Wherefore Art Thou Verona

In lieu of our Paris trip that Hans cancelled we are going on a series of day trips to architecturally significant sights that are on any architect's bucket list. Today we were taking our day trip to Northern Italy. We started by going to the farthest east place and working our way back. The first stop was Brion Cemetery in San Vito d'Altivole near Treviso, Italy. This cemetery was completed between 1968 and 1978 by Carlo Scarpa. There are so many beautiful details abound in this cemetery. From the tomb for the Brions to the intersecting circles that are so elegantly designed. So much was put into the cemetery for the living despite the fact it is a place for the dead. It is an interesting juxtaposition and a question that arises when designing a cemetery, who is it really for?

Brion Cemetery

Once we finished up at the cemetery we drove about an hour to the city of Vicenza. This city was home to famous architect Andrea Palladio in the 16th century. He is one of the most influential individuals in the history of architecture. His style and proportions are used throughout the architectural world. The first building we went to was the Teatro Olimpico. This is a theatre completed by Palladio in 1585. It is very intricately designed and includes a detailed perspective set piece. It is such an anomaly compared to all the other similar theatres I've seen. From there we walked to Piazza delle Erbe to see the Basilica Palladiana. This is a former palazzo now museum and shops. The original Gothic building is surrounded by loggias of Palladio's design. It was such a large project that it took 65 years to complete. It is an iconic early step of Palladio.

Teatro Olimpico

Basilica Palladiana

The last stop of the day was the city of Verona. While having its own character, Verona's claim to fame is the setting of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. We had one planned stop in the city which was Castelvecchio, a castle from the Middle Ages in the 14th century. Architect Carlo Scarpa completed restorations from 1959 to 1973 which turned the complex into a museum. Scarpa's details are ever present throughout the castle which makes for beautiful moments. We had quite a bit of time here before going on a short walking tour of Verona. It is such a beautiful city and reminds me of a miniature Rome. I wish I had more time here to explore but it was getting late and we still had a two hour drive home.

Interior courtyard at Castelvecchio

Our next day trip is Thursday to Como, Italy which is about 20 minutes away on the Swiss-Italian border.