Lonigo

Lonigo is a small and pretty town located on the borders of the Berici Hills, with gentle mountain ridges in miniature, with a rock face that can reach a hundred meters and long slopes patiently cultivated by man. The Vicenza area is rich in treasures, from the many Palladian villas to small hidden villages, in a unique environment, sometimes even with a climate similar to the Mediterranean, especially in the southern area of the Berici Hills. The first settlements found in the surrounding hills date back to the Bronze Age, also thanks to the fertile lands of these places, which over the centuries has hosted various civilizations, from the Paleo-Venetian to the Romans.

To visit we find the Lonigo Cathedral, also called Santissimo Redentore Church, built with neo-Romanesque forms, a trend that went between the XVIII and XIX century and was inspired by the Romanesque style. The façade resumes that of the church of San Zeno in Verona, divided into three vertical parts, decorated with arches and three pinnacles superimposed on the tympanum. The interior with a Latin cross plan and divided into three naves, separated by marble columns, surmounted by an octagonal dome. On the walls of the minor naves, mosaic paintings of the Via Crucis, made on the island of Murano, are visible.

Just outside the center, in the hamlet of Madonna, the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Miracoli, it is a small chapel adorned with Baroque frescoes flanked in the fifteenth century by a Gothic church with a Lombard facade. The small church dedicated to San Pietro in Lamentese is thought to have been built in memory of the massacre committed by the Huns of Attila.

The presence of this church is documented by Pope John X as early as 928, who granted Benedictine monks to build a small monastery. Over time, the building fell into disrepair until May 1, 1486, when drops of blood from the chest began to flow from the image of the virgin painted on the church, after being damaged and outraged, thus awakening hearts of the faithful.

Then came the Olivetans, the white Benedictine reformers, who got to officiate and build a monastery, arranging the votive church with the thaumaturgical image, and expanding a third larger area and decorated for the big celebrations, made necessary by the large influx of faithful who followed the miraculous event. From that day the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Miracoli became a destination of devotion and pilgrimage.

Outside the city we find the Rocca Pisana, or also called Villa Pisani, a spectacular Palladian-style Venetian villa in the countryside, designed by the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi in 1576, for the client and landowner Vettor Pisani. A powerful Venetian family in the area, which owned several agricultural properties throughout the Veneto region, including Villa Pisani called La Nazionale, in Stra, Villa Pisani in Montagnana, Pisani Moretta Palace in Venice, Villa Pisani in Bagnolo di Lonigo and the Rocca Pisana.

A family that had an important historical, political and economic role in the Republic of Venice, between the twelfth and eighteenth centuries. The Rocca Pisana built on the top of a hill outside Lonigo, was not intended as a dwelling, but for fun, surrounded by nature, far away from the smell and mosquitoes. It is one of the masterpieces of the architect Scamozzi, who builds the building on the remains of an older fortress, destroyed by Ezzelino da Romano. The Rocca is visible from a great distance, and is characterized by its square structure surmounted by an octagonal dome.

The facade presents itself with a Roman staircase, which leads to the pronaos with six Ionic columns, which support the toothed tympanum. Inside there is a large living room, surrounded by other rooms furnished with period furniture and memories of the Pisani family. Spectacular is the panorama that can be admired from the villa, which on clear days, ranges up to the Alps.

◊ THE VICENZA PROVINCE ◊

It is one of the most industrialized and richest areas in Italy but, at the same time, still maintains many green and wild areas. You’ll beamazed by the charm of this city thanks to its Palladian villas, sumptuous palaces, the great green valleys that run throughout the territory, such as the Valsugana, and the great enchanted woods of the Seven Municipalities Plateau. Do not miss the typical towns of Vicenza, set in the territory as precious diamonds, which preserve works and typical products of the highest prestige. This province, famous for the nicknames about cats, will surprise you day by day for its artistic beauties scattered throughout the territory. Plan your holidays in the province of Vicenza, our tips and suggestive photographs will help you to take the right path for your trip.

◊ SPECIAL CATEGORIES ◊

The Veneto Region, nestled in the north-east of Italy, is a mix of history and traditions and, all of it, is enriched by the liveliness of its inhabitants and by a wide range of typical products all to be savored. From the highest peaks of the Dolomites, he embraces and welcomes each visitor with brotherly warmth, accommodating him among the many lounges of his cities of art, giving him unforgettable emotions. Turning between the pages of this site, you can organize your next holidays in the Veneto region and thanks to the many photos published, everything will be very simple.