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| TREVISO'S SITES | VENETO.ORG LINKS |  |
Where
is Treviso? View geographic location  |
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Treviso is "a town bright with laughing fountains," observed Fazio degli Uberti in his "Dittamondo." Petrarch, in turn, hailed Treviso as "that beautiful stretch of countryside." Those definitions still hold true, just as does a notation in the city's ancient by-laws that "the beauty of Treviso" includes "its fountains, rivers, and canals." Along the perimeter of the Venetian town wall, in fact, there run the limpid waters of the Sile (the longest river in Italy with a spring as its origin); together with brooks and canals, the river branches out through Treviso as a chorus to those poetic phrases from centuries past. Houses built on the water over a projection of land; dwelling places with frescoed façades turned toward the water; magnificent buildings on the Riviera, the "Grand Canal" of the Trevisans; and small green islands - all combine to create an architectural, urbanistic, and environmental fabric lovingly protected from the ravages of time and from the "necessities of life" in today's world. From this singular and harmonic fabric there emerges a monumental, historic, and artistic heritage of notable importance, one not with the aspects of an isolated moment but one which is distinguished by its harmonious rapport, Treviso is likewise celebrated for its frescoes: in the Middle Ages, all the houses in the city had frescoed facades featuring geometric designs, simulated tapestries, and - in later years - scenes from mythology. Today there remain over 250 examples of that extraordinary artistic patrimony, an offering unmatched in Italy or in Europe. As a counterpoint to those decorated faqades, many churches and public buildings contain precious fresco cycles, primary among which are the cycles by Tomaso da Modena preserved in San Nicol6 and Santa Caterina. The entire area in and around Treviso, in fact, is rich in architectural and artistic interest. Embraced by a countryside especially beauteous, the "joyous and loving Marca" (as the Treviso region is known) offers such examples of splendid villas as the Palladian Villa Barbaro-Volpi (with frescoes by Veronese) at Maser and the Villa Emo (with frescoes by Zelotti) at Fanzolo di Vedelago. And these are but two examples among many of a tradition which began even before Palladio and which continued through the 19th century to produce monuments of great fascination. Asolo, the "pearl" of the Marca, owes its fame to a queen, Caterina Cornaro, Queen of the Island of Cyprus. Here, among rolling hills of singular splendour, medieval and Renaissance architecture take on unique elegance. It is not by chance that Asolo has always been the scene of great painting and has always hosted great painters. A mecca for the demanding and refined international tourist, the town has been a stopover point for many illustrious guests - from excellent" painter reponsible for major changes in Venetian painting of the 1500s. Giorgione's famous altarpiece from 1504 is preserved in the city's Duomo, right next to the artist's home. On the "Strada dei vini del Piave" ("the Road of the Piave River wines"), our path is spangled by valuable wine cellars which act as counterpoint to a wide number of towns, each with its own "full load" of art and history. Since it would be difficult to list them all, we shall mention here only the impressive Conegliano and - at the foot of the Bosco del Consiglio (the Consiglio Woods) – Vittorio Veneto.