Discover things to do in Agugliaro in the province of Vicenza: the feast of San Marco, the oratory of San Marco, Villa Saraceno, Villa Dal Verme, the oratory of San Bortolo. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Agugliaro?
The municipality of Agugliaro borders to the north with Albettone, to the northwest with Sossano, to the south with Noventa Vicentina, to the east with Vo’ and Lozzo Atestino, to the west with Campiglia dei Berici.
The feast of San Marco
April 25, the anniversary of Italy’s liberation from the Nazi-fascist dictatorship in 1945, coincides with the ancient ceremony in honor of Saint Mark the Evangelist, who lived in the 1st century AD.
The traditional celebration combines the solemnity of the liturgical functions in the oratory of San Marco with the jovial and carefree atmosphere of a bygone popular festival featuring exquisite gastronomic specialties of the Vicenza tradition, from bigoli with ragù and succulent grilled meat dishes to platters of cold cuts to be enjoyed with slices of grilled polenta, not to mention the delicious baccalà alla vicentina, one of the most representative recipes of the province.
If you’re wondering what to do in Agugliaro, the lively village celebration is an unmissable opportunity to experience the spring season in the pleasant rural setting of a welcoming small town in the Basso Vicentino.
The oratory of San Marco
The small 13th-century place of worship features a simple and unadorned double-pitched facade. Lit by five lunettes, four lateral and one at the center of the tympanum, the Romanesque building is surrounded by a small meadow bordered to the north by a lush row of mulberry trees, to the west by a white lane separating it from a vast cornfield.
Particularly valuable elements are the charming bell gable made entirely of wrought iron and the three small spires, crowned with metal crosses.
Villa Saraceno
Designed by Andrea Palladio and built in the mid-16th century, the sumptuous manor house is harmoniously set in a well-kept garden framed by plane trees, poplars, and black locusts in the heart of the Agugliaro countryside.
Accessible via an elegant staircase, the south facade of the Renaissance residence is vertically divided into three sections, the central one, ending with a dentilated triangular pediment, features a loggia punctuated by three round arches.
In the lateral sections, there are two pedimented windows above which stands a quadrangular opening. To the east of the main building (at Via Finale, 8) stretches a refined rustic annex with a portico.
If you’re wondering what to do in Agugliaro and want to discover a gem of 16th-century architecture decorated with dazzling frescoed works, Villa Saraceno is a must-see!
Villa Dal Verme
Overlooking the Liona canal, the splendid 15th-century villa is set in the boundless Vicenza rural landscape punctuated on the horizon by the gentle slopes of the Berici hills (45.32808044906505, 11.58201861962626).
One of the most evocative panoramic views of the area is provided by the southern facade of the villa, which on the piano nobile features a Gothic three-light window with trefoil arches, reflected in the waters of the canal.
Oratory of San Bortolo
Located in Via Roma in the urban heart of the village, a stone’s throw from the majestic barchessa Pigafetta, Trolio, Bressan, the solemn mass of the neoclassical place of worship is characterized by a front divided into three by two pairs of Corinthian pilasters supporting the architrave and the dentilated pediment. The latter is crowned by three statues, the central one depicting the Madonna and Child.
Accessible via a massive wooden door, the oratory is flanked by a soaring bell tower on whose top stands a sinuous spire resting on an octagonal drum.
Of notable workmanship are the sculptures of two female figures reclining on the slopes of the tympanum above the portal.
