Vicenza's expertise in jewellery dates back to 600 BC when the Vicentini were crafting clothing fasteners, called fibula. This museum celebrates that centuries-long tradition with an elegant museum set within the Basilica Palladiana. Rotating exhibitions of historic and contemporary bijouterie showcase 7th-century bejewelled funerary crosses, 15th-century silk and gold harness belts, 1920s costume jewellery, and avant-garde creations from visionaries such as Evart Nijland and Lucy Sarneel.
The city's continuing prominence in the jewellery industry is celebrated twice a year at VicenzaOro (www.vicenzaoro.it; January and September), Europe's largest gold and jewellery fair.