città dei cento orizzonti

Transcription

ASOLO
Città dei cento orizzonti
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ASOLO
Città dei cento orizzonti
Defined by Giosuè Carducci the City of a Hundred
Horizons, Asolo is one of the most picturesque old
town centres in Italy. Contained within the ancient
walls that branch off from the 12th century fortress, in
every corner it preserves testimonies of its thousandyear old history.
A fascinating place on the rolling Asolan hills, Asolo
was a destination for poets and writers, artists and
travellers that found inspiration and harmony here.
Among them the English poet Robert Browning, the
Divine theatre actress Eleonora Duse, the composer
Gian Francesco Malipiero, the English writer and traveller Freya Stark. A visit to Asolo allows you to combine the pleasure
for history and culture with that of dining. In taverns,
restaurants, cafes and wine bars that overlook the
characteristic arcades and squares you can enjoy delicious dishes prepared with the finest local produce
and linked to the Venetian culinary tradition, such as
the delicious Cicchetti. All accompanied by a glass of
sparkling Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG, the excellence of our land.
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Page 6 About
Page 18 Old Town
Page 54 Accomodations
Page 63 Eat & Drink
Page 88 Itineraries
Page 118 Sport
Page 120 Shopping
Page 126 Tourism Services
Page 132 SOS
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SOS
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About
Comune di Asolo
CAR PARKS
Piazza Brugnoli
car park in the
old town centre
How to get there: it
is the main square of
the old town centre.
Times: always open
with ZTL- Limited
Traffic Zone access
restrictions.
Price: “scratch and
park” card system
purchasable at newsstands and bars in the
centre.
Piazza G. D’Annunzio, 1- 31011 Asolo
+3904235245
Tourism office +390423524675
[email protected]
Culture office +390423524637
[email protected]
www.asolo.it
Population: 9.068 inhabitants (31/08/2013 - Istat);
Surface: 25,37 km²;
Density: 352,07 ab./km²;
Altitude: 74-379 m.s.l.m.”
How to get there
BY CAR:
From the east: Toll booth Treviso Nord, via Montebelluna/Toll booth Treviso Sud, via Castelfranco
From the south: Toll booth Padova, via Castelfranco, Nuova Strada del Santo
From the west: Toll booth Vicenza Nord, exit Valdastico, via Cittadella /Castelfranco and Toll booth Dueville, via Bassano
The old town centre is accessible by car, except for
Saturday evenings and Sundays and holidays, when
the ZTL applies.
Ca’ Vescovo car park
How to get there: along the Schiavonesca Marosticana highway (Montebelluna – Bassano del Grappa
connection) in front of the “Scarpa” factory.
Distance from the old town centre: approximately
2 km (it is recommended to take the shuttle for the
ascent, which runs every 30 minutes.
Times: Always open
Price: Free
ZTL timetable (Limited Traffic Zone): Access to
the old town centre, to non-residents, is forbidden at
the following times:
-from 1 October to 30 April:
every Saturday from 9:30 pm to 2:00 am of the following day – every Sunday and public holiday from
10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
-from q May to 30 September:
every Saturday from 9:30 pm to 2:00 am of the following day – every Sunday and holidays from 10:00
am to 10:00 pm.
The Forestuzzo car park
How to get there: from the Schiavonesca Marosticana highway(Montebelluna – Bassano del Grappa
connection) go up towards the old town centre along
Via Forestuzzo (reference: coming from Bassano go
left after the Shell petrol station, coming from Montebelluna go right after the “Scarpa” factory). After
about 1.5 km it is signposted on the right (reference: service area in front of the entrance of the former
hospital, now the ULSS 8 – Local Health and social
Care Services)
GPS: TV002 N45,7963667 E11,9137833
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About
400 metres uphill (with moderate incline) with shuttle
bus stop
Times: Always open
Price: Free
the “Cipressina” covered car park
about 2 km it is signposted on the right (reference:
after 200 metres from the beginning of the one-way
road and wide bend to the left).
150 metres uphill (pavement along the access road).
Times: Always open with parking meter
Parking area and motorhome parking
Equipped communal area with fee, open all year. Facility with 13/15 gridded paved pitches, water, small
well, lighting, electricity, barbeque and picnic area,
shaded. Located inside the Forestuzzo (P2) car park,
at approximately 400 metres from the old town centre, with shuttle bus stop.
Call Mr Attilio Pastro at n. 340 7733042.
BY PLANE
MARCO POLO VENEZIA
www.veniceairport.it
+390412606111
To reach Asolo, the MOM company has continuous
connections with the railway and bus stations of Treviso.
For the timetable see the following website:
http://www.mobilitadimarca.it/aeroporto-bus
http://www.mobilitadimarca.it/extraurbano
Lines 161 and 162 Treviso- Montebelluna-Bassano
CANOVA TREVISO
www.trevisoairport.it
+390422315111
To reach Asolo, the ACTT company – line n. 6, has
continuous connections with the railway and bus stations of Treviso.
From the Treviso bus station, take the bus for Asolo,
Ca’ Vescovo bus stop.
BY TRAIN
Nearest railway stations:
Montebelluna, 15 km
Castelfranco Veneto, 16 km
Bassano del Grappa, 16 km
Cornuda, 8 km
Montebelluna
from the Montebelluna station, take line 162 (12b.LM)
Castelfranco Veneto
From the Castelfranco Veneto railway station go to
the via Padgora 1 bus station, take line 204 (4CTM)
Bassano del Grappa
From the Bassano del Grappa railway station, take
line 162 (12b.LM ) or line 207 (7CTM)
FOR THE OLD TOWN CENTRE OF ASOLO
From the Ca’ Vescovo bus stop, in the MontebellunaBassano direction, a shuttle bus runs approximately
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About
every 30 minutes to reach the old town centre. Timetable at the bus stop or on internet at
www.asolo.it, in the Plan your trip section.
Tel. +39368282232
Information Point
Piazza Garibaldi 73, 31011 Asolo
+390423529046
[email protected]
Opening time.
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9.30-12.30
Wednesday: 9.30-12.30
Thursday: 9.30-12.30 / 15.00-18.00
Friday: 9.30-12.30 / 15.00-18.00
Saturday: 9.30-12.30 / 15.00-18.00
Sunday: 9.30-12.30 / 15.00-18.00
province of Treviso
Via Cal di Breda 116, 31100 Treviso
+390422656000
www.visittreviso.it
of great value; those who prefer nature can devote to
the discovery of the three rivers of the province - the
Sile, Piave and Livenza - and the many sports you
can practice, cycling, paragliding; lovers of pleasures
of the palate, ultimately, will not be dissatisfied with
culinary excellence, first and foremost the Radicchio
Rosso di Treviso and the famous Prosecco. This and
much more make the province of Treviso the home of
good eating and living better.
Veneto Region
Palazzo Balbi, Dorsoduro, 3901
30123 Venezia
+390412792111
www.veneto.to
The Veneto Region was established by Act May 22,
1971, n. 340. Articulation n.1 of the Regional Statute:
The Veneto Region is an autonomous one, in the unity
of the Italian Republic, according to the principles and
limits of the Constitution, and gives this Statute. The
Region is made up of people from the communities
and the provinces of Belluno, Padua, Rovigo, Treviso,
Venice, Verona and Vicenza. The capital is Venice.
Located a few kilometers from Venice, the province
of Treviso is a unique combination of landscapes, art,
history, nature, good food and hospitality, the traveler
could fall in love with it and it could stay in the heart
of those who walks the scenarios. Scenarios that are
constantly changing, passing by the harmony of the
plains to the mountains of the Treviso Prealps, with
the soft hills of Prosecco, the woods Montello and
Cansiglio, through cities large and small, making the
territory of the March “Gioiosa et Amorosa”, a mosaic of beauty to be discovered. Art and history lovers will find signs of ancient civilizations, medieval
villages, stunning modern architecture and museums
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About
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Francobollo 2005
The Marca Trevigiana area
has had its own postage
stamp beginning May 26,
2005 Asolo was selected
to represent it with a beautiful view of the city set in
the green hills surrounding it next to the two monuments that are symbolic of Asolan history: the Civic
Tower and the famous medieval fortress. The postage stamp showing Asolo is part of the ‘Tourism 2005
series’ together with two other Italian locations: so,
for northern Italy, Asolo; for central Italy, Rocchetta a
Volturno; and, for southern Italy, Amalfi.
Bandiera
Arancione dal 2005
In 2005 Asolo received the
Orange Flag, the mark of environmental tourist excellence
for inland areas awarded by
Touring Club Italiano. It is given
to localities that meet the criteria concerning the development of quality tourism: optimising cultural heritage, conservation of the environment, culture of hospitality, access to and usability of resources, the quality
of hotels and similar establishments, restaurants, and
typical produce and products are just some of the key
elements for obtaining the recognition.
Città veneta
della Cultura
2003
The Regional Council of the Veneto awarded the Municipality of Asolo First Prize and the designation of
“Veneto city of culture -year 2003” for the variety and
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the complexity of its programme of cultural events
offered as part of a long-term programme involving
different forms of expression, with the participation of
the whole area.
Borghi più Belli d’Italia
dal 2002
Since 2002, Asolo has been part of
“The most beautiful villages in Italy”
club. The awarding of the Anci mark
attests not only to the great artistic,
historical, and traditional heritage
in the municipality but also recognises the fulfilment of a number
of structural characteristics, such as the architectural harmony of the urban fabric and the quality of
its public and private building heritage, and general
characteristics regarding how nice it is to live in the
village in terms of activities and services to its citizens.
Città dell’Esagono
dal 1999
Asolo is part of the “Esagono”, an ambitious project for
the promotion of tourism involving Asolo, Bassano del
Grappa, Castelfranco, Cittadella, Marostica and Possagno. These six cities with
a strong historical and artistic traditions are proposed
as a single wider “territory” made up of walled cities,
museums, works of art, handicrafts, typical produce
and natural landscapes on an irregular line where the
plain of Veneto meets the foothills of the mountains.
Città del Vino dal 1997
Asolo is part of the “Città del Vino” (Wine Cities) association thanks to its wine production (with relative
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About
output with DOC designation Montello e Colli
Asolani) and its commitment to favouring an
economic and social development that respects
the environment and local identities.
Città Murate del Veneto dal 1995
The Municipality of Asolo is a member of the Regional
association for the conservation and optimisation of
the walled towns and cities in the Veneto Region.
Soci di Arteven dal 1994
Titolo di Città
Conferment of the Coat of Arms,
the Standard and the entry in the
“Heraldic Book of Non-profit making organisations” - year 1931.
Città Slow
Cittaslow: Asolo is part of the “Cittaslow” association.
The aim of the association was and is to broaden
the philosophy of Slow Food to the local towns and
city governments, applying the concepts of wine and
food to the practice of everyday life.
Cittaslow is a new model that is no longer centred on
continued growth but on the quality of the life in the
city: the environment, historical, artistic and cultural
heritage, the protection of
the value of typical products,
services, but above all of the
issues of the identities of the
cities, the relationship with
workers and citizens, the reception and hospitality.
www.cittaslow.org
The regional association for the promotion and
spread of theatre and culture throughout the communities in the Veneto offers a theatre bill of prose
that involves professional companies in the Veneto region. The activities consist of a large circuit of
shows over the area, especially through the creation of festivals in cities and villages alike. Moreover it organizes themed seminars, publications and
activities of promotion and education of the public.
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Old Town
HISTORY
Its great location and wonderful climate made Asolo a
population centre right from prehistoric times and later
a principal settlement for the Veneto people. Acelum,
the Asolo of Roman times, went through a period of
great expansion: the town that also became municipium, developed mainly between the first century BC
and the first century AD. Archaeological remains and
findings - housed in a special section of the City Museum- document the present of a spa, an aqueduct,
a forum and a theatre testifying to the importance of
Asolo in Roman times. A very ancient centre of Christianity as far back as the sixth century, the city had
a bishop and was the centre of the diocese until 969
when it became enfeoffed to the bishopric of Treviso.
At different times between the XIth and XIVth centuries it knew the hegemony of various powerful families
(Tempesta, Ezzelini, da Camino, Scaligeri, Carraresi)
and finally fell under the sway of Venice. From the end
of the fourteenth century with the Venetian denomination, the centre entered a period of great splendour.
In 1489 Venice bestowed upon Caterina Cornaro,
former Queen of Cyprus, the Seigniory of Asolo. She
created a magnificent Renaissance court of artists,
men of letters and poets and left an indelible imprint in
the art and in the very ideal of the city. Through Venice, Asolo received far-reaching urban reorganisation
and its big brother bound it to itself and its aristocracy inextricably until the fall of the Venetian Republic.
“Asolo is Venice and Venice is Asolo” goes the saying
to underline the similarity of the atmosphere that is
demonstrated in the architecture and in the spirit of
the towns. The year 1797 saw the entrance of Napoleon. In the nineteenth century under the dominion
of Austria, Asolo was involved in the reforms of the
civil institutions and by a programme of public works,
such as the revamping of the Duse Theatre. It finally
became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. A curious testimony to the events in Asolo’s history during
the XIXth century is the old clock with an enormous
pendulum hidden behind the counter in a wine shop
in via Browning, not far from the Teatro dei Rinnovati.
The events of the city’s history are noted down here
starting from the beginning of the nineteenth century.
