Dating back to Roman times, Vicenza is best known for the 16th-century works of Andrea Palladio, whose published analyses of ancient architecture did much to spread the Renaissance throughout Europe. His buildings here include the monumental Basilica Palladiana, the Teatro Olimpico with its brilliantly painted stage-set, and the Palazzo Chiericati, home to the Museo Civico. A short distance out of town stands one of Palladio’s finest villas, La Rotonda, a model of Renaissance architecture, based on a square plan with four identical façades.