Le Piramidi is a sprawling complex of 120 businesses in Vicenza, making it a prime shopping area for Americans stationed at Caserma Ederle. (Kent Harris / S&S)
Le Piramidi is a sprawling complex of 120 businesses in Vicenza, making it a prime shopping area for Americans stationed at Caserma Ederle. (Kent Harris / S&S)
Though it's the smallest of four shopping malls within easy driving distances of American bases in northern Italy, the Adriatico in Portogruaro is worth a few hours for ardent shoppers. (Kent Harris / S&S)
The Carrefour supermarket in the Valecenter in Marcon. (Kent Harris / S&S)
Are you itching to get out and about and lose a bit of that winter weight, but not quite ready for the great outdoors?
Mall-hopping might be the solution.
There are four sizeable malls within a few hours of Aviano Air Base and Caserma Ederle in Vicenza in Italy. And any power shopper who tries to visit the more than 300 shops in a single day should burn a few calories.
Those who are really trying to lose weight can stop by the Palladio mall in Vicenza. It has a fitness center on the second floor.
That might make it easier to fit into all those new clothes. And, yes, there are plenty of clothing stores to choose from. Especially women’s clothing stores.
The Le Piramidi mall in Vicenza boasts 26 stores devoted to women’s fashions. That’s not counting the seven shoe stores. All told, clothing stores make up almost half of the 120 businesses inside the sprawling complex.
The Cityper supermarket and Ovvio, a furniture store, are the anchor tenants. Several large businesses, including a movie theater, surround the mall.
Besides the fitness center, the Palladio features 62 shops, including anchor tenants Misfero, a supermarket, and Media World, an electronics store. Again, about half the shops are clothing stores.
On the other side of Venice, about 42 miles from Vicenza and 48 miles from Aviano, the Valecenter sits in the town of Marcon. Though not as big as Le Piramidi, the mall is set in a similar atmosphere, with a handful of other large businesses, including a movie theater, surrounding the mall itself.
Its 74 stores are anchored by the Carrefour supermarket and Castorama, a home-and-garden store. Carrefour, part of a French chain, might be the most impressive store in all four facilities. It has 46 checkout stands, though seemingly only a few operate at any one time. Still, that’s an indication of the size of the place. Browse the bakery, produce, seafood, meat, cheese and wine sections. It’s like an indoor farmer’s market.
The Adriatico — its full name is Galleria del Centro Commerciale Adriatico — in Portogruaro is the smallest of the four malls and closest to Aviano. It also has a Carrefour as its anchor tenant (though it has only 33 checkout stands). A little less than half of its 50 businesses are devoted to clothing sales.
The entire trip can be done in just a little more than 200 miles from Aviano and about 150 miles from Vicenza (by eliminating a stop in Aviano itself).
That, of course, doesn’t include mileage on either shoes or credit cards.
On the QT ...
DIRECTIONS: All four malls are fairly close to Autostrada 4.
The Valecenter in Marcon is the simplest to find. Take the Marcon exit (the first one east of the Venice airport exit).To reach the Adriatico mall from Vicenza, take the Portogruaro exit off the A-4 and then make an immediate right off the A-28 after leaving the toll booths. Go straight at the stoplight, follow the road to the left and turn right into the center.To reach the Palladio mall from Aviano, take the Vicenza Est exit off the A-4, the first right in the traffic circle and turn right following the “Centro Commerciale” sign into the back of the mall parking lot.To reach the Le Piramidi mall, turn right on the SS-11 (which runs past the front of the Palladio mall) and continue a few miles to a large traffic circle. Follow the “Centro Commerciale” sign from the circle to reach the parking lot.COSTS: Half a tank of gasoline and 12.60 euros in road tolls to take in all four malls in one day. Parking is free. Shopping carts cost 50 euro cents to 1 euro; the money is refunded when you take it back.
TIMES:
Le Piramidi: 2-8:30 p.m. Monday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday;Palladio: 2-9 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday;Valecenter: 2-9 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday;Adriatico: Monday 12:30-9:30 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.FOOD:
Le Piramidi: 16 places to eat, including McDonald’s, two pizza parlors, Chinese and five gelateriasPalladio: seven eating spots (no McDonald’s);Valecenter: nine eating spots, including two McDonald’s (one outside);Adriatico: five eating spots, including McDonald’s.INFORMATION: Two of the malls — Adriatico and Palladio — have Web sites, however both are in Italian.
— Kent Harris
