Palazzo Chiericati Reopens After €6.5M Restoration

Palazzo Chiericati, a Renaissance palace designed by Andrea Palladio in Vicenza, has reopened after a €6.5 million restoration. The project, described by deputy mayor Jacopo Bulgarini d'Elci as a political investment to build citizenship, began with initial plans in 1999. The 16th-century wing was completed by December 2013, and the entire palace now houses the city's civic museums with 4,500 paintings and sculptures, plus drawings, prints, coins, and decorative arts. Storage areas are accessible to the public. The 19th-century wing remains closed but is slated to open by 2018, doubling exhibition space to 2,960 square meters. The museum will emphasize education and include a café. Funding came from the municipality (10% of its borrowing capacity) and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Verona, Vicenza, Belluno e Ancona. The nearby Basilica Palladiana saw over 1.2 million visitors in four years after its reopening, and Palazzo Chiericati's management costs are 65% covered by ticket sales. A large Tintoretto painting is currently sought by four major museums. The chronological exhibition covers medieval Vicenza through the 16th century, featuring a reconstruction of the interior of the church of San Bartolomeo with its altarpieces. Original frames have been restored and remounted on their paintings. The collection highlights 16th-century Vicentine painting influenced by Giovanni Bellini.