Vicenza

Vicenza [viˈtʃɛntsa]  listen  (Venetian: Vicensa) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately 60 kilometres (37 mi) west of Venice and 200 kilometres (120 mi) east of Milan.

Vicenza is a thriving and cosmopolitan city, with a rich history and culture, and many museums, art galleries, piazzas, villas, churches and elegant Renaissance palazzi. With the Palladian Villas of the Veneto in the surrounding area, and his renowned Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre), the "city of Palladio" has been enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994.

In December 2008, Vicenza had an estimated population of 115,927 and a metropolitan area of 270 000. Vicenza is the third-largest Italian industrial centre as measured by the value of its exports, and is one of the country's wealthiest cities, in large part due to its textile and steel industries, which employ tens of thousands. Additionally, about one fifth of the country's gold and jewelry is made in Vicenza, greatly contributing to the city's economy. Another important sector is the engineering/computer components industry (Federico Faggin, the microprocessor's co-inventor, was born in Vicenza).

Province of Vicenza

The Province of Vicenza (Italian: Provincia di Vicenza) is a province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Its capital city is Vicenza.

The province has an area of 2,723 km², and a total population of 874,630 (as of 2012). There are 121 comuni (municipalities) in the province. Important towns in the province include Bassano del Grappa, Montecchio Maggiore, Torri di Quartesolo, Schio, Noventa Vicentina, Thiene, Marostica, Lonigo, Arzignano, and Valdagno.

The province's president, since 2014, is Achille Variati of the Democratic Party. The province's president, from 2007 to 2014, was Attilio Schneck of the Liga Veneta party. Liga Veneta is a member of the Lega Nord (Northern League). group of political parties that, in turn, is part of the center-right coalition. Before him, the president was Manuela Dal Lago, also a member of the Liga Veneta.

Population is unevenly spread throughout the province. More than 60% of the populace resides in densely industrialised areas in the eastern, western, and northern (known as Alto Vicentino) conurbations, as well as the area surrounding Bassano del Grappa. The remaining 40% reside in predominantly rural ares in the southern part of the province (the Colli Berici and Basso Vicentino) or the Asiago plateau.