Schio

Infobox CityIT

---

image_caption = Duomo ("Saint Peter" Church)
img_coa = Schio-Stemma.png official_name = Comune di Schio
region = Veneto
province = Vicenza (VI)
elevation_m = 200
area_total_km2 = 67
mapx = 45.716667
mapy = 11.37
name = Schio
population_as_of = December 31, 2004
population_total = 38638
population_density_km2 = 576
timezone = CET, UTC+1
coordinates = coord|45|43|N|11|22|E
frazioni = Aste, Cabrelle, Giavenale, Monte Magrè, Piane, Poleo, Santa Caterina, Santa Maria, San Rocco, Sant'Ulderico, Magrè, Liviera, Cà Trenta, Ss. Trinità, Santa Croce
telephone = 0445
postalcode = 36015
gentilic = Scledensi
saint = St. Peter
day = June 29
mayor = Luigi Dalla Via
website = [http://www.comune.schio.vi.it www.comune.schio.vi.it]

Schio is a town and comune in the province of Vicenza (region of Veneto, northern Italy) situated in the North of Vicenza and in the East of the Lake of Garda. It is surrounded by the Prealps, the so-called "Little Dolomites" and the Mount Pasubio.

History

Its name comes from Latin: escletum was a wood of oaks and it was first used in a document of some Benedictines from Vicenza. The first settlements were around two old hills, where now there are respectively the ruins of an old castle and a majestic neoclassical cathedral.

By the 12th century Schio had become an important centre of prosperous wool manufacturing. The city was ruled by the Venetian Maltraversi family until 1311.

Schio is now an industrial town thanks to Alessandro Rossi, who founded the biggest Italian wool firm (Lanerossi) in the 19th century. Rossi also arranged the building of houses, nurseries, schools, theatres and gardens for his workers. The most important textile factories in Schio were Lanerossi, Conte and Cazzola. Schio was called "Manchester of Italy", because it was the focal point of the northern wool trade like the British city.

Main sights

*The Weaver’s Monument, erected in 1879 by Alessandro Rossi who dedicated it to his workers. The inhabitants of Schio call it "L’Omo" (a dialect word for "man"). It is statue representing a man who holds proudly in one hand the shuttle of his loom, the emblem of his craft and indeed of the whole textile industry.
*A tower of the Castle, demolished in 1514.
*"San Francesco" (St. Francis’) church, dating from the early 15th century. The church is now part of a complex of buildings, superimposed in time, which were used formerly by the Monastery dei Frati Minori (1437-1806) and then by Schio’s civil hospital (the Baratto Institute 1807-1959) and now a Home for the elderly).
*The little church of St. Mary in the Valley, originally a column erected in 1511 after a plague. It became a church in 1580.
*Toaldi-Capra Palace. This building dates from the 15th century or earlier; some frescoes have been recovered in the interior. It first belonged to the Toaldi family; it then passed to Enrico Capra, a noble from Vicenza, before becoming the Town Hall until 1913. It was recovered and carefully restored in 1981, and now houses the civic Musical Institute as a centre for cultural activities.

Twin cities

* Landshut, Germany, since 1981
* Kaposvár, Hungary, since 1990
* Pétange, Luxembourg, since 1992

External links

* [http://images.google.it/imgres?imgurl=http://www.comune.schio.vi.it/foto/art_1898_1_duomo_sassi.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.comune.schio.vi.it/a_215_IT_1898_1.html&h=772&w=772&sz=122&tbnid=pdHaLUyZvnsJ:&tbnh=141&tbnw=141&hl=it&start=2&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dschio%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Dit%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN Picture of town]
*Map and aerial photos
** [http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=45.71667&longitude=11.3667&zoom=6 Street map from Mapquest] or [http://maps.google.com/maps?||45.71667,11.3667 Google]
** [http://terraserver.microsoft.com/map.aspx?t=1&s=14&lon=11.3667&lat=45.71667&w=750&h=500 Aerial photograph from Microsoft Terraserver]

Photo gallery