ANTONIO PIGAFETTA - writer and explorer
Born in Vicenza between 1480 and 1491 and died in 1534, he was one of the seventeen survivors of Magellan’s expedition. He wrote the Relazione del primo viaggio intorno al mondo (literally translated "record of the first voyage around the world"), which is considered one of the most valuable documents on the great geographical discoveries of the XVI century.
It is possible to visit the outside of his birth house that still bears the motto in Old French “Il n’est rose sans espine” (in the historic centre – Contrà Pigafetta).

LUIGI MENEGHELLO - writer
Born in Malo (Vicenza) in 1922 – died in Thiene in 2007. Amongst his most important works, Libera nos a Malo and Piccoli maestri, which inspired the film of the same title by Daniele Lucchetti.

VIRGILIO SCAPIN - scrittore, libraio e attore
His historical bookshop can still be found today in Contrà Do Rode in Vicenza, along with a plaque.
He was a bookseller and author, but also an actor that played a part in Pietro Germi’s Signore e Signori and Scola’s Il Commissario Pepe. He was one of the founders of the Confraternita del Bacalà alla vicentina (Guild of Vicenza-style salted codfish).

GLORIA ZANIN
Winner of the Miss Italia 1992, model, and TV host. After her marriage with football player Massimo Tribocchi, she’s often been a guest reporter in the 2010/2011 edition of Simona Ventura’s TV show Quelli che il calcio.

CARLO CRACCO
A chef born in Creazzo, he attended the hospitality school in Recoaro Terme. His restaurant in Milan boasts a Michelin star. He’s a well-known face of TV thanks to Masterchef Italia, where he participated as a judge for six editions.

AMY ADAMS - actress
American actress born in 1974 in Vicenza because her father was stationed at the Ederle military base.
She was the protagonist of several films, amongst which Catch Me If You Can, Enchanted, Night at the Museum 2, Big Eyes.

DAVIDE MERLIN
He grew up in Cassola (Vicenza). After competing in X Factor, he went from the stage of the Italian TV platform Sky to the stage of Italian theatre, intepreting Romeo in the Italian version of the musical Roméo et Juliette: de la Haine à l'Amour. He was chosen as Romeo in the promotion project of Romeo and Juliet’s castles.

FEDERICO FAGGIN - physicist
He invented the microprocessor. He graduated from the Vicenza school “A. Rossi” and later the University of Padua, and is now living in the States. He received the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from US President Barack Obama in person for his long-standing career as a researcher.

GIANNI FERRIO- direttore d'orchestra
Author of numerous soundtracks (many films with Totò amongst them) as well as unforgettable Italian songs such as Parole parole, Io non gioco più, and Piccolissima serenata.

DIEGO DALLA PALMA - make up artist
He was born in Enego, on the Asiago Plateau. He’s a famous make up artist who often works for TV or radio shows, and he’s also written several books.

NADIA SANTINI - chef
A chef from Vicenza, in 2011 she was one of the three candidates – together with Elena Arzak and Anne-Sophie Pic – to the Worlds' Best Female Chef Award.

GIAN ANTONIO STELLA - scrittore
Born in Asolo, he grew up in Vicenza. He writes for the newspaper “Il Corriere della Sera”, and amongst his works, the book La Casta was a literary sensation.

ELISA  D'OSPINA - model, writer
She is from Monticello Conte Otto (Vicenza) and has become one of the most internationally sought-after plus-size top models. She writes for Il Fattoquotidiano, Leonardo.it, Vogue.it. She also wrote a novel, and nowadays she’s a fashion tutor for the TV show #DettoFatto on the channel Rai Due.

GIULIA NICOLE MAGRO - modella
She is from Camisano and was elected Miss Veneto 2010. She is also the runner-up at the Miss Italia 2010 finals. After the contest, she refused to model for fashion agencies that would force her to lose weight, preferring those that accept her size 44.

FRANCESCA MICHIELIN - singer
Originally from Bassano, she went from the gospel choir “Bassano Blue Spiritual Band Junior” to the X FACTOR podium, of which she won the fifth edition in 2012, at only 16 years old. Her single “Distratto” soon receives the Italian platinum record award. She is the runner-up of the 2016 Sanremo Music Festival.

MADAME - singer
Madame, pseudonym of Francesca Calearo (Vicenza, 16th January 2002), is an Italian sing-songwriter and rapper. She became popular in 2019 thanks to the song Sciccherie, and then she competed in the 2021 Sanremo Music Festival with the song Voce, released on 3rd March 2021.

SANGIOVANNI - singer
He is a young Italian singer born in Grumolo delle Abbaddesse, in the province of Vicenza. He published his first three singles – Paranoia, Non +, and Gucci Bag – during 2020 for the record label Sugar. At the end of same year, he made himself known through his participation to the initial stage of the 20th edition of the talent show Amici di Maria de Filippi. In May 2021, he reached the final, winning the singer category and placing second in the overall classification.

LEINER RIFLESSI - singer
Leiner Riflessi was born in 1997 in Apartado, Colombia. At the age of 6 he was adopted by a family from Vicenza, obtaining the Italian citizenship, and grew up in Zugliano, in the province of Vicenza. He gained notoriety on the stage of X Factor. He was frontman of the band Dear Jack, with whom he debuted at the Sanremo Music Festival. He’s a singer, songwriter, pianist, drummer, and dancer.

MARIA PIA VELADIANO - writer
Mariapia Veladiano was born in Vicenza. She graduated in Philosophy and Theology, taught literature for over twenty years, and was then headmistress in Vicenza. She has cooperated with the newspaper “La Repubblica” and the magazine “Il Regno”. La vita accanto, her first novel, won the 2010 Premio Calvino, and was the runner-up for the 2011 Premio Strega. In 2023, Vicenza became the setting for a film inspired by the novel.

GIANLUCA MECH
He soon started working in the family company, of which he took over the reins. Thanks to his long experience in the field of phytotherapy, Mech developed the galenic formula of Decottopia® and the Global Protocol of the Dieta Tisanoreica® (a diet method that uses herbal supplements). Gianluca Mech became a “populariser” of the most recent findings and innovations in nutrition. Italian and international celebrities as well as other influential figures — politicians, TV personalities, athletes, actors, musicians... — turned to Gianluca Mech to get back into shape and find a balanced relationship with food, to the benefit of their health and looks.
Gianluca Mech often appears as guest nutritionist in several TV shows.