Summer on social media means scrolling through scads of photos of friends on their sunny Italian holidays: riding rented Vespas around Rome, sunbathing on Capri’s impossibly narrow beaches, sailing near Amalfi’s lofty cliffs on a sea as blue and crystalline as top-shelf blue topaz.
Scenes like these invariably feel epic, because let’s face it—Italy’s highlights are majestic. You’ve probably visited Italy’s major cities, and perhaps even a port or two. But if you’re a fine jewelry or watch lover, there’s a little-known town in Italy’s Veneto region that should be on your next travel itinerary.
Vicenza, a small and serene industrial city that’s just an hour’s drive from Venice, is deeply prized by Italians for two major reasons: the city was the primary laboratory of brilliant architect Andrea Palladio, who developed and honed his style in Vicenza. The architect’s style, which was marked by arched windows, open and covered corridors (called loggias), and the creative use of Greek-inspired pillars, has influenced global architecture for centuries; the White House boasts a Palladian design.
Vicenza is also Italy’s center of goldsmithing. And in a country widely considered to be the world leader in gold jewelry, the designation is one Vicenza wears with pride.
There are roughly 700 jewelry companies in operation in greater Vicenza, with most of these enterprises “sharing a common focus on the meticulous craftsmanship of gold jewelry,” says Luigi Marostica, co-owner of Karizia, a silver jewelry manufacturer based in the city. Major jewelry brands manufacturing in Vicenza include Roberto Coin, Nanis, Matta Cielo, Fope, and Marco Bicego.
Roberto Coin gold and diamond bracelet—the atelier is one of the biggest fine jewelry brands manufactured in Vicenza (courtesy Roberto Coin)
Vicenza is also an historic jewelry epicenter—some of the jewelry stores that line the city’s stunning main square, Piazza dei Signori, have been in business for over a century, their storefronts crowned by chipped-and-worn signs that contrast pleasingly with the gleaming jewels in their windows. (Vicenza’s history of exquisite craftsmanship extends to other categories, too: luxury fashion brand Bottega Veneta, which began as an artisanal leather goods brand, was founded in Vicenza in 1966.)
And since 1954, the city’s been home to the most influential fine jewelry trade show in Europe, Vicenzaoro, which unfurls in the city’s convention center, Fiera di Vicenza, for a few days every January and September, drawing retailers from over 140 countries.
Founded by a handful of local goldsmithing families, the show is open to the trade only, but its existence has helped make Vicenza the jewelry craft and design Mecca it is today. Marostica notes, “The jewelry sector in Vicenza is not merely an economic force but a dynamic ecosystem that fosters creativity, collaboration, and a sense of community.”
Nanis hand-engraved 18k gold and diamond necklace crafted in Vicenza (courtesy Nanis)
Matteo Farsura, global exhibition manager of jewelry and fashion for Italian Exhibition Group, organizer of the Vicenzaoro show, adds, “Vicenza is the real deal—it’s been driving the region's manufacturing scene for centuries. It’s a small city, but capable of surprising with its incredible historical, artistic, and cultural richness. It’s where the age-old craft of jewelry making has thrived for generations, passed down by families of skilled artisans. And that history you can feel it in the air here in Vicenza. It’s a mix of artistry, tech innovation, and creative vibes buzzing all around.”
Your Vicenza Itinerary
You can easily tour Vicenza’s sights on foot, but the twists and turns of its cobblestone streets can be confusing, so consider downloading a walking tour map on the city’s website, vicenzae.org, before exploring.
Begin your journey in the Piazza dei Signori, the city’s magnificent main square that boasts several buildings dating back to the 12th century (see it at top). The Basilica Palladiana, a gothic-style structure that was redesigned by Palladio, is the main attraction here, so take a turn around the event space that was built in the 15th century as the heart of the city’s government.
Cross the piazza to peruse modern Italian fine jewelry brands—many of which are manufactured in the region—including Damiani, Bimbi, Annamaria Cammilli, and Fope, at Soprana dal 1910 (www.soprana.com), a family-owned jewelry and watch store founded by watchmaker Adolfo Soprana in 1910. The Sopranas have cultivated four generations of watchmakers, so the space also includes a workshop that specializes in modern and antique watch and clock repairs and restorations.
Nearby, under the Basilica, where the first guild of goldsmiths in the city was established in 1333, sits the intimate shop of artisan jeweler Daniela Vettori (danielavettori.com), who handcrafts minimalist 18k gold and silver jewelry, often using alternative materials including wood, horn, and lava. Says the designer, "I create jewels for people like me who believe in art.”
Above: The ancient building that houses the Museo del Gioiello (The Jewelry Museum); Below: Inside the museum (courtesy of Museo del Gioiello)
Mosey a few doors down to buy a ticket for a self-guided tour of the Museo del Gioiello (The Jewelry Museum), the only museum dedicated solely to jewelry in Italy (museodelgioiello.it) and, for jewelry and design lovers, an absolute delight.
The 4,413-square-foot museum was developed by the Italian Exhibition Group in partnership with the City Council of Vicenza. On display through 2025: the Italian Jewels exhibition, which showcases Italian jewelry from the region’s goldsmith districts.
The museum’s temporary exhibits, which have hosted fascinating studies on Ancient Egypt’s amulets and jewels and royal crowns and tiaras, among other special collections, are equally intriguing. The bustling museum always has things going on, so check its website before you go to sign up for a seminar or make-your-own-jewelry workshop.
Grab a spritz and a bite to eat in one of the eateries that ring Vicenza's main square, Piazza dei Signori (photographed by Clara Vannucci)
Following your museum tour, savor a “spritz” (Italian shorthand for a classic Aperol spritz) at an outdoor table at one of the elegant cafés and bars beneath the arches of the Basilica, recommends Michela Amenduni, marketing manager of jewelry and fashion for Italian Exhibition Group and managing director of the Jewelry Museum.
Then, grab a bite at one of the many excellent Italian cuisine restaurants in the city center. Angelica Vincenzi, Roberto Coin’s press and content specialist, likes the duck ragut at Angolo Palladio, located in Piazzetta Palladio, a plaza around the corner. “It also has a modest but very reasonably priced wine list full of local Veneto region wines such as Tai Rosso and Valpolicella,” she adds.
End your day by catching a show at The Teatro Olimpico, the world’s oldest inside theater, designed and constructed by Palladio between 1580-1585. The Roman-style auditorium hosts daily theater and music productions.
Spring and summer are high season in Italy, but if you’re a luxury timepiece lover, you may want to plan your Vicenza jaunt in January, when the open-to-the-public watch and vintage jewelry show, VO Vintage (vovintage.com), takes over the Fiera di Vicenza. The show’s 2025 dates are Jan. 17-20.
A rare gold watch shown at the 2023 VO Vintage show, which is open to the public in Vicenza annually (courtesy of Italian Exhibition Group)
The show’s dealer-curated selection of pre-owned luxury watches and vintage jewelry, two categories that are on fire right now in the jewelry and watch worlds, is always world-class. And its educational seminars, geared toward vintage watch and jewelry collectors, spotlights Italy’s horological history, which is as lengthy as its jewelry chronology. Several passages in Italian poet Dante’s Divine Comedy, published in 1472, describe the mechanics of watches—evidence that Italian thinkers and tinkerers have been innovating for centuries.
