Santuario di Monte Berico
Last updated on September 7, 2026Overview
The Sanctuary of Monte Berico stands on the hill directly above Vicenza, reached by a covered arcade of some 150 arches that climbs from the edge of the city. It is a working pilgrimage church, it holds a major Veronese in its refectory, and its terrace gives the best view of Vicenza and the plain there is.
Quick Facts
- Type: Church, Sacred Place
- Local name: Santuario di Monte Berico (vedi la pagina italiana)
- Built: 1426; rebuilt 1688
- Designed by: Carlo Borella (1688 rebuilding)
- Architectural style: Baroque
- Denomination: Roman Catholic
- Elevation: 256 m
- A covered pilgrimage climb: Around 150 arches built 1746-1778 to designs by Francesco Muttoni carry pilgrims up roughly 700 metres of covered stairway.
- Veronese in the refectory: The Supper of St Gregory the Great, 1572, slashed by Austrian soldiers in 1848 and painstakingly restored.
Visit Responsibly
This is an active pilgrimage church, and many of the people on the Portici are walking up for reasons that have nothing to do with sightseeing. Quiet inside, and no photography during services.
Walking up the arcade rather than taking the bus is both the intended experience and the one that keeps traffic off a narrow hill road.
The Veronese survived deliberate damage in 1848 and an expensive restoration since; the refectory's limits on numbers and light exist because of that history.
Plan Your Visit
The church is free, open daily, and functions as a place of worship first -- modest dress is expected and services take precedence over sightseeing. The refectory holding the Veronese has its own limited hours, and it is worth checking them, since this is the single most missed thing on the hill.
The Portici climb takes around twenty minutes on foot from the Viale X Giugno at the southern edge of the centre. City bus 8 runs to the top for those who would rather not walk up.