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Famous Tourists
Famous people who have visited Vicenza
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Military tourists
Unfortunately, Vicenza was also the scene of bloody battles during the First World War (above all on the Asiago tableland) and was subjected to heavy bombing in the Second World War. These unhappy times saw the presence of important figures on the international scene, involved in the wars in various roles and who we wish to recall as “military tourists”, in order to play down the dramatic nature of the events.
GABRIELE D'ANNUNZIO, in 1915 he took off from Asiago for his daring raids. On 23 September, flying over the city, he launched a message from the sky with a greeting to " VICENZA LA BELLA".
EDWARD VIII was still the “Prince of Wales" in 1918 when, at the head of the British army sent to Italy, he also stayed in Vicenza, specifically at Villa Zileri al Biron. Once he became King, he was to abdicate in 1936 to marry a commoner, Wally Simpson.
ERNEST HEMINGWAY was on the Vicenza front during the First World War as a Red Cross driver, staying at Cà Erizzo. When he was wounded he was transferred to Schio. Another writer, JOHN DOS PASSOS, was also in the Vicenza area at the same time.
Famous tourists
1962 ANTONIO SEGNI stayed at Abano for spa treatments and on 16 August organised a short private visit to the city. After Mass at the Monte Berico Sanctuary, he was a guest at Villa Valmarana ai Nani.
1965 KING GUSTAF of SWEDEN came to the city on a private visit. He dined at the Pedavena Restaurant, one of the most famous restaurants of the time1957 FRANCOIS MITTERAND visited Bassano del Grappa, on a purely private visit. The President of the French Republic was accompanied by a Venetian friend.
Famous guests
ITALIAN PRESIDENTS OF THE REPUBLIC:
1952 LUIGI EINAUDI arrived on 23 September to participate at the event organised by the Banca Popolare to commemorate the economist Luigi Luzzatti. He left the city after Mass at Monte Berico,.
1957 GIOVANNI GRONCHI. This was the era when Presidents arrived by train. It was 24 February.
1966 GIUSEPPE SARAGAT. He stopped off at Vicenza on 23 March during his tour to celebrate 100 years from annexation to the Kingdom of Italy.
1973 GIOVANNI LEONE. On 30 May he reached Vicenza, accompanied by his wife Vittoria and their children. He visited the exhibition on Palladio, accompanied by Prof. Renato Cevese.
1984 SANDRO PERTINI
1986 FRANCESCO COSSIGA. The President stayed in Vicenza for two days: it was the first of 4 visits to the city. On this visit, in addition to the city Cossiga also visited Martozzo on the occasion of the 150th anniversary.
1999 CARLO AZEGLIO CIAMPI was a guest on an official one day visit, accompanied by his wife, Franca.
HEADS OF STATE:
1903 KING VITTORIO EMANUELE III and QUEEN ELENA visited Vicenza on 30 August1905 QUEEN MARGHERITA who had already been succeeded by her son Vittorio Emanuele III, returned to Recoaro for a shorter visit than that in 1879, when she spent a longer holiday there with her son, who was then a child of ten.
1923 KING GEORGE V and QUEEN MARY. During their visit to Italy, they came to our province to honour the British soldiers who had fallen in battle. They visited the largest of the British cemeteries at Montecchio Precalcino and then the three on the Asiago tableland (Boscon, Barenthal and Magnaboschi).
1926 KING VITTORIO EMANUELE III. The King also came to Vicenza to inaugurate Piazzale della Vittoria. He was accompanied by the young Prince Umberto of Savoy and the Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.
1987 MARY ELIZABETH – THE QUEEN MOTHER visited Bassano and Vicenza during her tour of the Veneto region. She did not fail to visit the British cemeteries to honour British soldiers fallen in battle.1991 POPE JOHN PAUL II. 7 September was the first time a Pope had visited Vicenza. In truth Pope Paul VI has also come to Vicenza, but only for an hour, returning from a trip to Vienna. Pope John Paul II, on the other hand, stayed for two days and participated at numerous well-attended meetings with the people of Vicenza. He spent the night between Saturday and Sunday at the Sanctuary of Monte Berico, as a guest of the Servants of Mary order.
1993 NOOR of JORDAN, the fascinating wife of King Hussein, was guest of honour, together with the President of the Senate Giovanni Spadolini, at the ceremony to award the "Palladio" architecture prize, established by the Caoduro company.
PERSONALITIES:
1950 CLEMENTINE CHURCHILL, wife of Winston Churchill
1954 FEDERICO FELLINI and GIULIETTA MASINA were in Vicenza for the preview of "La Strada".
1955 ORSON WELLES visited with his wife. MARIA BEATRICE and MARIA GABRIELLA of SAVOY, the daughters of Umberto II. BRIGITTE BARDOT spent a few days in a Vicenza villa. VITTORIO DE SICA held auditions for his new film. OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND, who played Melanie in Gone with the Wind, was a guest at the Ederle barracks, which had been reached by 2,500 soldiers from NATO’s SETAF task force. TOTO' was in Asiago as a sponsor of the Miss Universe beauty pageant. Totò had already visited the Vicenza area in 1936 and 1943 with ANNA MAGNANI
1989 RUDOLF NUREYEV was a guest of the city of Vicenza in his role as a testimonial for a promotional video on Vicenza |
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