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Old Town
1) Chiesa di San Gottardo
2) Casa Malipiero
3) Fontanella Zen
4) Villa Freya
5) Cattedrale
6) Palazzo della Ragione
7) Museo Civico
8) Fontana Maggiore
9) Mura
10) Rocca
11) Convento S.S. Pietro e Paolo
12) Piazza Brugnoli
13) Acquedotto Romano “La Bot”
14) Villa Scotti-Pasini
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15) Casa Gotica
16) Castello
17) Teatro Duse
18) Palazzo Beltramini
19) Casa Duse
20) Case Anseatiche, Costruzioni dell’architetto Pittore Mario De Maria (Marius Pictor)
21) Chiesa di S. Caterina
22) Casa Longobarda
23) Villa degli Armeni e “Fresco”
24) S. Anna e Cimitero con tombe
di Eleonora Duse e Freya Stark
25) “Maglio”
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Old Town
What to see
1) Chiesa di San Gottardo - Church
ChurchThe presence of a Friars Minor Conventual
monastery is documented in a land sale contract dated 1254; the church was dedicated to San Michele
Archangel, then known as Sant’Angelo. It is known
by the name San Gottardo because, in the first half
of the fifteenth century, an altar and a brotherhood
of flagellants dedicated to the saint were institured.
It became the best known monastery in Asolo and
used to offer hospitality to leading personalities. It
was also the venue of a school for Asolo’s finest families. It boasted a very extensive library that was broken up following a Venetian Decree of 1769 suppressing religious orders. The state of abandon into which
the monastery fell led to a decision to knock it down
between 1820 and 1830 conserving only the church
that passed under the administration of the cathedral.
Inside, the oldest antique decorative work dates back
to the middle of the 1300s and a further cycle of frescos were superimposed over it a century later. Now
deconsecrated, the church is periodically the setting
of high-profile chambre music concerts organised by
Asolo Musica.
2) Casa Malipiero - Historical Building
Standing on the Foresto Vecchio near the Church of
San Gottardo is the house where composer Gianfrancesco Malipiero (Venice 1882-Asolo 1973) lived for
nearly fifty years. It is characterised by small rooms
furnished with severe furniture made of dark wood.
Striking are the collections of butterflies and insects
as well as the antiques the composer loved to collect. Today the building is the Headquarters of the
Foundation bearing the Master’s name with the aim
of preserving his memory. Behind the house one can
walk along a path to the cave where Malipiero wanted
to be buried.
3) Fontanella Zen - Monument
The small cistern for the collection of water situated
at the southern entrance to the city, near the Castelfranco gate, was built by the Zen family in 1571 following an agreement between them and the Town
Council. The family had in fact asked the town council
to bring water from the collection point in the square
to their mansion on the Foresto Vecchio. The town
council consented to the construction of the pipe only
against the precise pledge by the Zen family to build
the mountain for the benefit of the wayfarers arriving
in the village after a long climb. lts water also supplied
the collection tanks used by washerwomen and as
troughs for horses, situated just outside the Ceci (now
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Old Town
Casrelfranco) gate. The recently restored fountain is
still used as a stop for refreshment for those tackling
Asolo’s steep climbs.
travels. The park, that continues behind the house,
was occupied in Roman times by the Roman theatre
complex discovered in 1879 and following years by
Pacifico Scomazzetto; in the 90s it was excavated by
the University of Padua.
4) Villa Freya - Villa
Near the Castelfranco gate stands the house and
grounds that belonged to Freya Stark, the great English writer and traveller (Paris 1893 Asolo 1993) who
chose Asolo as a home for recouping her energies
after her tiring journeys of exploration in the Middle
East. Set into the front door is a ceramic tile in eastern style with an Arabic inscription. The interiors
are simple but cosy, only a few of the rooms being
furnished in a slightly extravagant style. The grounds were once transformed into a botanic garden to
accommodate the essences collected on Stark’s
5) Cattedrale - Church
The first documented mention of the complex dates
back to 969 when the ecclesia in honore Bearae Virgins Mariae constructa is mentioned. In 1584, according to the description of a pastoral visit, the church
must have assumed the structure that can still be
seen. In 1606 following the collapse of the roof, the
apse and the main altar were reconstructed in addition to the cover. It was during the course of that
century that the structure lost the signs of its medieval
layout. In the middle of the eighteenth century, architect Massari was commissioned to reorder the inside.
The Cathedral has a main nave and two side naves
with stone columns. Next to the main altar two angels
by Giuseppe Bernardi are to be seen; the baptismal
font dated 1491 shows the coat-of-arms of Queen
Cornaro who commissioned architect Francesco
Graziolo. Then there are two major altar pieces by
Lorenzo Lotto and Jacopo Da Ponce. The external
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Old Town
is the result of the work completed in 1889 to the
design of Pietro Saccardo who juxtaposed the visible
face with the old facade.
against the Parthians” while the northwards-facing
section has a frieze resplendent with scrolls and festoons of vegetation. The entire groundfloor is occupied by the portico (Loggia) where justice was administered during the Venetian period. Memorial stones
and epigraphs are set into the internal walls. Situated
on the top floor you will find the Sala della Ragione,
once the Museum’s exhibition hall and now used for
cultural gatherings and temporary exhibitions.
6) Palazzo della Ragione - Historical Building
The mansion, an integral part of the building occupied
by the Town Museum was built during the fifteenth
century. The eastwards-facing facade, looking onto
the square is decorated with a fresco painted in 1588
the subject of which is the “The defeat of Crassus
7) Museo Civico - Museum
In addition to the Palazzo del Vescovado, the current
Town Museum also occupies the Loggia della Ragione building built to house the representatives of
the Town Council and the Magnificent Community
of Asolo and was decorated with frescos around the
middle of the sixteenth century. The first nucleus of
the museum’s collections was formed at the beginning of the nineteenth century thanks to donations
from Bartolomeo Fietta and, above all , from Domenico Manera and Giovan Battista Sartori Canova. At
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Old Town
the end of the century, the museum was officially instituted, established in the then municipal hall of the
Loggia della Ragione, and it was gradually expanded
in part as the result of bequests from Andrea Manera
and Pacifico Scomazzetto. From the early twentieth
century, donations became more and more frequent
and considerably increased the artistic and historical
items in the institute. Recent rearrangements house
the Archaeological Section (Ground Floor), the Art
Gallery (first floor), the Caterina Cornaro section, the
Treasure of the Cathedral and the Eleonora Duse and
Freya Stark section (second floor). Historical Archive.
At the end of the fifteenth century, the Asolo community demonstrated a particolar awareness of its
deeds and documents as a source that would also
be useful to generations to come; from that period
it therefore had “a conserving machine” realising the
importance of written documentation and the requirement that it is not tampered with, falsified or lost. The
history of the Historical Archive over the nineteenth
century is interwoven with that of the Museum that
was about to come into being. A number of important
manuscripts relative to Asolan history and personalities were therefore included among the museum’s
archaeological collections until they were significantly
grouped together starting from 1921. In the 1970s,
the then Museum Director Corrado Fabris saw to a
general rearrangement that enabled academics to
use the archive. Since 1981, all the documentation in
the Historical Archive (from the fifteenth to the first half
of the nineteenth century) was transferred to the museum centre. Restoration operations followed which
involved maps, incunabula, the codes of the Treviso
statutes etc. The archive is sub-divided into three
sections: old regime (1411-1796), AustroFrench era
(1797-1814) and eighteenth and nineteenth century
(1815-1920).
Opening time: Saturday and Sunday 10.00-19.00
Price: 5 € full, 4 € reduced
www.facebook.com/MuseoCivicoDiAsolo
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8) Fontana Maggiore - Monument
The fountain, situated in the square of the same
name, is the spititual centre of the town, is important
as a tangible sign of the solution of age-old and recurrent issues experienced by the inhabitants of Asolo in
their quest for a water supply, a fact that indissolubly
links the fountain with the historical town of Asolo.
From time immemorial until the first thirty years of
the twentieth century, the Fontana Maggiore was the
main system of water collection in the centre of town
thanks to the supply by the underground aqueducts
of the “Bot”. The form of the fountain visible today dates back to 1575 when it was restored under the Podesta Giovanni Pisani. The bequest of the winged lion
by sculto Antonio Dal Zotto, on the other hand, dates
to 1918. The fountain was recently given a thorough
overhaul and cleaning restoring it to working order.
9) Mura - Monument
The building of the medieval town’s defences along
the lines of the system of fortification still partly in
existence, was completed in the fourteenth century,
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Old Town
when Asolo became the object of bitter, continuous
struggles between the noble families of Verona, Padua and Venice. Probably the city had already had
a number of towers and isolated defence works for
a long time before that, but the first definite wallbuilding activities were recorded in 1318 when a so
called dry wall was first built along some stretches of
the perimeter of the town. Decisive for the definitive
form of the wall was the Paduan dominion of Asolo
in 1381 and 1388. It was then that work began to
“murare burgum Asili” or wall Asolo by Francesco da
Carrara without however finishing the work before the
final coming of the Venetians who completed the city
fortification. The circuit of the walls was not limited to
including the entire tightly settled area and the castle
complex, but it extended as far as the fortress at the
top of Mount Ricco, that thus became a physical part
of the town and its privileged point of strategic value,
both as a watch tower and for defensive purposes.
The circuit of the walls stretched 1360 metres with 24
towers at strategic points and several gates and doors, not all of the same time, where the roads leading
into and out of the town passed through. The openings are the Castelfranco gate (also called Loreggia),
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the Dieda gate, demolished in 1812 for the construction of the Foresto nuovo (also called S. Gervasio), the
S. Martino gate, now bricked up and partially visible
in the garden of the De Lord villa (outside the wall) or
in the garden of the “Casa Rossa” (inside the wall),
the Colmarion gate (also called the Bot gate), the S.
Caterina gate (also called the Foresto, di Belvedere)
and the Sottocastello gate. In modern and contemporary times some stretches collapsed and were demolished . To date there is absolutely no evidence to
support the hypothesis, several times advanced and
maintained even though unfounded, of the existence
of walls in Roman times.
10) Rocca - Rocca
Built at the summit of Mount Ricco that overlooks the
centre of Asolo, the mighty edifice in irregular polygon
style of the fortress (average height 15 metres and
a width of 2.5 metres for the north and west sides
and 3.5 metres for the other sides) dates back to a
period spanning the middle-end of twelfth century to
the beginning of the thirteenth century, as has been
established by archaeological findings in excavations
conducted by the University of Padova. This is the
period in which the ancient settlement acquired greater importance and therefore built itself a more imposing defensive structure. The construction of the
fortress entailed the destruction on the one hand of
the residential area - formerly productive, on the other
of a number of graves from the necropolis in the area.
Traces of the initial habitation of the fortification (thirteenth century) are rather weak, but more evident are
those linked to the successive eras of domination
by the municipality of Treviso (1261-1339), Venice
(1339-1381), Carrara (1379 1388) and Venice again
(1388-1796). Between the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries there was the construction of a cistern-well
for the collection of rainwater (still visible) and the
arrangement of the southeastern area with the construction of a bread oven. For the entire length of time
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Old Town
between the sertlement and 1510, the year in which
records declare the fortress was used for warlike purposes for the last rime, it housed a garrison of soldiers. The fortification started to fall into decay right
back as early as the sixteenth century. In 1650 there
was even an attempt to sell the Fortress by Venice for
the, not very high, price of 320 ducats. The operation
was suspended and avoided at the eleventh hour by
the fervent desire of the Asolan community which loved that building which, having already become by
age-old tradition an unimpeachable part of town life
is still to be admired today, almost guards and acts
as custodian of the little village lying at its feet. From
the buttresses of the fortress that underwent massive
work to restore them in the 1980’s and 90’s it is today
possible to enjoy a bird’s eyeview and a 3600 view of
the horizon from the Po plain to the entire arc of the
surrounding mountains. On clear days and with good
light one can clearly make out the lagoon of Venice.
Opening time: Saturday and Sunday
10.00-19.00 (april-october)
10.00-17.00 (november-march)
Price: 2€; free for children under 6
became the Headquarters of the city schools, which
it continued to be until the new scholastic building
was built near the hospital. The church and annexed
monastery took the name S. Luigi for a while after the
conversion of the complex into a school and young
people’s meeting point. It was recently given back its
original name. Today, the complex is home to prestigious master’s courses organised by CIMBA (Consortium Institute of Management and Business Analysis),
a consortium of thirty-seven American Universities.
11) Convento S.S. Pietro e Paolo - Historical
Building
The Benedictine monastery complex found against
the city wall at the foot of the hill the fortress stands
on, was occupied by monks from 1634 to 1807. After that, it was converted into a boarding school and
12) Piazza Brugnoli - Square
The existence of Roman hot baths at Asolo was
known as long ago as 1715 when a Roman inscription was discovered having been put to new use as
the base of a window. It commemorated a certain
Publius Acilius, curator rei publicae originally from
Rome (a sort of Prefectural Commissioner today),
who restored the public baths damaged in a fire. A
few clues to the probable location of the baths have
been gathered around today’s piazza Brugnoli: Roman walls, remains of conduits, various objects as
well as the discovery back in 1642, of a mosaic floor.
This public building was not however precisely identified until 1876- 1877 when an old district of houses
was entirely razed on the site of the square today (the
so-called Alocco district) to make way for the building of the Cattle Market. On this occasion Pacifico
Scomazzetto, selftaught archaeologist and one of
Asolo’s principal “ancient” historians, managed to
bring to light and reveal the foundations of parts of
the bathing system, (the remainder is still buried in the
garden of villa Scotti, now Pasini), and to recuperate
various materials. Features that can be recognised of
the baths complex, dating from between the first and
fourth centuries A.D., include a large calidarium (the
place where hor baths were
taken) with a floor standing on small brick columns
for the passage of hot air underneath that heated
the water baths, another room with a floor on small
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31
Old Town
columns, perhaps the tepidarium (where tepid baths
were taken), two large baths, a room with a black and
white mosaic floor, two rooms used as a praefurnium,
a place for combustion and the production of hot air.
