Venice (Venezia) is the capital of the Veneto region which has a great deal to offer to visitors interested in outdoor activities thanks to its marvelous Dolomiti Alps, hills and beaches. Veneto also has wonderful examples of architecture and art found in Venezia, Verona, Vicenza, Padova and less well known cities and towns. Its countryside is breathtaking and very diverse. Today Veneto has the strongest economy in Italy owing to industries and tourism, but it was not always so. In the first half of the last century because of its geographic location Veneto suffered greatly due to both World Wars which took a toll on the population and its economy. Finally despite challenges Veneto's standard of living improved gradually. Visitors spending time in the region will notice that norms and costumes are unique to the area, including the language. If you took Italian classes and realize that you are not understanding or recognizing words it is because people in Veneto speak their dialect, Venetian on a daily basis in addition to Italian - the official language.
Two Places Not to Miss: Treviso and Asolo
What else can you see if you are visiting Venezia and planning to stay in the area? Near Venezia there is the province of Treviso. A province is composed by multiple municipalities and usually it takes its name by its main city. The province of Treviso is characterized by small towns and Venetian villas among which Palladio's villas. We were visiting the area and decided to focus on a couple of places: the city of Treviso also called the Little Venice of the Mainland and the town of Asolo, known also as the City of a Hundred Horizons.
Treviso
Treviso is roughly 30 minutes by train from Venezia. It is not a big city and has a well preserved centro storico (historic center). Its centro storico has buildings from the Middle Age to the Renaissance; canals define and delimit neighborhoods, and the river Sile - a spring water river, crosses it. That is why it is called Little Venice of the Mainland. I would like to point out that all Italian cities have a centro storico which is the oldest area of the city; where pedestrian malls, historic cafes, restaurants, shops and well known monuments and museums are located. It is the place where the locals like to stroll and meet with their friends. The best way to see it is to take the time to walk through it without having a specific destination and literally venturing into its narrow streets. In order to find it, when you enter a city follow the street sign for centro storico or centro.
I. Make sure to see the water mills!
We happened to be in Treviso on a Saturday morning and the weekend is when people like to spend their time in centro; in fact, we were surrounded by a dynamic crowd. People were walking or biking everywhere - you cannot drive in centro storico unless you have a permit. So it is best to park your car outside of it. Pay parking is free from 13:00 to 15:00 but keep in mind that many business close during this time of the day. However, cafes, ice-cream shops and restaurants remain open. In Treviso, don't miss the paddle-wheels of old water mills! The mill in the above picture is in the Cagnan Grando river seen from the bridge of Via Campana. The mill is one of few examples left in the city. You can see other paddle-wheels while you walk around, keep your eyes open!
Sometimes the narrow streets that you are on may turn into something like the picture above. And lead you to a well known restaurant such as Odeon alla Colonna, located in Vicolo Rinaldi 3. Its outdoor sitting area is shaded by a Medieval portico that creates ambience and atmosphere from the past. We were not able to have lunch there because it was booked for a wedding celebration. Darn it!
II. Don't miss Buranelli!
A well known picturesque area of centro storico is Canale dei Buranelli (above) so called because in the Renaissance the merchants from the island of Burano (Venezia) used as a warehouse and residence what is now a XVI century building located on the canal. The canal was not only a trading route but it was also used by washerwomen to wash clothes of the Venetian wealthy up to the Second World War. Now it is a popular place to visit.
III. Have an aperitivo!
While we were exploring, we noticed that families, couples, and groups of friends were sitting at cafes and enjoying their aperitivo - a drink served before dinner with small snacks. Iconic Venetian aperitivi are Spritz (made with prosecco, soda water and Aperol or Campari liqueur) and Bellini (made with prosecco and peach pure or nectar). As I mentioned earlier usually the aperitivo is sipped before dinner but many locals were breaking the rule.
And we decided to follow the flow and have an aperitivo as well at cafe La Colonnetta in Vicolo Palestro 2 like many other families. We ordered Prosecco wine and cicchetti - the so called side order of Treviso's snacks, very small slices of bread with a variety of toppings from local ingredients. The Veneto region is the land of Prosecco wine, so this is the right place to sip it and enjoy it. A glass may cost between 1.50 euros to 2,50 at the most. We spent around 9 euros for a glass of Prosecco, fruit juice, a coffe and cicchetti. Not bad!
IV. Keep your eyes open for local art and street performers!
After our stop at the cafe we then continued our walk and crossed the bridge of Malvasia from where we could admire sculptures by local artist Romano Costi. We kept walking and suddenly we started hearing music and the sound of drums not too far from us getting louder and louder.
By trying to follow the music, we ended up at Piazza dei Signori (one of the main squares of Treviso) where with surprise we saw a group of musicians and dancers dressed in Renaissance costumes. It seemed to be a spontaneous performance, completely unannounced. We stopped to watch and other people started to gather around the performing artists to enjoy the show. Street performances are common in Italy, especially in the summer.
