occupation in the various stages of preparing silk. The winding and throwing it, to furnish distant markets, is the chief pursuit, and one which of late has vastly increased, and promises in future a still more rapid increase from the great number of mulberry trees that have been reared. Although some of the streets are narrow, and some few of them crooked, yet no place exhibits such specimens of architectural art as this city and its environs. The most distinguished of the edifices were built by Palladio, who was born here in 1518. The cathedral is a noble Gothic building; but the church of Santa Corona is most
admired, especially as it is ornamented with some fine mosaic work and several exquisite paintings. The town-house is the finest specimen of the taste and skill of Palladio, and next to it the palazzo capitaniati, besides which, the palaces of Trifino, of Volpi, of Dornieri, and the opera-house, are beautiful piles of building. The environs are also distinguished by beautiful villas from the same master, the finest of which is that of Balmarana without the gate. Vicenza, like Verona in the middle ages, became an independent state, and like it, was, in 1405, subdued by the Venetians.