A direct link with the Roman aqueduct called the Bot
led to these rooms. Between 1964-65 and in 1993,
while the square was being resurfaced, small-scale
excavations were made that substantially confirmed
the discoveries of Scomazzetto.
13) Acquedotto Romano “La Bot” - Monument
The aqueduct, the function of which is linked to
the Roman baths ensuring them a water supply,
stretched for some 600-700 meters from the water
inlet at the “Tintina” spring (on the Northern slope of
Mount Ricco) down as far as the town square where
the baths were situated. From the source to around
the medieval gate known as “Pusterla del Colmarion”
the water was taken by a system of lead pipes some
of which were discovered in the 1800s by academic
Pacifico Scomazzetto. From this point where it converged with another ancient source, the aqueduct ran
in an underground tunnel approximately 157 metres
long dug into Mount Ricco. The water had to be d istr
ibuted to the baths directly with piping, found at various times in the past, in the final stretch of the water
works where it currently comes out in Piazza Brugnoli. The underground Roman passage (on average 50
centimetres wide and between 1 and 2 metres high)
present at least four different cladding techniques depending on the different geological make up of the
ground as it was encountered. The original water system can be dated to the first century A.D. In perhaps
medieval times the Roman aqueduct became part of
a more complex water system thanks to the construction on the northern stretch of a superimposed tunnel that traced the oldest route, the so called “Cava”
(pit) or the “Cava delle Monache” (Monks’ pit) (owing
to the vicinity of the S. Luigi or S. Pietro Monastery)
The beginning of works to restore the Bot began in
the early 1800s. It was not, however, until 1918 that
architect Leon Gurekian measured and analysed the
Bot in the form of a historical document and, with the
report by the “Commission for the protection of the
Monuments and the Landscapes of the Asolo Area”
(Commissione per la protezione dei Monumenri e dei
Paesaggi dell’Asolano) in 1922, it obtained the protection of monument status in 1923. From that date
the “Bot” once more fell into oblivion; the “pit” was
used as depository - wine cellars and, during the last
world war, as an airraid shelter. Only in the last ten
years have the waterworks been the subject of a specific study and a complete graphical reconstruction.
Opening time: Saturday and Sunday 10.00-19.00
Price: Free Entry
14) Villa Scotti-Pasini - Villa
From the slopes of Mount Ricco, the Villa dominates
the area of the squares in the town centre. The first
villa layout seems to date back to the seventeenth
century, while various extensions and tights of way
were made in subsequent centuries. The first nucleus of the villa was built when small buildings were
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Old Town
grouped during the seventeen hundreds, while the
addition of the wings that give the structure its current
appearance came later.
15) Casa Gotica - Historical Building
Between 1988 and 1990 the Veneto Archaeological Department conducted largescale excavations
around the building known as “Casa Gotica” or Gothic House. Through these it has been possible to
document the uninterrupted habitation of Asolo from
the late bronze age - early iron age (X-IX century B.C.)
down through the medieval period to the modern
age. The materials that have come to light refer to a
settlement of the ancient tribe of Veneto people. It is
probable that already with this first residential area,
originally rather sloping and uneven, was levelled and
terraced for the precise purpose of providing an area
that could be accessed and transited easily. For the
middle and late iron age (VI-II centuryB.C.) finds attesting to the influx of the Retic people restify to the
role Asolo played in ancient times as a hinge between
two cultural worlds. Again in the Roman era the area
was earmarked for housing. In fact, the remains of a
house have come to light that can be dated to between 1st and 3rd centuries A.D., with a water drainage
channel, as well as the remains of a later house (2nd
to 5th century A.D.), with large ourdoor area and an
external brickwork sewage channel.
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16) Castello - Castel
The castle, together with the fortress one of the
symbols of the Asolan countryside, seems to date
back to the l0th century although there is no definite
information indicating the origins of the complex in
1242 it was home to Ezzelino da Romano and, from
1339, it became the seat of the podesta of Venice.
At the end of the fourteenth century it became one
with the city walls, construction that begun during the
brief dominion of the Carraresi. Three of the four towers once characterising it still remain: the Civic or
Bell tower, the Reata tower acting as a gaol and the
Carro tower, nowadays part of the adjacent residence
called La Torricella. In 1489 it became the residence
of Caterina Cornaro, and Pietro Bembo set his “Gli
Asolani “ dialogues in this palace and its gardens. After Caterina’s death it was readapted to administrative functions and extensively restored. The French
were stationed here in 1797 and, the next year, the
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Old Town
great “Pretoria Hall”, where Venetian podesta once
administered justice, was converted into a theatre.
The western side of the castle was knocked down in
1816. Today the majestic clock tower is visible from
all over town.
17) Teatro Duse - Theater
The theatre has been housed in the castle since 1798,
first as created by Antonio Locatelli, a simple wooden
structure and then rebuilt to the design of architect
Marrignago in 1857. The new theatre had three orders of boxes and was embell is hed with figurative
reliefs by the Aster brothers and paintings by De Marchi. In 1930 the theatre was knocked down and the
wooden profile dismantled and sold to antique dealer
Loewi in Venice who resold it to the State of Florida in
1949. Today it can be seen at the Ringling Museum in
Sarasora (Florida U.
S.A.). The only testimony to the old theatre remaining
in Asolo is the crystal chandelier that now lights the
Council Chamber at the Town Hall. The new theatre,
built to the design of architect Forlati, was inaugurated in 1932 and named for Eleonora Duse. During the
Nineties, the castle complex and the clock tower underwent radical revamping that, among other things,
restored the theatre in a form reminiscent of the origin
al structure. For the last few years it has been the
venue of large-scale and well-appreciated plays and
other performances.
18) Palazzo Beltramini - Historical Building
The mansion known as Beltramini, the name of a family who arrived in Asolo from Lombardy in the second half of the fifteenth century and soon became
one of the most famous in the city, took on a new architectural appearance during the eighteenth century.
In fact, in this period the mansion in piazza D’Annunzio was restored and structured in its present form by
the famous architect Giorgio Massari, again on the
commission of the Beltramini family. A special and in36
genious solution was adepte for the architectural decoration of the facade inserted in the limited space of
the square: the result was a three-order facade with
arcade with ashlar-work columns laid out in such a
way that they can be seen from the end of via Cornaro. The inside is refined too; the noble hall occupies
two stories and is crowned with an elegant curved
balcony. The mansion first became the property of
the Pasini family and then of the Nerudas before passing into the hands of the municipality which made it
the town hall.
19) Casa Duse - Historical Building
If you walk along via Canova, when you get to the
Santa Caterina gate which closes off the long view of
the road you find Casa Duse. This mansion, in the sixteenth century already residence of Francesco Nursio
Timideo da Verona, personal secretary of Queen Cornaro, is situated on the medieval walled perimeter. It
was rented and restored by the star with the intention
of retiring there. The availability of the house was the
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Old Town
dow sill. And I have an altar”. It was only after the “adversary” pulled out of the negotiations that Eleanora
Ouse regained possession of the building that was later acquired by the daughter of the famous actress.
subject of an event that testifies to the romantic and
passionate soul of Eleanora Ouse. In dispute with a
Venetian family, the actress initially gave up the residence when she discovered why her “adversary”
wanted it: wife of a soldier who fell at Grappa, she
wanted to keep alive his dear memory by looking out
of the windows of that building with its enchanting
view of that tragic spot. The famous words of the actress are significant: “When in the morning I open the
shutters of my room, Mount Grappa is framed in the
window. Then I put two vases of flowers on the win-
20) Case Anseatiche - Historical Building
The two curious constructions (Casa de Maria and
Casa Pusinich) are clearly architectural “loans” from
Nordic European culture that, with a considerable
film-set like effect, make these little buildings real cameos in the context in which they are situated. The
two small villas were constructed in the years 1914-15
by painter Mario de Maria, better known as “Marius
Pictor”. He chose Asolo to live in and it was here that
he decided to be buried: it was his friend D’Annunzio
who dictated the epigraph on the commemorative
plaque placed on the front of his house in 1924 and it
is still visible today. It must not however be forgotten
that one of the two houses was the residence of poet
and man of letters Guido Pusinich.
21) Chiesa di S. Caterina - Church
Its construction is linked to the birth and development
of the Battuti Brotherhood whose presence dates
back to the early 1300s. The foundation of the hospital situated alongside the church also dates back to
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Old Town
At the western end of via Santa Caterina, stands a
house with unusual architectural form and a finely sculpted facade. It is the house of architect and
sculptor Francesco Graziolo, who came to Asolo during th e reign of Queen Cornaro , as her personal
architect, and died here in 1536. It takes the name
Longobarda because, in the engraving found on the
architrave of the second order, the architect is called
longobardus. It must have been the site of his workshop on the facade of which he exhibited a number
of his works.
the brotherhood. The building has a smooth hut-like
facade with central oculus with a single room. The
interior was decorated between the fourteenth and
fifteenth century with a first cycle of frescos. At the
beginning of the 1500s, it underwent a restoration
that changed its appearance considerably in addition
to creating new paintings inside that can still be seen
today (episodes from the life of St. Catherine and scenes from Christ’s passion). The hospital continued to
function until the beginning of the 1900s when the
new town hospital was built.
22) Casa Longobarda - Historical Building
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23) Villa degli Armeni e “Fresco” - Historical
Building
It is situated to the west of the town centre at the
summit of the Messano hill. It is one of the most famous monuments in the Asolo area and consists
of two distinct but intimately connected bodies: the
so-called “Fresco”, consisting of a spectacular facade pointing northwards and clearly seen from the S.
Caterina district, and the actual villa on the southern
slope of the hill. The two parts are connected by a
tunnel running through the top of Mount Messano.
The complex was constructed by a Venetian family,
the Surians, in 1558 and became the properry of the
Contarinis by inheritance. Then it passed at the beginning of the 1800s into the hands of various noble
Venetian families: the Bragadinis, the Soranzos and
the Pasqualinis to be finally transferred to the Arme41
Old Town
nian boarding school on the island of San Lazzaro
of the lagoon of Venice and recently return to private property. Worthy of note while the villa was under
construction were the frescos with biblical scenes,
the work of Brescian artist Lattanzio Gambara, that
still adorn the southern face.
24) S. Anna e tomba E. Duse e F. Stark - Monument
The Monastery of the Capucine monks with annexed
church was built with the permission of Sixtus V in
1587 and survived until 1769. After becoming municipal property it was fitted out as a lazzarette, barracks
and home for the needy. The belvedere of the monastery became a burial place after the Napoleonic
Saint Cloud edict ordering cemeteries to be moved
outside the town and, after that, illustrious personalities from Asolan life (E. Duse, Freya Stark, Manara
Valgimigli etc.) came to rest forever in this hermitage
sleeping in the quiet greenery After a century and a
half of alternating activity and semi abandonment, the
old monastery was finally able to return to its original and more suitable purpose: in 1928 the Capucine monks returned there and it took on the name of
Sant’Anna from an altar existing in the church.
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25) Maglio - Historical Building
The complex is situated in Pagnano, at the foot of the
Asolan Hills, and consists of a forge, a service building
behind and a dwelling. The date of “1468” and the
sign with an anvil were found in the oldest part next
to a Gothic window. The forge used from medieval
times up to 1979 for the working of metal, harnessed
the driving force supplied by a derivation of the Muson stream. The use of the complex changed during
the eighteenth century when it was used for clothes
fulling works. Around a century later , in 1770, activities linked to iron working were resumed. In 1989
the complex was bought by the Asolo Town Council,
restored and put to work for cultural purposes.
Piazza Garibaldi - Square
Heart of the city can be considered the central Piazza
Garibaldi, with the sixteenth-century fountain topped
by the winged lion of St. Marco. From here you can
easily reach the main monuments of Asolo.
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Old Town
Traditions and Events
EVENTS
Antique Market
Every second Sunday of the month (except July and
August) since 1976, the antique market has taken
place. Furniture, jewellery, silverware, prints and books, modern art and general objects, are exposed
along the streets of the old town centre.
References for the antique market
From Monday to Friday: dr.ssa Antonella Bagatella
Tel. 0423 524675
Email: [email protected]
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Palio dei 100 Orizzonti
Events Introduced for the first time in 1992, the Palio
dei 100 Orizzonti, was inspired by the arrival of Queen Caterina Cornaro in Asolo, rising for 1,800 meters
in the Foresto Vecchio back in October 1489. This
event therefore wants to evoke in a popular form this
important moment for the city of Asolo. The “Palio
dei 100 Orizzonti” sees 9 crews, composed of young
guys driving a Roman chariot with a handmaiden
on board, representing the municipalities of Altivole,
Asolo, Castelcucco, Fonte, Maser, Monfumo, Possagno, Riese PioX and San Zenone degli Ezzelini. The
HISTORICAL PROCESSION is enriched by figures in
period dress.
http://www.paliodiasolo.com/
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Old Town
Personalities
Eleonora Duse
(1916) taken from the homonymous novel by Grazia
Deledda. She returned in 1921, presenting her new
repertoire with pieces by Ibsen and D’Annunzio (The
lady of the sea, La città morta / The Dead City, The
Ghosts), by Marco Praga (La porta chiusa / The Closed Door) and by Tommaso Gallarati Scotti (Così sia).