V. Try local desserts! There is more than gelato
That is right! Gelato (ice-cream) is all over the country, is very common and thus not unique to any particular region or city. We, Italians love it but when we think of local desserts usually it is not gelato. That said, on our way back to the car we stopped at Pasticceria Gelateria da Renato in Via Toniolo 13 - a combination of an ice-cream shop and a pastry shop. While we were there in addition to ice-cream we bought a couple of desserts: a small cake called La polentina di Treviso (made with white corn flour and caramelized radicchio) and cookies called Anelli alla Cannella (whose ingredients included cinnamon and prosecco). We wanted to try desserts unique to Treviso and that was the perfect place to get them because the owners make everything in the back of the shop. And as a good rule of thumb, the combination of gelateria-pasticceria is always a winning combination no matter where you are in Italy. Because these shops always make their own ice-cream, cakes, and pastries.
I would like to mention that both white corn flour and radicchio rosso di Treviso (a red leaf chicory that resembles Belgian endive) are grown in the countryside of Treviso. In Italy usually corn flour is yellow, but in Friuli and Veneto regions the cultivation of a variety of white corn flour, called biancoperla is widespread. It is used a great deal to make polenta, an old dish usually prepared in the cold season and in alpine areas particularly in north and center of Italy. Whereas radicchio rosso di Treviso's origin is unique to the Treviso's province, which explains its name. It has an elongated shape opposed to other varieties and it is sweeter. It is harvested after a couple of freezes, so it is a winter chicory. And in Treviso it is not only used in salads, main courses or as a side vegetable but also as an ingredient for desserts.
VI. Make sure to stop by the Cathedral!
Our visit of Treviso came to an end. The only regret we have is that we left without being able to go in the Duomo (cathedral) because it was closed when we were ready to visit it. So make sure to check the schedule before hand - we did not do that. The tourist office is helpful for this kind of information - it is located in Piazza Borsa. The schedule is also posted outside the main entrance of the cathedral, but this was not very helpful for us. I did some research on line before writing this post and according to the Parishes of Treviso's web page, (which is not in English) the Cathedral is open 7:15-12:00 and 15:30-18:30 during the week; 8:00-13.00 and 15.30-20.00 on Sundays and during the Holidays. The reason why I like cathedrals is that there are always masterpieces inside from paintings to sculptures, mosaics, and frescoes - this is often true also for churches. However, this is precisely why my son does not like them much, but he enjoys the architectural aspects of a church especially when he is allowed to explore them. So to him, venturing in the lateral chapels, crypts underneath the altar, choirs behind the altar, and walk around cloisters is interesting and almost fun.
Asolo
We left Treviso and headed north toward the sub-alpine region. Our next stop was Asolo, a small old town north-west of Treviso situated at the feet of the Dolomiti Alps in a beautiful hilly area. There isn't really a fast way to get to Asolo by car. No matter where you are coming from, you will be driving on smaller winding roads and sometimes street signs are not very clear so it is a good idea to have a good map or a GPS. However, it is a pleasant drive and the countryside is beautiful. In case you are planning to reach it by train, there is no railway station in Asolo - the closest one is 16 km away at Castelfranco Veneto. You would have to catch a bus to Asolo. Either way plan for a day trip.
Asolo's history goes way back to before the Romans and we are still able to enjoy it today despite its age because it is a well preserved old town. In fact, it is listed as one of the most beautiful borghi (old towns) of Italy - the Italian association "I Borghi più Belli d'Italia" which has the goal to preserve and promote old towns lists them according to geographic areas of Italy. Asolo has been a destination for writers, poets, artists and travelers. Ernest Hemingway, Robert Browning, Giosuè Carducci (Italian poet), and Igor Stravinskij to name a few spent their vacations there. Napoleon Bonaparte also stayed briefly in the town during the campaign against the Austrians in 1797.
I. Parking spaces are limited!
The center of town is Piazza Garibaldi (main square) with its Renaissance fountain, cafes and small restaurants. There is also a pay parking lot in the square and that's where we parked. Keep in mind that parking is meager in Asolo. It is also possible to park at autorimessa comunale Cipressina and at Ca Vescovo 2 km before entering town; there is a shuttle every 30 minutes. We began by visiting the old Duomo that has art work by Lorenzo Lotto e Jacopo Bassano and then we continued walking through centro storico.
II. It's all about the architecture!
Exiting the Duomo we were immediately captivated by the Venetian architecture of the buildings. Asolo had a strong link to the Republic of Venice which started at the end of the XIV century until the fall of the Republic in 1797- Napoleon's presence was not a coincidence. And the architecture of many buildings is testimony to that time of splendor.
We were also fascinated by the abundance of portici (porticoes) that characterized the narrow streets, so narrow that there were stretches where two cars could not go by each other. There were many little shops underneath portici but being on a Sunday they were all closed. This is something to keep in mind: outside of touristic cities, stores, supermarkets, and shops are closed on Sundays in Italy.
Not too far from the main square there is the Castello (castle) where the Queen of Cyprus lived from the end of the XV century to the beginning of the XVI century. She had a lavish court here but there is little left of her original residence today. We enjoyed the courtyard of the castle, which is open to the public and walked on its walls - when allowed.
III. The view of the surrounding hills is breathtaking!
From the castle courtyard and its walls it is possible to view the centro storico and the surrounding hills. In fact, Asolo is defined as La città dei Cento Orizzonti (the City of a Hundred Horizons) because you can see all around it. We finished our walk around Asolo just in time to beat the storm coming in.
There is more to Asolo to see than what we did. Check Asolo, Citta dei Cento Orrizzonti for ideas about what else to visit.
Until next post, se vedemo like the Venetians say!
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