The starting point for our trip is Villa S. Bastian on Monte Berico, Fogazzaro's home, unfortunately destroyed by bombing in 1943; however, the enchanting view over the Valletta del Silenzio has remained intact. It is but a short step from here to Villa Valmarana ai Nani: in his novel "Piccolo mondo moderno" Fogazzaro made Villa Diedo the home of Jeanne Dessalle, the passionate lover of Piero Maironi. But the whole of Vicenza acts as a background to the tormented tribulations of the hero: Piazza dei Signori and the Palladian Basilica, the chapels in the Cathedral during the Mass said by Don Giuseppe Flores, Contrà Porti - Janua Clara. Piero goes to Montegalda to Villa Flores (Villa Fogazzaro-Roi) to hear the admonitions of Don Giuseppe, then moves on to Praglia in the province of Padua where he unexpectedly finds Jeanne Dessalle awaiting him.

From the plain to the mountains around Vicenza: how can we fail to recognize the village of Tonezza in Vena di Fonte Alta in "Piccolo mondo moderno", with its Villino Roi as the Villino dei Faggi and the Albergo Belvedere as the Hotel Astore in the novel?

Velo d'Astico, the Villascura of "Daniele Cortis", is all Fogazzaro country: Villa Valmarana becomes Villa Carr , the residence of Elena in the novel, Seghe di Velo is transformed into Passo di Rovese, while the Rovese is the Astico. From the window of Villa Valmarana they can see Villa Velo, Villa Cortis, where Daniele lives. In Fogazzaro's other novel, "Leila", the place names remain unchanged and the author's summer residence, la Montanina, is the setting. Since 1927 the Montanina has belonged to the Pro Oriente; from the point of view of style, it is reminiscent of certain Belgian or German houses with exotic suggestions and an accentuated modernity in its floral decorations and in the accurate technical details of its utilities. Fogazzaro too was aware of its out of the ordinary nature, defining it in his novel as a "big house with a family".