In 1923, though in poor health, she started a new tour
in the United Stated, and passed away in Pittsburgh
in April 1924.
GIANFRANCESCO MALIPIERO
ELEONORA DUSE was born in 1858 in Vigevano into
a family of wandering artists, Vincenzo (stage name
Alessandro) Duse, originally from Chioggia, and Angelica Cappelletto. She started treading on the boards at a tender age with her parents, and proved her
talent in 1873 when she played Juliet at the Arena
of Verona. She joined various companies, and then
founded one with famous Giacinta Pezzana, with
whom in 1877 she successfully staged Emile Zola’s
drama Thérèse Raquin in Naples. From 1880 to 1887
she performed with Cesare Rossi’s Compagnia Città
di Torino, gladly playing Dumas’s characters (Princess
of Baghdad, Lady of the Camellias, Wedding Visit
and Claude’s wife). She soon separated from her husband, actor Tebaldo Marchetti (stage name Tebaldo
Checchi) from whom she had a daughter, Enrichetta.
Between 1885 and 1904 she experienced two great
passions, which enormously impacted on her artistic
life as well: Arrigo Boito, poet and Verdi’s librettist,
and Gabriele D’Annunzio, who basically started his
theatre production because of Eleonora Duse (Sogno
di un mattino di Primavera / The Dream of a Spring
Morning, Gioconda, Gloria, La Città Morta / The Dead
City, Francesca da Rimini). In 1909, at the age of 51,
she suddenly left the stage, but this did not prevent
her from working on her only film, Cenere / Ashes
Musician GIANFRANCESCO MALIPIERO was born
in Venice on 18th March 1882. He did his studies in
Paris and Berlin, where he came into contact with
the contemporary expressions of music and assimilated the influences of Debussy, Ravel, Stravinsky. He
spent his life in Rome and the Veneto, teaching in several institutes. In 1939 he became the director of the
Conservatoire of Venice.He discovered Asolo in 1910.
Attracted by the beauty of the place and in search for
a shelter from the city fuss, he stayed there until his
death. His strong tie to the town is attested by one of
his writings in which he mentions Asolo: La pietra del
bando, printed in 1945 and later reprinted in 1990. A
prolific composer, his works include Poemi Asolani,
Torneo notturno (1931), I capricci di Callot (1942) and
Uno di dieci (1970).From 1925 to his death he held
the office of Honorary Inspector of Superintendence
for Monuments, which allowed him to deal with the
protection of the environment and cultural heritage in
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47
Old Town
Asolo.He died in Treviso in 1973 and was buried in a
grave designed by himself, located at the bottom of
his house garden in via Foresto Vecchio.
FREYA STARK
Explorer and writer FREYA STARK was born in Paris
in 1893. Her parents, both English, brought her up in
France, England and Italy. As a child she lived in Asolo
for a long time, then in 1911 she went to study at Bedford College, but the tragic fortunes of the war took
her back to Italy, where she helped as a Red Cross
nurse on the Carso area. Being charmed by faraway
lands, she started learning Arabic in 1927 and went
on frequent journeys to the Near and Middle East.
She got in touch with the Royal Geographical Society,
which in 1933 awarded her the Back memorial Prize
for her cartographic contributions and trips to Luristan. In the following years she collected literary successes, collaborations with the British government,
the BBC and the Royal Asia Society. During the second world war she was in Yemen, at the age of 76
she left for Persia and then for Afghanistan and Iraq.
In 1972, thanks to her reckless life, she received the
title of honour “Dame Freya Stark” by the Queen of
England. She went to Nepal on her last expedition
at 88, and then settled down in her house in Asolo,
where she died in 1993 at the age of a hundred.
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Caterina Cornaro
CATERINA CORNARO was born in 1454 in San Cassiano, a Venetian palace overlooking the Grand Canal; her parents were the noble knight Marco Cornaro
and Fiorenza Crespo. The Cornaro (or Corner) family
achieved dogado (dukedom) in 1365 with eighty-year
old Marco, and became rich and powerful thanks to
the fruitful trade with the Levant, in particular with
Cyprus. In this island, the various family branches owned large landholdings and plantations and had set
up ties – also at economic level – with the ruling house
of Lusignano (of the royal house of Borgogna), who
in 1192 replaced the Templar Knights in the island
government. Both Caterina’s uncle Andrea, and her
father Marco were habitual visitors, and financiers, of
the Nicosia court: thanks to Venetian support, James
II Lusignan, named “The Bastard”, had come to the
throne. The same Andrea had lent great amounts of
money to the king so that he could face the Turkish
threat. Moreover, it seems that it was uncle Andrea
who suggested to the king the marriage with his niece
Caterina, envisaging the advantage of a marital bond
with a daughter of Venice. Caterina married the king of
Cyprus by proxy in a lavish ceremony in Venice (1468),
and was then “adopted” by the city; she joined her
husband on the island only in 1472, where she was
crowned “Queen of Cyprus, Jerusalem and Armenia”.
Upon death of James II in 1473 and of her young son
James III in 1474, Caterina Cornaro governed Cyprus
until 1489, when because of Venetian ambitions she
49
Old Town
was forced to surrender her kingdom to the Serenissima, obtaining in exchange the domination of the land
of Asolo. Here the queen dwelt in the Castle fortress,
which had become the rendezvous for artists and illustrious people (Pietro Bembo set the conversations
of love of Asolani at the Asolo court). Between 1491
and 1493 she had a country villa built up and decorated in Altivole, at the foot of the hills of Asolo, which
Bembo named Barco. The queen spent the last part
of her life between Asolo and the palaces of Venice,
and passed away in 1510 in San Cassiano palace.
Roberto Browning
Pietro Bembo
PIETRO BEMBO (1470-1547), born into a Venetian
noble family, was started by his father in humanistic
studies, which he completed in Messina at Lascaris Greek school. Back in Venice, he participated in
Aldo Manuzio’s editorial-cultural programme. He held
important public offices and became in 1530 official
historian of the Venetian Republic; in 1539 he was
made cardinal.Being a cousin of Caterina Cornaro,
he came to Asolo in 1495 for the wedding of the
Queen’s damsel. His stay in town inspired the setting
for Asolani (1505), dialogues in three volumes alternating prose and verses, in which he brings forward
the idea of a spiritual love, contemplative desire for
beauty. Yet his fame is linked to the Prose della volgar
lingua (1525), a work that affirmed the exemplarity of
fourteenth-century authors (mostly Tetrarca and Boccaccio) and gave origin to the language question.
50
ROBERT BROWNING, (London 1812-Venice 1889),
already author of verses Pauline (1833) and Paracelsus (1835) as well as of the historical tragedy Strafford (1837), visited Italy for the first time in 1838 to
study on spot the setting for his poem called Sordello.
Afterwards he went to Trieste, Venice, Treviso, Bassano, Asolo, Vicenza, Padua and his first stay in Asolo
inspired the dramatic tetralogy Pippa Passes (1841).
During his second journey to Italy in 1844 he went to
Naples, Rome and Livorno where he probably drew
inspiration for the patriotic poems The Italian in England and The Englishman in Italy (1845) and for The
Patriot (1849). At the end of 1846 the poet was back
in Italy, first in Pisa, then in Florence where he spent
fifteen years beside his wife, English poetess Elisabeth
Barrett. In 1861 his spouse died and he returned to
England with his young son Pen, but was back in Italy
on several occasions from 1878 on the lake Como, in
Fiera di Primiero and mostly in Asolo and Venice, the
places of his early inspiration. In December 1889 his
last poem was published, Asolando, dedicated to his
friend from Asolo Caterina Bronson. He passed away
shortly after that in Venice on the 12th of December
1889 in Rezzonico palace, which had been bought
by his son a few years earlier.
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Accomodations
Old Town
HOTEL
Albergo Al Sole
Via Collegio 33, 31011 Asolo
+390423951332, +390423951007
[email protected]
www.albergoalsole.com
*****
Nestled in the heart of the medieval village of Asolo,
this timeless Hotel has a warm atmosphere and is
surrounded by rich art and culture, including Palladian Villas and the temple of Antonio Canova. An ideal starting point for walks and excursions to vineyards
and wineries that give charm to the landscape. A popular destination for cyclists from all over the world for
its spectacular natural scene ryand paths around the
city its surroundings.
Hotel Villa Cipriani
Via Canova 298, 31011 Asolo
+390423523411, +390423952095 [email protected]
http://www.villaciprianiasolo.com/it/
****
A Renaissance villa with a unique perfumed Italian
garden surrounded by an enchanting mix of art, history and nature: Villa Cipriani is all and much more!
Located in the heart of the picturesque town of Asolo.
The elegant Villa used to be the private home of the
famous 19th century English poet Robert Browning;
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nowadays the hotel offers 31 lovely rooms (2 single
and 29 double). A stay in the romantic Hotel Villa Cipriani offers enchanting views of the landscaped garden or still a gorgeous panoramic view on the gentle
hills of Asolo , The two Grand Deluxe rooms have a
large outside terrace. The bedrooms are all furnished
with genuine antiques and finished in exquisite examples of traditional Italian craftsmanship such as terracotta, marble and watercolors. The Hotel Villa Cipriani
also offers room service, 24-hour front desk, service,
concierge, business secretarial staff, business center,
currency exchange, porterage, laundry, 24-hour valet
parking, car rental, maid, shoe shine, wake-up and
doorman services.
Hotel Duse
Via Browning 190, 31011 Asolo
+39042355241
[email protected]
www.hotelduse.com
***
Situated directly on the romantic central square with
the cathedral and adjacent castle, under gothic arcades and between the characteristic small streets,
stands the Hotel Duse. Ancient building entirely renewed, to the inside presents a simple style but attentive to the details giving to the Hosts a warm atmosphere. Century old walls conceal 14 comfortable
rooms furnished in a charming style, fully equipped
with air conditioning/heating, minibar, tv-sat, direct
53
Outside the city walls
phone and dial-up internet connection socket. Other
facilities: courtesy-service, hairdryer, shave-set, theeth-set, possibilities to rent a bike, personalized tours
around the area.
Hotel Asolo
Via Castellana 9, 31011 Asolo
+390423952963
[email protected]
www.hotel-asolo.com
***
The Hotel Asolo offers various rooms by type, all
elegantly furnished with colors and solutions designed to make every room a small autonomous
universe. Thirty-two rooms with private bathroom,
hairdryer, wi-fi, mini bar, safe, LCD TV, private telephone. The hotel Asolo has a geothermal system
which makes it an environmentally friendly structure.
54
Accomodations
Farmhouse/Housing units
Al Morer
Via Risorgimento 10, 31011 Asolo
+39042355060
[email protected]
www.almorer.it
“AL MORER” appears as the ideal place for a happy break: surrounded by a landscape that allows the
space on the plain of Treviso and characterized by the
presence of trees Mulberry, has kept with the recent
restoration works, the original architectural features.
holiday house
Villa Flangini
Via Foresto di Pagnano 2, 31011 Asolo
+39042355622
[email protected]
http://www.villaflangini.it
Congress, conferences, holidays, climatic stays for individuals, groups, families, and in religious structure.
55
Housing units
Casa Pietro Bembo
Via Santa Caterina 23, 31011 Asolo
+39335207028
[email protected] Toffolo Bruno
Via Marconi 137, 31011 Asolo
+390423952748
Accomodations
Ca’ Cinel
Via Mestre 9, 31011 Asolo
+390423952401, +393355449091
[email protected]
www.cacinel.it/www.Cacinel.it/Home_it.html
At the foot of the hills of Asolo, circndata by 25 acres
of countryside, Ca ‘Cinel is a true example of a 1600
building that preserves the original structure.
AFFITTACAMERE DI 3^ CAT.
“APPARTAMENTO BELTRAMINI”
Asolo - Via Contrada Canova 330/b Tel. 0423 529045 [email protected]
Bed & Breakfast
Al Lauro
Via Lauro 4, 31011 Villa d’Asolo
+390423564440, +393337551696
[email protected]
www.beballauro.com/IT/index.html
The B & B is set in the Veneto countryside. On the
ground floor is the breakfast room with TV and minibar. Upstairs there are three bedrooms with bathroom.
Casasolana
Via Sottocastello 18, 31011 Asolo
+39042355754
[email protected]
www.casasolana.it
Casasolana is located in a hilly area along the scenic
route that leads to the Castle of Queen Cornaro, just
800 m from the city center. It is a typical Venetian
farmhouse of the nineteenth century, surrounded by a
beautiful park of 7000 square meters., Recently reno56
57
Accomodations
vated with simple but refined taste. The three rooms
available for guests, all with own facilities, are each
dedicated to a female character who was a major influence in the history of Asolo if: Caterina Cornaro,
Eleonora Duse, Freya Stark. On the ground floor, surrounded by large windows, there is a common room
where breakfast is served.
Casa Pagnano
Via Vallorgana 22, 31011 Pagnano
+390423529276, +393293932570
[email protected]
www.casapagnano.com
Casa Pagnano (Pagnano House) is surrounded by
Asolo hills green and beauty and it dates back to
1400. Pencil and watercolour drawthe building cadastral map, an Eighteenth Century rare and precious
document, today kept in Asolo Historical Archives. It
is ideal for those who aim at spending a peaceful and
relaxing holiday, the B&B has two elegant bedroomswith independent entrance, including private facilities, TV and air-conditioning. They have been recently
restored and furnished in a warm and cosy style, the
rooms have a small equipped kitchen for breakfast.
