San Vincenzo, Gothic church in Vicenza, Italy

San Vincenzo is a church on Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza, set into the centre of the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà opposite the Basilica Palladiana. Its Baroque facade, built 1614-1617 to a design by Paolo Bonin, has two superimposed three-arch loggias with Corinthian and composite columns. Five statues by Giovanni Battista Albanese crown the upper loggia, and he carved the Pietà relief in 1617. Behind the facade, the interior is a sequence of four spaces from different periods.

A small church was begun in 1385 against the Peronio wall and finished in 1387, the year the Visconti took over the city; the Commune then added an altar to Saints Luke and Ursula. In 1486 a dogal decree expelled the Jews and set up a Monte di Pietà, with a pawn bank housed in San Vincenzo. After the basilica loggias collapsed, work on the Monte palace began in 1499 around the church, whose interior was extended in the early 18th century by Francesco Muttoni.

The church displays religious artworks from different periods that show how artistic styles evolved in the Veneto region over time. Walking through the space, you can see how beliefs and tastes changed century after century.

The church is open during daylight hours, and visiting in the morning is advisable to avoid crowds and have time to look around. Remember to dress appropriately and respect any religious services that may be taking place inside.

The building uses wooden tie beams instead of the flying buttresses typical of northern Europe, showing how Italian builders modified Gothic methods. This approach made better use of local materials and worked better in the warmer climate.