Discover the century-old tradition of Antica Gioielleria Balzarin, within the beautiful surroundings of the Palladian Basilica.

Born in 1880, Giulio Balzarin started his own business in 1918, in the immediate aftermath of the First World War, taking over the existing establishment ran by the Maragoni family —amongst the most renown and expert goldsmiths of Vicenza. The signing of the contract took place in Padova, at the Gran Caffè Pedrocchi and symbolised the beginning of a long journey, which would span the twentieth century, arriving right at our own doorstep and blessing the city with the oldest jewellery presence in the Basilica; indeed, in the exact same location and under the same elegant family sign. In 2018 Balzarin celebrated one hundred years of successful business, made possible by three generations of jewellers, and by the current family, Cavestro, who took over the shop in 2014, and without whom the enterprise would have been lost forever.

Claudia Cavestro, the current owner, has always been immersed in creativity and harmonious beauty – having studied architecture at the University of Venice – and through her perceptive dedication and hard work has been able to keep alive a unique workshop tradition, even managing to restyle it very successfully to suit the new and changing needs and whims of a modern world. The stylistic choices have been selected from a plethora of Italian and European designers, with the aim of giving opportunities to artisans and artists to utilise innovative materials, and to combine them with precious stones and metals. The range of watches is also carefully selected: young brands and fresh designs – but also classical looks and traditional mechanisms: the latter providing an intriguing bridge with the old days, gone by perhaps, but which still attract us. Since 1918 until today, Antica Gioielleria Balzarin remains synonym with reliability and elegance; from the choice of its range to the decor of the shop in which they are tastefully displayed. A suggestive place waiting to be discovered within a unique architectural gem.