Do’ None
Via Calò 26, 31011 Pagnano
+39042355682, +393296370479
www.donone.it
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“DO ‘NONE” is located in Asolo, a few kilometers
from the Palladian Villas Canova Plaster Casts Gallery
and Museum. Two studios with double bed and sofa
bed, bathroom and kitchen, satellite TV and free WiFi. air conditioning
Europa di Toffolo Bruno
Via Vallorgana 6, 31011 Pagnano
+390423529254
Bed & Breakfast di Gallina Tommaso
Via S. Colomba 4, 31011 Asolo
+393496086346, +393284230962 [email protected]
Larry’s House
Via Marco Ricci 1/B, 31011 Casella d’Asolo
+393209365948
[email protected]
“Larry’s House” is located at the foot of Asolo in 5
minutes from the city center. The structure offer an
independent apartment with sloping ceilings with
exposed beams, living room kitchen, bathroom with
shower and heated towel rail, double bedroom and
possible bedroom with two single beds. The apartment has a washing machine and outdoor parking.
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Le Gemelle
Via Bernardi 8, 31011 Pagnano
+390423950819, +393406601349
Pleris
Via Bernardi 26, 31011 Pagnano
+390423952181
[email protected] www.bedandbreakfast-pleris.it From the garden, a splendid vista over the hills and
the town of Asolo “Perla della Marca Trevigiana”, will
capture one’s eyes. The town of Asolo is easily reached also by way of trails suitable both for hiking and
bicycle riding.
The kitchen, spacious and comfortable, is ready to
offer delicious breakfast in a relaxing atmosphere.
The rooms are confortable, the furniture harmoniousely matches the ambience. Each room has a television. On the first floor there’s a single/double room
with private bathroom.
On the second floor, a double room and a single one
share the same bathroom. The double has a rich library. Peace and quiet are interrupted only by the
twittering of birds as the vehicular transit in the “Borgo” is restricted to residents.
Accomodations
Villa Vega
+39042355026, +393475436622
[email protected]
www.villavega.it
The hills of Asolo, city of a hundred horizons, full of
houses and magnificent villas, set among the green
nature, dominate the fertile plain underneath.
Villa Vega, a beautiful building in the liberty style of the
end of the 1800s, looks on to the south-west face of
a hill. The area is rich in sun and wonderful landscape, including the silent “Monte Grappa” and its long
history.
Barone d’Asolo Country House
Via Gasparona 11, 31011 Pagnano
+390423529005
[email protected]
www.baroneasolo.it
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Eat & Drink
Old Town
Immersed in a beautiful park, a lake of water lilies and
lotus flowers, paths through woods and orchards, the
country House Barone d’Asolo will welcome you with
its distinctive peace and tranquillity and become the
perfect place for your relaxing stay.
RESTAURANTS
Al Bacaro
Restaurant/Tavern
Via Robert Browning 165, 31011 Asolo
+39042355150
€
ASOLO BED AND BREAKFAST
Asolo - Via Risorgimento 4
cell 345 4870191 - 334 7667921
fax 0423 952029
[email protected]
www.bedandbreakfastasolo.it
Asolo’s centenarian tavern (but the first host was from
Puglia) with a cuisine dedicated to traditional Veneto’s and local recipies. Specialities: meat, Veneto’s
specialities, pot pie, nerves, snails, Vicenza’s saled
codfish, tripes. Everage price (drinks excluded): 25€.
Closed on Wednesday.
Bristot
Restaurant
Via P. Bembo 85, 31011 Asolo
+390423529592
[email protected]
www.ristorantebistrotasolo.com
€€
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Eat & Drink
Old Town
Summer terrace. Creative cuisine with seafood and
meat specialities. Asparagus and mushrooms, chicory, herbs, pâté, bread and olive oil from Asolo’s hills.
Fish and crustaceans, raw, carpaccio and a good
wine list, local desserts. Open during the evening
from 18:00. Everageprice (drinks excluded): 30-40€.
Closed on Sunday.
Cornaro
Restaurant/Pizzeria
Via Regina Cornaro 214, 31011 Asolo
+390423950361
€
+39042355288
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gala-Asolo/455369967860646
€
In the centre of Asolo, this restaurant is furnished with
care and good taste. Vast choice of Veneto’s typical
wines and traditional cuisine.
Hostaria Ca’ Derton
Restaurant/Tavern
Piazza G. D’annunzio 11, 31011 Asolo
+39042355218
[email protected]
€€
If you feel like tasting a really good Neapolitan pizza,
the best thing to do is visit the Cornaro Pizzeria. Excellent pice/quality ratio and stainless service.
Gala di Susanna Quagliotto
Restaurant/Wine Bar
64
Cosy restaurant that offers the traditional Veneto’s cuisine with a hint of innovation and creativity. Traditional tasting menu: 35€. Good wine list. The attached
wine shop offers the same cuisine in an informal atmosphere and with cheaper prices.
Closed on Wednesday.
Everage price (drinks excluded): 45€.
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Eat & Drink
Old Town
Hotel Villa Cipriani
Restaurant
+390423523411
[email protected] www.villacipriani.it
€€€€
products, such as “morlacco” cheese, are from the
owner’s farm.
La Terrazza - presso albergo Al Sole
Restaurant
Via Collegio 33, 31011 Asolo
+390423951332
[email protected]
www.albergoalsole.com
€€€€
This restaurant, which achieved prestigious rewards,
is part of the hotel of the same name and offers Veneto’s regional specialities transforming them with
Mediterranean and international cuisine. The menu is
seasonale and and the daily list varies according to
the availability of the local products. There’s a breathtaking view on Asolo’s valley.
La Corte del Re
Restaurant/Tavern
Via Dante 24, 31011 Asolo
€
This small tavern is situated in Asolo’s main square. The area for the outdoor lunch is near the main
car park ( near the great palace). The tavern offers
many local specialities, such as porchetta and cold
cuts and interesting beers wines and grappa. Many
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Al Sole hotel’s terrace, meeting place of the international clientela, is a real outdoor sitting room that
overlooks Asolo’s historical center. Innovative cuisine, which at the same time is able to enhance the
traditional product, that are accurately selected. The
menu is made with high quality raw products, from
fresh seafood to meat, to vegetarian dishes. The chef
is Enrico Villanova.
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Eat & Drink
Old Town
Pane, Vino e San Daniele
Restaurant
+390423951375
€
Very good quality of the food and nice atmosphere.
Homemade first courses, cold cuts, San Daniele’s
ham, Friuli’s specialities, salads, Friuli’s wines. Homemade cuisine. Everage price (drinks excluded): 1520€. Closed on Tuesday and on Thursday evening.
TappoBar
Bar/Restaurant
Via Roma 55, 31011 Asolo
+390423952201
[email protected]
www.tappobar.it
€€
Beer house/Sandwich bar
Epoca
Beer house/Sandwich bar
+390423950100
€
Typical and welcoming sandwich bar. Kind and
courteous staff. Fast food (hamburgers) but also more
demanding dishes (spaghetti with ragù).
PASTICCERIE / GELATERIE
Gelateria Browning
+300423951375
Ice-cream parlour appreciated by tourists and citizens.
Restaurant in the town’s centre, divided into two rooms, one for the café and the other for the restaurant.
The rooms are nice and well-finished.
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Eat & Drink
Old Town
BAR / CAFÈ
Al Castello
Piazza Duse 227, 31011 Asolo
+390423952158
Caffè Commercio
Via R. Cornaro 210, 31011 Asolo
+390423952290
Located in the historical center, the “Caffè Commercio” is open from 7.00 am to 01.00am. It offers breakfast, small plates and quick meals. Great selection of
beers and prosecco by glass. Closed on Mondays.
Al Municipio
Piazza G. D’Annunzio 8, 31011 Asolo
Caffè Centrale
+390423952141
[email protected]
www.caffecentrale.com
The Cafè is located in the center of Asolo. It’s well
furnished, clean and it offers drinks, cocktails and homemade ice cream.
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Winebar
Enoteca alle Ore
Elegant restaurant, well-finished in every detail... very
good treatment. Excellent for an aperitif.
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RESTAURANTS
Al Bersagliere
Restaurant/Tavern
Via San Martino 31, 31011 Asolo
+390423952744
€
Old tavern founded in the late 19th century by Giovan
Battista Stona, Bersagliere during the First World War.
Nowadays the tavern is run by his granddaughter
Marisa with her husband Gianni. Welcoming atmosphere (both in the Summer and in the Winter) that
offers simple cold cuts, local cheese and local wine.
Everage rice (drinks excluded): 25€.
Al Via Lauro
Restaurant/Pizzeria
Via Lauro 23, 31011 Asolo
+390423564112
€
You can taste different types of dishes and it is also
a pizzeria, Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday morning.
Da Vanore
Restaurant/Tavern
Piazza G. D’annunzio 5, 31011 Asolo
+390423952279
€€
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Eat & Drink
Picturesque place surrounded by green, cosy and
wecoming, nice and simple people, very good chargrilled, rustic and savory cuisine. There are ofter musicians on Friday evening. Good wine collection with
more than 150 types of wine. Everage price (drinks
excluded): 35-40€. Closed on Monday.
Ferro e Fuoco
Restaurant/Pizzeria
Via Ponte di Pagnano 1, 31011 Asolo
+393398035597
€
Pizzeria Ferro e Fuoco welcomes you with warmth
and sympathy. At lunchtime it also offers dishes as a
restaurant. It has a Summer dehors.
La Tavernetta
Restaurant/Tavern
Via Schiavonesca Marosticana 45, 31011 Asolo
+390423952273
http://www.ristorantelatavernettatv.com
€€
Typical and welcoming restaurant near the historical
centre. The cuisine joins traditional products and creativity, from the first course with homemade pasta to
grilled specialities and Veneto’s traditional’s dishes.
Homemade desserts.
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La Trave
Restaurant
Via Contrada Bernardi 15, 31011 Asolo
+390423952256
€
Old and rustic trattoria with local and seasonal specialities (spring herbs, mushrooms, risotto, “sopa
coada”, snails, salted codfish). Everage price (drinks
excluded): 28/30€. Closed on Monday.
Locanda Baggio
Restaurant/Inn
Via Bassane 1, 31011 Asolo
+390423529648
www.locandabaggio.it
€€€
Intimate and cosy restaurant, characterised by the
typical and traditional cuisine. Very good wine collection with a selection of local, national and international
wines. Everage price (drinks excluded): 40/50€. Closing: Monday and Tuesday at lunchtime.
Mexican Grill
Restaurant
Via Croce d’Oro 1, 31011 Asolo
+390423564075
€
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Eat & Drink
Esotic atmosphere and cuisine for this restaurant
where it’s possible to taste Mexican’s traditional cuisine.
Momà
Restaurant/Disco
Via E. Fermi 32, 31011 Asolo
+390423952467
[email protected]
http://www.moma-asolo.it
€
The exclusivity and the taste for life are the distinctive
characteristics of the MoMA’. We’re in Asolo, but we
could be in Paris, NYC, Barcelona, London. The restaurant has an international and cosmopolitan soul.
Closed on Tuesday and on Saturday at lunchtime.
Osteria di Via Tuna
Restaurant/Tavern/Pizzeria
Via Tuna 2, 31011 Asolo
+390423952310
[email protected]
www.osteriaviatuna.it
€
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Eat & Drink
For the admirers of Friuli’s cuisine, who, in Asolo,
don’t want to give up on the typical Veneto’s dishes,
there’s trattoria Ciarnie. Venetian’s liver, “pèasta e fasioi” (pasta with beans), hare with sauce, roast with
cornmeal mush and cheese. Everage price (drinks
excluded): 25/30€. closed on Monday even ing and
on Tuesday.
Tavern, pizzeria and restaurant that offers the typical
local cuisine, revised with simplicity and innovation.
Wine list that has a special consideration for Asolo’s
wines. It’s also a water shop with a vast choice of types
of water from all over the world. Everage price (drinks excluded): 15-30€. Closed on Tuesday evening.
Ponte Peron
Restaurant/Trattoria
Via Vallorgana 14, 31011 Asolo
+390423952268
[email protected]
http://www.ponteperon.it/www1/
€€
Trattoria Ponte Peron, founded in 1950, situated in
the Asolo’s hills near the town of the 100 horizons,
takes its name from the bridge that crossed the creek
of the same name. The atmosphere of these place
and the family-run business are the perfect frame for
the typical cuisine. Homemade pasta, char-grilled
meat, mushrooms and homemade desserts. Everage
price (drinks excluded): 30/35€. Closed on Tuesday
evening and on Wednesday.
Villa Flangini
Restaurant
+39042355622
[email protected]
http://www.villaflangini.it
€€
Villa Flanfini is a historical aristocratic dwelling, from
the 18th century, situated 500 metres far from Asolo’s historical centre, surrounded by a big park and a
wood crossed by several paths where you can have
a walk. The villa has two main rooms: the dining room
that can contain up to 70 people and the fireplace
room which can receive more than 100 guests.
