Focus on this artwork and explain the History.
The precious Jewel was made of silver plates on a wood frame. It was completed in 1578. It's not certain that Andrea Palladio created the model, but the bond between two Bishops of Vicenza (Niccolò Ridolfi and his successor Matteo Priuli) suggests that Palladio's role as director of city life was more important than his role as architect. For him, the Jewel might have represented his mental conception of the city of Vicenza. It can possibly be attributed to a goldsmith of the Capobianco family, as is supported by a document found in 2012 in the "Sanctuary of the Madonna" of Monte Berico.
The citizens offered the Jewel as an ex-voto to the "Madonna of Mount Berico" in order to avoid the Plague of Saint Charles Borromeo that had spread two years before in the Duchy of Milan with some infection cases in the western cities of the Republic of Venice and up to Verona. Despite poor conditions, the  citizenship united and provided a modest gift from each family. Vicenza was spared (until the great Italian plague of 1629–1631), so the Jewel was initially displayed in the church of Monte Berico next to the "Santuario della Madonna di Monte Berico".
Between the 17th and the 18th century, six oil paintings were made that represented the first patron saint of the city, Saint Vincent, holding the silver Jewel in his hands. The paintings that portray Saint Vincent holding the precious model are the main evidence we have of the model's appearance. The paintings show the Jewel from different points of view, which provides information about its three-dimensional form. The model is a main element in each of the pictures; Vicenza is seen from the front, offered by Saint Vincent, and enclosed in its medieval walls. In that period, the distinction between the borghi (boroughs) over the walls and the inner part of the city, nowadays the Old Town of Vicenza, already existed.Under the Napoleonic government, the French troops looted Vicenza of cultural artifacts in 1797, as they did throughout most of Italy. The armée française, having seized the Sanctuary, brought the Jewel of Vicenza back to France because they thought it was completely made out of silver. They attempted to melt the model down, but it burned instead, as it was made of wood and only covered by a silver coating. With its destruction, Vicenza lost an important artifact from its century-long history of goldsmithing.
Verona Duchy of Milan Milan Matteo Priuli Andrea Palladio Republic of Venice Monte Berico Niccolò Ridolfi Italian plague of 1629–1631 Vicenza armée française ex-voto Plague oil painting French troops looted Saint Charles Borromeo Charles Borromeo Saint Vincent