It was another world

Vicenza was once a far more beautiful city. The railway station had been a monumental building before it was bombed. From the station avenue, one walked toward the city center admiring the “O” and the Campo Marzio, enriched by the Teatro Verdi and the Moresco Bar.One can only imagine what Vicenza would look like today if its theater had been rebuilt as it was, and if cafés and restaurants still animated the station boulevard.

The Giardini Salvi came to life every September with the Goldsmith Fair, and thanks to it the gardens remained lively and well-frequented throughout the year. Inside Porta Castello, the square to the right belonged to the much-loved Crosara Brewery.

Piazza Castello was home to the fabulous Bar Italia, a corner café with a large lounge and rows of outdoor tables. There was not a single Vicentino who didn’t stop there daily. Along Corso Palladio, the electric tram passed by, accompanied by the “tiracche” and the elegant Fiat and Lancia cars — strictly black, always polished — which gave the city the allure of a small metropolis.

A historic Zileri building housed the headquarters of the Christian Democracy Party, and beside it stood a florist’s shop overflowing with beauty. Sergio knew exactly how to arrange his bright and colorful creations. There were no shopping malls yet, but there were many prestigious boutiques, and the famous, unavoidable Caffè del Corso, on the corner with Contrà C. Battisti. The grand Italian banks had their headquarters along the street, and the fashionable shops thrived without the competition of today’s supermarkets.

There was the Standa, with its elegant young saleswomen behind counters filled with the latest fashion novelties. The city center was the only place where one could find exclusive boutiques and admire the elegance of the people strolling along Corso Palladio and its side streets.

At the “Ciodo” in Contrà Cavour, the gagà and the newly minted university students gathered as though it were a ritual. And gone are the taverns — La Bomba, El Maghetto, Il Bersagliere, and others.

Vicenza, in the heart of the city, was truly another world — a beautiful one.

Mario Fiorin

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