Villa Razzolini Loredan
Restaurant
+390423951088
http://www.villarazzolini.it
€€€
Trattoria Ciarnie i di Canciani Daniele
Restaurant/Trattoria
Via dei Torretto 2, 31011 Asolo
+390423952237
[email protected]
www.trattoriaciarniei.com
€
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Eat & Drink
At the foot of Asolo’s rocca, surrounded by a big park,
the majestic Veneto’s villa of the 17th century, hosts a
restaurant. The refined cuisine respects the territory
with offers of seasonal products. The seasonal menu
enhances the products with “bisi de Borso”, seasonal
mushrooms, white asparagus, Grappa’s typical cheese, artichokes. During the Winter there are recipies
made with Bassano’s broccoli and Treviso’s and Castelfranco’s chicory. Seafood cuisine at every time of
the year. Everage price (drinks excluded): 25-55€.
PIZZERIE
Ai quattro gatti
Pizzeria
Via Giorgione 2, 31011 Asolo
+390423951108
[email protected]
http://www.pizzeriaaiquattrogatti.com
€
Pizzeria Rock
Pizzeria
Via Tuna 19, 31011 Asolo
+390423951041
€
PizzeriaPizza Rock is a pizzeria with a very good
staff, proud to offer their own products.
Farmhouse
Agriturismo da Gino
Farmhouse
Via Loreggia 22, 31011 Asolo
+390423529467
http://www.agriturismodagino.it
€
The owner Gino, helped by his wife and sons, restored an old stable and a barn to obtain a rustic and
welcoming restaurant where you can enjoy the traditional local dishes. Everage price (drinks excluded):
25€. Open on Thursday night only only with booking,
on Friday evening, Saturday evening, Sunday and holidays.
Pizzeria and restaurant Ai 4 Gatti, run by Cristiana
adn Fabio, in Casekka d’Asolo, near Treviso, offers
pizza with take-away service, first courses, aperitives.
Pizzas are made using first rate ingredients. Conditioned rooms, summer garden and car park.
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Pastisseries / GELATERIE
Asolo Dolce s.a.s.
+3904235221, +390423522111
AsoloDolce. 25 years of business for this pastry shop
specialized in puff pastry. Quality lunch and aperitives.
Eat & Drink
Cappelletto Franco
Via Dante 24, 31011 Asolo
Centro Bar
Via Chiesa 6, 31011 Asolo
+390423952321
Coffeehouse
Cafè, ice-cream parlour, food service.
Country Pub s.a.s.
Via G. Verdi 4, 31011 Asolo
Dissegna Manuela
Via D’Annunzio 8, 31011 Asolo
+390423529462
Il Gelato s.n.c.
+390423950203
Ice creams and specialities.
BAR / CAFÈ
Bar Jolly
Via Cavin dei Cavai 47A, 31011 Asolo
+39042355840
Bar Posta
Via Tiziano 35, 31011 Asolo
Hollywood Bar
Papagayo s.n.c.
Via Bassanese 13, 31011 Asolo
Rossetto Maria
Via Giorgione 58, 31011 Asolo
Barracuda
Bar/Cafè/Music Bar
Via Cavin dei Cavai 47, 31011 Asolo
Barracuda. At the foot of Asolo’s hills, a new sensational vintage cafè with a rock soul where you can find
beer and very good wine.
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Eat & Drink
Food and Wine
The flavours of local produce, the flavour of fine food,
the workshops of the craftspeople who together with
taverns and cafes face onto arcades and squares are
part of the inviting climate that one perceives walking
through the streets of the village. It is the leisurely
rhythm of living as an “Asolan”. Perhaps the atmosphere of Asolo would not be the same if you could
not stop off at a wine bar or without the aromas and
pleasures of the table coming from fine food and wine
of ancient tradition. Restaurants and trattorias, like
everything in Asolo, are in great demand. Here you
can savour dishes from a simple, wholesome culinary
tradition, linked to the changing of the seasons and
the influence of Venice: from “sarde in saor” sauce to
“bigoli in salsa”, mushroom soup, pasta and beans,
Treviso or Castelfranco radicchio (a kind of red lettuce), pumpkin and white asparagus from Bassano.
One can try the typical “cicchetti”, fine wines or fanciful specialities such as ice-cream in elderberry-based
liqueur or “Tintoretto”, a variant of the Bellini cocktail
with the flavour of pomegranate. When you are seated at the little tables of the cafes, it is not hard to
imagine the famous personalities who have stayed in
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Eat & Drink
the city over the last two centuries from poets or musicians, such as Robert Browning or Gian Francesco
Malipiero to celebrities like Marcello Mastroianni and
Catherine Deneuve, or Yoko Ono to name but a few.
In Asolo it is still possible to find wood baked bread
and in the speciality boutiques you are spoilt for choice in front of the dazzling array of local salami and
cold cooked meats, wines, grappas, oils, jams and
delicious sweets.
The typical produce of this area can be defined as
niche products impossible to find elsewhere; they are
distinguished by the care taken over organic cultivation to preserve ancient traditions and particular local
production such as pearl white corn, cheeses such
as Morlacco and Bastardo, the Biso (pea) of Borso
del Grappa, dwarf beans of Levada, the Monfumo
apples, oil production in the foothills of Mount Grappa that has its northern most appendix in the region,
Maser cherries and Grappa honey.
Vigorous reds and important whites such as Merlot,
Cabernet, Prosecco, Chardonnay, Pinot, Incrocio
Manzoni are the first class wines of the area that are
served on Asolan tables or that can be sampled in the
wine bars. Asolo is an important centre for “Montello
e Colli Asolani” doc production, and the best local
selections have also won many awards.
Part of the national circuit of Città Del Vino (Wine Cities), every year in August with the “Calici di Stelle”
(Wineglasses under the stars), as in other Italian cities
the best wines of the territory and typical local produce are celebrated with tastings.
The wine area
The climate of the area of DOC Montello - Asolo Hills
is typical of the temperate area, the result of the original integration between factors such as latitude, proximity to the Mediterranean and local climate factors
that act as modulators. The progression of the hills
must be pointed out among these, which generate
a wide range of effects due to exposure, to sunshine
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and daytime heating of the slopes; to the nocturnal
accumulation of cold air, especially close to the slopes of Monte Grappa, and the effects of breeze regimes coming from the Po Valley and the Piave Valley. It
is characterized by hot but not muggy summers, and
relatively cold winters, while the rainfall is spread fairly
evenly throughout the year.
It covers an area of approximately 20.000 hectares,
mostly hilly, but which also includes large portions of
flat land joined to the hills.
The area of Valcavasia highlights the characteristics
of the pre-alpine slopes. Within the hilly environment
there are marl limestones, marls, argillites, siltstones,
sandstones and conglomerates formed in the Tertiary
alternate and are greatly deformed by tectonic movements.
The lithological alternation also finds an immediate
visual comparison in the form of elevations. More
compact structures have created a steeper and more
rugged landscape (Asolo Hills) while more malleable
substrates (marl and clay) have generated over time
gentler shapes in correspondence to Montello. The
area of Montello, with its flattened shape, the result of
an original and unique evolutionary framework, shows
the presence of terraces and karst phenomena.
Here the typical Bordolesi and Renane varieties, fol85
Eat & Drink
lowing the Napoleonic domination took root, giving
great qualitative returns: Merlot, Cabernet and the
various types of Pinot and Chardonnay are very widespread DOC wines. Alongside these Glera for the production of Prosecco is certainly the most extensive
vine variety and is the largest generator of revenue for
the wine industry.
It is also very important to remember the recovery operation in progress of the Recantina vine and, subordinately the Bianchetta vine
Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG and Montello
Superiore DOCG are situated at the top for quality
production. These are only some of the products of
this corner of Veneto, full of history and tradition that
boasts wines that are at the top of the most important
international competitions.
DOCG Colli Asolani – Prosecco “Spumante
Superiore”
Colour: golden yellow, sparkly.
Effervescence: fine and persistent.
Bouquet: pleasant and characteristically fruity.
Taste: dry or sweet, bodied, pleasantly fruity, characteristic.
Prosecco Asolo
Asolo Prosecco DOCG
Colour: straw yellow, more or less intense.
Bouquet: vinous, characteristic, slightly fruity in the
medium-sweet type.
Taste: pleasantly slightly bitter dry and light bodied,
slightly fruity medium-sweet.
DOCG Colli Asolani – Prosecco “sparkling”
Colour: straw yellow more or less intense, sparkly.
Effervescence: evident forming of bubbles.
In the type with re-fermentation in the bottle, the foam
is mild and evanescent.
Bouquet: pleasant and characteristically fruity.
In the type with re-fermentation in the bottle hints of
bread crust and yeast are added.
Taste: dry or sweet, fresh, sparkling and fruity.
In the type with re-fermentation in the bottle hints of
bread crust and yeast are added.
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Itineraries
The first steps of the walk in the town of Asolo must
have the monument, the symbol of the square, as
the starting point: so we will start from the centre of
the old town centre, from the Fontana Maggiore (8).
Until a few years ago still powered by the ancient
Roman aqueduct, the fountain has always been a
meeting point in the daily lives of the people of Asolo
and reminder of the history of the town: the central
part has its origin in a column of who knows which
majestic palace of the ancient Roman municipium of
Aceleum and the lion of St. Mark, which, sitting as a
sign of peace, protects the coat of arms of Asolo, is a
reconstruction of the 1800 work of Antonio del Zotto
to reintegrate the original one destroyed in 1797 on
the arrival of the French troops of Napoleon.
This date, 1797, put an end to the Podesteria (admin-
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ITINERARY 1
Asolo, love at first sight
Short itinerary (1.5 – 2 hours)
Fontana Maggiore (8), Cathedral (5), Cappella del
Cristo, Civic Museum (7), Palazzo della Ragione (6),
Castle (16), Duse Theatre (17), Villa Contarini said of
the Armenians (23), Palazzo Beltramini (18), Porta
di Santo Spirito, the Duse house (19), Gothic House (15), Piazza Brugnoli (12), Villa Pasini Scotti (14),
Rocca (10), Bot (13)
Itineraries
istrative organization) of Asolo, cutting the umbilical
cord that had tied the town for more than four hundred years, since 1388, to the Republic of Venice.
This detachment was unbearable for many Asolans
and they organized a plan down to the minimum detail to make an attempt on the life of Napoleon, exactly in the old café that is still present at the side of
the fountain today named Caffè Centrale. The subversive action was never put into practice because
informers reported the assailants that were soon
imprisoned, convicted and executed. But let’s go
back to the fountain and follow the gaze of the lion
to start to asolare through the streets of the centre.
We turn down via Robert Browning, English poet
of the late nineteenth century, who with the term
“asolando” wanted to describe the habit which he
also had of walking aimlessly with equanimity, taking
in the beauty of the town. We will resist the temptation to carry on to the end of the road, protected by
arcades, and cross over the road to walk along the
side of the Cathedral (5). If we just turn toward the
arcades we can admire the wonderful facades of the
Cesana, Polo and Martinelli palaces, whose frescoes
are now just a pale impression. On the base of one
of the pillars, a plaque recalls the terrible Santa Costanza earthquake that devastated the Asolan territory
on 25 February in 1695. We carry on and immediately find on our left the entrance to a minute chapel,
called the Cappella del Cristo, a place of intimate
devotion for the people of Asola. Here an eighteenth
century wooden crucifix of strong emotional impact
is preserved, a work by Giuseppe Bernardi known as
Torretto, the first teacher of Antonio Canova. Right in
front we can enter into the Cathedral by the ancient
fifteenth century porch that has an Agnus Dei medallion, perhaps in memory of bishop Agnello, who
in the late sixth century administered the Diocese of
Asolo, then dismissed in969 even if today Asolo has a
bishop, only in a titular manner. The Cathedral, dedicated to St Mary of the Assumption, preserves works
of great historical and artistic importance such as the
altar pieces of Lorenzo Lotto and Jacopo da Ponte in
the left aisle or the sixteenth century baptismal font
in the Cappella del Santissimo in the right aisle, a gift
from Caterina Cornaro to the town. Coming out of the
main entrances the building which stands in front of
us was once the Bishop’s Palace and now houses the
sections of the Civic Museum (7), a place that room
after room revives the centuries-old history of Asolo
from archaeological findings to exquisite paintings, to
the memory of the women that made the name of
the town international: Caterina Cornaro, Queen of
Cyprus, Armenia and Jerusalem, the Divine Eleonora
Duse and the eccentric English traveller Freya Stark.
The Museum can be reached by going up the short
stairway that leads to Piazza Garibaldi. On the corner
is IAT (Tourist Information Office) where we can find
material to find out more about Asolo and all the area.
Coming out of the office we find the Palazzo della
Ragione on the left (6), place of public administration during the Venetian Podesteria, recognizable also
from a distance for the large fresco of the Defeat of
Crassus against the Parthians. The building is divided
with the Sala della Ragione upstairs where a precious
marble of Canova is preserved representing Paris and
a Canovian school cenotaph, besides the frame frescoed with all the crests of the Podesta surrounding
the one of Caterina Cornaro; downstairs the Loggia
del Capitano opens out, part of it covering the piazza
of Asolo to protect the citizens from the sun and bad
weather and that has commemorative stones, frescoes, memories of ancient buildings and places of
Asolo, abandoned or destroyed over the centuries,
among which to tombstones with Hebrew writing
from the ancient cemetery of the Jewish community.
Going up along Via Cornaro we get closer to the rock
spur that supports the castle but let’s first enjoy the
few steps, looking up and admiring the surviving traces of frescoes on the facades and near the end of the
road we recognize the rayed holy wafer, symbol of the
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Itineraries
Blessed Bernardino da Feltre, founder of the Monte di
Pieta of Asolo.
After the short climb, we take the cobblestone road
that goes up to the left and we enter through the big
main door into the area of the Castle of Caterina
Cornaro (16). Inside the building, evidently modified during the last century is the Duse Theatre (17),
which was once the throne and reception room.
Walking in the outdoor area from a small terrace under the archway of the medieval walls that protect the
Castle the roofs of Asolo can be admired, which really resemble Venice; climbing the steep steps of the
Reata Tower, the observation point for the Queen’s
guards and prison for her enemies, other beautiful
views of the city of a hundred horizons can be seen,
just as they can from the short scenic walk that looks
toward the south or from the Belvedere della Specola
(observatory viewpoint) to the north which offers the
eye a view over the palaces that wind along Via Santa
Caterina and in the distance gives the best view of
the massif of Monte Grappa. On the hill to the left rise
the outlines of the fresco of Villa Contarini said of
the Armenians (23) and the particular cupola of the
oratory. We continue our walk and at the end of the
cobblestone road of the Castle we are facing Piazza
D’Annunzio, once used as a seed market. The building with massive white columns is Palazzo Beltramini (18), the Town Hall, refined by Giorgio Massari
in the eighteenth century with a strange asymmetrical cut of the facade to make the perspective of the
square larger than it is.
Above an arch of the palace in front of us there is
still a plaque of the Monte di Pietà, established at the
end of the fifteenth century to compete against the
moneylending business of the Jewish families, who
had their homes along Via Belvedere and in Contrada
Canova, exactly to the north and east of where we are
now. On the facade of the palace, north of the square
and at the intersection of four balconies the faded
image of the face of the Duce, covered by a helmet
brings back less glorious moments in the history of
Asolo and of Italy. We go down along the silent Via
Canova as far as the Porta di Santo Spirito or Santa Caterina (Gate of Holy Spirit or of St. Catherine),
fourteenth century access to the town walls. Casa
Duse (19) the two-tone red and white building that
is against the arch and on which a commemorative
stone was affixed, written by Gabriele D’Annunzio,
that recalls when the “Divine” lived in Asolo. The room
in which Eleonora Duse used to live is the room just
above the arch. We go back up Via Canova passing under the arcades on whose beams swallows
generally nest to give birth to their little ones that will
then leave in the autumn. Along the road we can also
see one of the most prestigious handicraft products
of Asolo: the School of Ancient Embroidery, which,
with its refined products, has decorated the homes
of noble Italian and foreign families. Leaving Piazza
D’Annunzio on the right we go straight along Via
Dante, that just at the beginning of it on the left, has
the ancient sixteenth century gate of the Colbertaldo
family residence. At the end of the road we look up to
the right to the old Gothic House (15) where a striking Venetian gothic three-mullioned-window has alchemical symbols in the capitals of the columns, part
of the mystical atmosphere of the town. Let’s stop
in the shade of the horse chestnut trees in Piazza
Brugnoli (12) to admire the wonderful Villa Scotti
Pasini (14) dominated on the summit of Monte Ricco
by one of the faces of the Rocca (10). We go down
along Via Roma, imagining the splendour of the Roman baths whose remains lie beneath the porphyry
surface of Piazza Brugnoli and whose waters were
provided by natural springs of the hills channelled into
the Bot (13). In front of us we can see once again the
Fontana Maggiore, the departure and arrival point of
our itinerary.
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ITINERARY 2
In the embrace
of the walls of Asolo
Half-day itinerary (3 hours)
Fontana Maggiore (8), Walls (9), Dieda Tower, VillaPalazzo Fietta – Serena, Villa Freya (4), Portello di
Castelfranco, La Mura house, Fontanella Zen (3),
Cathedral (5), Cappella del Cristo, Civic Museum (7),
Palazzo della Ragione (6), Castle (16), Duse Theatre
(17), Villa degli Armeni (23), Palazzo Beltramini (18),
Porta di Santo Spirito, The Duse house (19), Gothic
House (15), Porta del Colmarion, Monastery of Saints
Peter and Paul (11), Villa Scotti Pasini (14), Piazza
Brugnoli (12), Rocca (10), Bot (13).
This date, 1797, put an end to the Podesteria (administrative organization) of Asolo, cutting the umbilical
cord that had tied the town for more than four hundred years, since 1388, to the Republic of Venice.
This detachment was unbearable for many Asolans
and they organized a plan down to the minimum detail to make an attempt on the life of Napoleon, exactly in the old café that is still present at the side of the
94
fountain today named Caffè Centrale. The subversive
action was never put into practice because informers
reported the assailants that were soon imprisoned,
convicted and executed. But let’s go back to the
fountain and follow the gaze of the lion to start to
asolare through the streets of the centre. We take the
steep ascent of Via Bembo, named after the cardinal
who composed, between the fifteenth and sixteenth
centuries, Gli Asolani, dialogues about love set in the
Asolan court of Caterina Cornaro. The route of the
picturesque little road follows the medieval town
walls (9) of Asolo for a stretch; here the recent restorations of the walls allow us to recognize the points
were boards were inserted to support the bretèches,
or the wooden walkways that ran along the walls. On
the left we pass by the tower-house of Sant’Andrea,
for centuries a strategic lookout over the accesses
from the south and west, and then we go down the
stairs that lead us to the point where until the end of
the nineteenth century was the main entrance to the
city: Dieda Tower, fatal place of imprisonment of the
Blessed Arnaldo da Limena who, in the mid thirteenth
century dared to oppose the tyranny of Ezzelino da
Romano. Via Marconi begins here and encloses the
eighteenth century Villa Fietta Serena in the corner
of the curve, an admirable Asolan work by the Venetian Giorgio Massari. Continuing under the arcades
on the left side of the road we finally find the main entrance of Villa Freya (4), Asolan home of the English
explorer and writer Freya Stark; in the lush garden of
the villa, in opening hours or on reservation, it is possible to admire the remains of the Roman theatre of
Asolo (I century A.D.). Beyond the gate of Villa Freya,
the short descent to the left leads us to the Portello
di Castelfranco, the most recent of the access gates to the walled town, opened toward the end of the
fifteenth century to allow access into Asolo from the
south. The ancient La Mura house is built into the
wall here, where at the end of the nineteenth century,
the poet Robert Browning, cup of tea in his hand,
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Itineraries
wrote Asolando, from the verb asolare, that is, “have
fun outdoors”. Close to La Mura, the sixteenth century Fontanella Zen (3) indeed marks the beginning of
Via Browning, with its frescoes and shaded arcades
that give shelter to taverns, small shops and stores,
harbingers of irresistible scents and colours of the
culinary and craft tradition. Going along the arcades
looking upwards, we can come across fragments
of ancient frescoes and, when the season is right, a
multitude of lively and populous swallow nests. Before coming out into the main square let’s be tempted
by curiosity and abandon Via Browning to cross the
road and walk alongside the Cathedral (5). If we just
turn toward the arcades we can admire the wonderful
facades of the Cesana, Polo and Martinelli palaces,
whose frescoes are now just a pale impression. On
the base of one of the pillars, a plaque recalls the ter-
rible Santa Costanza earthquake that devastated the
Asolan territory on 25 February in 1695. We carry on
and immediately find on our left the entrance to a minute chapel, called the Cappella del Cristo, a place
of intimate devotion for the people of Asola. Here an
eighteenth century wooden crucifix of strong emotional impact is preserved, a work by Giuseppe Bernardi
known as Torretto, the first teacher of Antonio Canova. Right in front we can enter into the Cathedral by
the ancient fifteenth century porch that has an Agnus
Dei medallion, perhaps in memory of bishop Agnello,
who in the late sixth century administered the Diocese of Asolo, then dismissed in969 even if today Asolo
has a bishop, only in a titular manner. The Cathedral,
dedicated to St Mary of the Assumption, preserves
works of great historical and artistic importance such
as the altar pieces of Lorenzo Lotto and Jacopo da
Ponte in the left aisle or the sixteenth century baptismal font in the Cappella del Santissimo in the right
aisle, a gift from Caterina Cornaro to the town. Coming out of the main entrances the building which
stands in front of us was once the Bishop’s Palace
and now houses the sections of the Civic Museum
(7), a place that room after room revives the centuries-old history of Asolo from archaeological findings to
exquisite paintings, to the memory of the women that
made the name of the town international: Caterina
Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, Armenia and Jerusalem,
the Divine Eleonora Duse and the eccentric English
traveller Freya Stark. The Museum can be reached
by going up the short stairway that leads to Piazza
Garibaldi. On the corner is IAT (Tourist Information
Office) where we can find material to find out more
about Asolo and all the area. Coming out of the office we find the Palazzo della Ragione on the left
(6), place of public administration during the Venetian Podesteria, recognizable also from a distance for
the large fresco of the Defeat of Crassus against the
Parthians. The building is divided with the Sala della
Ragione upstairs where a precious marble of Canova
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Itineraries
is preserved representing Paris and a Canovian school cenotaph, besides the frame frescoed with all the
crests of the Podesta surrounding the one of Caterina
Cornaro; downstairs the Loggia del Capitano opens
out, part of it covering the piazza of Asolo to protect
the citizens from the sun and bad weather and that
has commemorative stones, frescoes, memories of
ancient buildings and places of Asolo, abandoned or
destroyed over the centuries, among which to tombstones with Hebrew writing from the ancient cemetery of the Jewish community.
few steps, looking up and admiring the surviving traces of frescoes on the facades and near the end of
the road we recognize the rayed holy wafer, symbol
of the Blessed Bernardino da Feltre, founder of the
Monte di Pieta of Asolo.
Cornaro (16). Inside the building, evidently modified
during the last century is the Duse Theatre (17),
D’Annunzio, once used as a seed market. The building with massive white columns is Palazzo Beltramini (18), the Town Hall, refined by Giorgio Massari
Above an arch of the palace in front of us there is still
a plaque of the Monte di Pietà, established at the end
of the fifteenth century to compete against the moneylending business of the Jewish families, who had their
homes along Via Belvedere and in Contrada Canova,
exactly to the north and east of where we are now.
On the facade of the palace, north of the square and
at the intersection of four balconies the faded image
of the face of the Duce, covered by a helmet brings
back less glorious moments in the history of Asolo
and of Italy. We go down along the silent Via Canova
as far as the Porta di Santo Spirito or Santa Caterina (Gate of Holy Spirit or of St. Catherine), fourteenth
century access to the town walls. Casa Duse (19)
the two-tone red and white building that is against
the arch and on which a commemorative stone was
affixed, written by Gabriele D’Annunzio, that recalls
when the “Divine” lived in Asolo. The room in which
Eleonora Duse used to live is the room just above the
arch. We go back up Via Canova passing under the
arcades on whose beams swallows generally nest to
give birth to their little ones that will then leave in the
autumn. Along the road we can also see one of the
most prestigious handicraft products of Asolo: the
School of Ancient Embroidery, which, with its refined
products, has decorated the homes of noble Italian
and foreign families. Leaving Piazza D’Annunzio on
the right we go straight along Via Dante, that just at
the beginning of it on the left, has the ancient sixteenth century gate of the Colbertaldo family residence.
At the end of the road we look up to the right to the
old Gothic House (15) where a striking Venetian gothic three-mullioned-window has alchemical symbols
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Itineraries
in the capitals of the columns, part of the mystical
atmosphere of the town. We leave behind the Gothic
House to go along the ascent of Via Collegio that leads us to the historic hotel Albergo al Sole, refined
place of hospitality and haven for illustrious guests
that enlivened Asolo in in the twentieth century, where it is still possible to stay in the blue room with view
over the centre of the town, which was occupied for
a long time by the Divine Eleonora Duse. We continue to go up along Via Collegio, which runs along
the left side of the hotel: at the end of the climb we
find the Porta del Colmarion, which has maintained
its medieval character more than the other gates; the
grooves where the portcullis slid are still visible on the
monument along with some elements of the consecutive closure with a hinged door. Going up a little on
the right of the gate, we find the seventeenth century complex of the Monastery of Saints Peter and
Paul (11), occupied until the early nineteenth century
by the Benedictine monks, then the location of the
council school, named after San Luigi by the population. We go down toward the central square along
the stretch of Via Collegio that runs along the other
side of the Albergo al Sole and which gives us a beautiful view of Villa Scotti Pasini (14) and its hanging
garden. Going down the short stairway we reach the
square and in the shade of the horse chestnut trees
in Piazza Brugnoli (12) we can stop once more to
admire the wonderful Villa Pasini, dominated on the
summit of Monte Ricco by one of the faces of the
Rocca (10). We go down along Via Roma, imagining
the splendour of the Roman baths whose remains lie
beneath the porphyry surface of Piazza Brugnoli and
whose waters were provided by natural springs of the
hills channelled into the Bot (13). In front of us we can
see once again the Fontana Maggiore, the departure
and arrival point of our itinerary.
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ITINERARY 3
Asolare for a whole day
Long itinerary
Fontana Maggiore (8), Cathedral (5), Cappella del
Cristo, Civic Museum (7), Palazzo della Ragione (6),
Castle (16), Duse Theatre (17), Villa Contarini said of
the Armenians (23), Palazzo Beltramini (18), Porta di
Santo Spirito, the Duse house (19), Hanseatic Houses (20), Church Santa Caterina d’Alessandria (21),
Palazzo Pasquali, Villa De Mattia, Casa Longobarda (22), Oasis of Sant’Anna (24), Gothic House (15),
Piazza Brugnoli (12), Villa Scotti Pasini (14), Bot (13),
Porta del Colmarion, Monastery of Saints Peter and
Paul (11), Town walls (9), Rocca (10), Church of San
Gottardo (1), Casa Malipiero (2), Villa Freya (4), Portello di Castelfranco, La Mura house, Fontanella Zen
(3).
This date, 1797, put an end to the Podesteria (administrative organization) of Asolo, cutting the umbilical
cord that had tied the town for more than four hundred
years, since 1388, to the Republic of Venice. This detachment was unbearable for many Asolans and they
102
organized a plan down to the minimum detail to make
an attempt on the life of Napoleon, exactly in the old
café that is still present at the side of the fountain today named Caffè Centrale. The subversive action was
never put into practice because informers reported
the assailants that were soon imprisoned, convicted
and executed. But let’s go back to the fountain and
follow the gaze of the lion to start to asolare through
the streets of the centre. We turn down via Robert
Browning, English poet of the late nineteenth century, who with the term “asolando” wanted to describe
the habit which he also had of walking aimlessly with
equanimity, taking in the beauty of the town. We will
resist the temptation to carry on to the end of the
road, protected by arcades, and cross over the road
to walk along the side of the Cathedral (5). If we just
turn toward the arcades we can admire the wonderful
facades of the Cesana, Polo and Martinelli palaces,
whose frescoes are now just a pale impression. On
the base of one of the pillars, a plaque recalls the terrible Santa Costanza earthquake that devastated the
Asolan territory on 25 February in 1695. We carry on
and immediately find on our left the entrance to a minute chapel, called the Cappella del Cristo, a place
of intimate devotion for the people of Asola. Here an
eighteenth century wooden crucifix of strong emotional impact is preserved, a work by Giuseppe Bernardi
known as Torretto, the first teacher of Antonio Canova. Right in front we can enter into the Cathedral by
the ancient fifteenth century porch that has an Agnus
Dei medallion, perhaps in memory of bishop Agnello,
who in the late sixth century administered the Diocese of Asolo, then dismissed in969 even if today Asolo
has a bishop, only in a titular manner. The Cathedral,
dedicated to St Mary of the Assumption, preserves
works of great historical and artistic importance such
as the altar pieces of Lorenzo Lotto and Jacopo da
Ponte in the left aisle or the sixteenth century baptismal font in the Cappella del Santissimo in the right
aisle, a gift from Caterina Cornaro to the town. Co103
Itineraries
ming out of the main entrances the building which
stands in front of us was once the Bishop’s Palace
and now houses the sections of the Civic Museum
(7), a place that room after room revives the centuries-old history of Asolo from archaeological findings to
exquisite paintings, to the memory of the women that
made the name of the town international: Caterina
Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, Armenia and Jerusalem,
the Divine Eleonora Duse and the eccentric English
traveller Freya Stark. The Museum can be reached
by going up the short stairway that leads to Piazza
Garibaldi. On the corner is IAT (Tourist Information
Office) where we can find material to find out more
about Asolo and all the area. Coming out of the office we find the Palazzo della Ragione on the left
(6), place of public administration during the Venetian Podesteria, recognizable also from a distance for
the large fresco of the Defeat of Crassus against the
Parthians. The building is divided with the Sala della
Ragione upstairs where a precious marble of Canova
is preserved representing Paris and a Canovian school cenotaph, besides the frame frescoed with all the
crests of the Podesta surrounding the one of Caterina
Cornaro; downstairs the Loggia del Capitano opens
out, part of it covering the piazza of Asolo to protect
the citizens from the sun and bad weather and that
has commemorative stones, frescoes, memories of
ancient buildings and places of Asolo, abandoned or
destroyed over the centuries, among which to tombstones with Hebrew writing from the ancient cemetery of the Jewish community.
few steps, looking up and admiring the surviving traces of frescoes on the facades and near the end of
the road we recognize the rayed holy wafer, symbol
of the Blessed Bernardino da Feltre, founder of the
Monte di Pieta of Asolo.
Cornaro (16). Inside the building, evidently modified
during the last century is the Duse Theatre (17),
D’Annunzio, once used as a seed market. The buil-
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Itineraries
ding with massive white columns is Palazzo Beltramini (18), the Town Hall, refined by Giorgio Massari
Above an arch of the palace in front of us there is still
a plaque of the Monte di Pietà, established at the end
of the fifteenth century to compete against the moneylending business of the Jewish families, who had
their homes along Via Belvedere and in Contrada Canova, exactly to the north and east of where we are
now. On the facade of the palace, north of the square
and at the intersection of four balconies the faded
image of the face of the Duce, covered by a helmet
brings back less glorious moments in the history of
Asolo and of Italy. We go down along the silent Via
Canova as far as the Porta di Santo Spirito or Santa Caterina (Gate of Holy Spirit or of St. Catherine),
fourteenth century access to the town walls. Casa
Duse (19) the two-tone red and white building that is
against the arch and on which a commemorative stone was affixed, written by Gabriele D’Annunzio, that
recalls when the “Divine” lived in Asolo. The room in
which Eleonora Duse used to live is the room just
above the arch. This “little village of lace and poetry”,
as praised by the Divine, shows an intriguing mystical
side, beyond the Porta di Santa Caterina, by the image of the Saint who once decorated the capital, or
Gate of the Holy Spirit, for the bas-relief dove that
dominates the window of the room of the actress.
Along the road that goes down outside the walls, after a curious glance at the splendid garden of the sixteenth century Villa Cipriani, period residence that for
some time was the property of Lord Guinness and
hosted the Queen Mother of England, the Greek tycoon Onassis and stars of music and the theatre,
such as Maria Callas, Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve, our attention will be captured by the vertical
“Rembrandt’s Dream”, those Hanseatic Houses
(20) of the artist Marius Pictor who wanted to experi-
ment here, together with the “Casa dei Tre Oci” (house with three eyes) to the Giudecca of Venezia, his
enigmatic pictorial architecture, in the case of Asolo,
erected in honour of Holland. A little further on, the
eccentricity of the Nordic homes, immortalized by the
verses of his friend D’Annunzio, make the graceful
simplicity of a home in characteristic Asolan style,
adorned with the typical balcony and mullioned window of the lagoon city stand out. Once we turn the
corner, the town of Santa Caterina welcomes us, fulcrum in the sixteenth century of the diffusion of heretical ideas from Northern Europe, hosting the fourteenth-century
Church
of
Santa
Caterina
d’Alessandria (21), erected by the Confraternity of
the Flagellants, and decorated inside with frescoes
depicting the life of the saint, on the right wall, and the
passion of Christ, on the left wall. Going out, protected by the mantle of Our Lady of Mercy on the facade
of the old hospital, we continue our walk along the
road, flanked on the left by the white Palazzo Pasquali, restored by Massari and where a commemorative stone recalls the arrival and brief stay in Asolo,
of perhaps one night, of Napoleon. Our view suddenly widens pleasantly by the well maintained statues
and plants of the Italian style monumental garden of
the sixteenth century Villa De Mattia that elegantly
reigns on the right of the road. From here, the view of
the Villa Contarini said of the Armenians (23),
embraced by the tall cypresses on Colle Messano, is
really incredible and invites us to continue the walk to
see it close up. It is inevitable, before going up Via S.
Anna, to be struck by the unexpected tufa facade of
Casa Longobarda (22), artistically “sculpted” house
that belonged to Francesco Graziolo, considered by
many to be the personal architect and sculptor of Caterina Cornaro, who wished to decorate it with particular scenes and symbolic elements. Taking the road
that goes up to the crossroads, we go towards the
Oasis of Sant’Anna (24), still the refuge of a few
Capuchin friars. The cemetery houses the simple
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Itineraries
tombs of Eleonora Duse and Freya Stark, buried together with the English photographer friend Herbert
Young, and allows us to admire Monte Grappa to the
north, a mountain, sacred to the homeland, battle site
during the First World War. We go back along the
road towards the old town centre and go back up Via
Canova passing under the arcades on whose beams
swallows generally nest to give birth to their little ones
that will then leave in the autumn. Along the road we
can also see one of the most prestigious handicraft
products of Asolo: the School of Ancient Embroidery,
which, with its refined products, has decorated the
homes of noble Italian and foreign families. Leaving
Piazza D’Annunzio on the right we go straight along
Via Dante, that just at the beginning of it on the left,
has the ancient sixteenth century gate of the Colbertaldo family residence. At the end of the road we look
up to the right to the old Gothic House (15) where a
striking Venetian gothic three-mullioned-window has
alchemical symbols in the capitals of the columns,
part of the mystical atmosphere of the town. Let’s
stop in the shade of the horse chestnut trees in Piaz-
108
za Brugnoli (12) to admire the wonderful Villa Scotti Pasini (14) and imagining the splendour of the Roman baths whose remains lie beneath the porphyry
surface of the square, whose waters were provided
by natural springs of the hills channelled into the Bot
(13). Taking the clearly visible steps in front of us we
continue the walk along the ascent of Via Collegio
that leads us to the historic hotel Albergo al Sole, refined place of hospitality and haven for illustrious
guests that enlivened Asolo in in the twentieth century, where it is still possible to stay in the blue room
with view over the centre of the town, which was occupied for a long time by the Divine Eleonora Duse.
We continue to go up along Via Collegio, which runs
along the left side of the hotel: at the end of the climb
we find the Porta del Colmarion, which has maintained its medieval character more than the other gates; the grooves where the portcullis slid are still visible on the monument along with some elements of
the consecutive closure with a hinged door. Going up
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a little on the right of the gate, we find the seventeenth century complex of the Monastery of Saints
Peter and Paul (11), occupied until the early nineteenth century by the Benedictine monks, then the location of the council school, named after San Luigi by
the population. Just past the Porta del Colmarion,
going up the first of about 280 steps that flank the
town walls (9), before coming out among the olive
branches, on our left we can glimpse the Monte dei
Frati, where the Monastery of San Girolamo once stood and where now only remain the white capitals of
the Stations of the Cross. Olive groves and vineyards
cover the rolling Asolan hills, that from the Rocca of
Asolo go as far as the Rocca of Cornuda, producing
the renowned Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG and
the DOP Veneto Extra-virgin olive oil, products that
absolutely deserve to be tasted in the welcoming taverns and restaurants in the old town centre or directly in the cellars spread around nearby. Let’s enjoy the
view from the walls of the Rocca (10) and, if you are
staying for a few days more in the town, remember to
venture along the various nature trails that from here
cross the Asolan woods. We now continue our itinerary again towards the centre, no more along the
steps but choosing a slightly longer path, Via Rocca,
a pathway that goes down to the San Martino one,
turning right. We skirt the wall of Villa De Lord, called
the Galero, established in the seventeenth century by
the noble Rubini family and which offers a view of its
little oratory. Once we arrive at Foresto Nuovo, we get
a glimpse on the left the steps that go down in the
direction of the bell tower of the Franciscan Church
of San Gottardo (1), where every 5 May, day of the
miracle worker, the oil brought by families to cure joint
pain is still blessed. Once out of the churchyard, another stairway takes us down, this time to the most
ancient road in Asolo, the Foresto Vecchio: a road
that covers the millennial layers of the history of the
town, an access to the wooden Paleoveneti houses
for the Roman monuments, medieval buildings and
for the Venetian splendour. An irreverent phrase on
the facade of one of the houses along the road makes us smile and reminds us how the soul of the town,
hidden in the ancient atmosphere of the roads and
arcades, is still vital today, with the characters that live
there. So imagine how life must be in the Villa Zen,
built in the sixteenth century and restored by Massari
two centuries later, very often enlivened by the colours and the call of the enchanting peacocks. Now
let’s go back, called by the notes of the musician and
composer Gian Francesco Malipiero, who chose
110
111
Itineraries
Asolo as his long abode, secluded and quiet corner
for his artistic inspiration. A philosophical Latin motto
and a friendly owl walled into the facade welcome us
in Casa Malipiero (2), whose park houses, besides
the grave of the imaginative artist, even those of his
beloved cats. We continue along the road, a glance at
the fresco under the porch of the house of the sacri-
stan and here we are in front of the Dieda Tower,
fatal place of imprisonment of the Blessed Arnaldo da
Limena who, in the mid thirteenth century dared to
oppose the tyranny of Ezzelino da Romano. Where
there was once the entrance gate to the little town,
we see some steps: we follow them through the ancient hamlet of Via Bembo until we reach the restored
medieval walls and then return back to reach the access road to the town which will lead us to the English
Villa Freya (4), Asolan home of the English explorer
and writer Freya Stark; in the lush garden of the villa,
in opening hours or on reservation, it is possible to
admire the remains of the Roman theatre of Asolo (I
century A.D.) Beyond the gate of Villa Freya, the short
descent to the left leads us to the Portello di Castelfranco, the most recent of the access gates to the
walled town, opened toward the end of the fifteenth
century to allow access into Asolo from the south.
The ancient La Mura house is built into the wall here,
where at the end of the nineteenth century, the poet
Robert Browning, cup of tea in his hand, wrote Asolando, from the verb asolare, that is, “have fun outdoors”. Close to La Mura, the sixteenth century Fontanella Zen (3)) indeed marks the beginning of Via
Browning, with its frescoes and shaded arcades that
give shelter to taverns, small shops and stores, harbingers of irresistible scents and colours of the culinary and craft tradition. Going along the arcades looking upwards, we can come across fragments of
ancient frescoes and, when the season is right, a
multitude of lively and populous swallow nests. At the
end of the road we return to the midpoint of the old
town centre of Asolo and find once more the Fontana
Maggiore, departure and arrival point of our itinerary.
112
113
Itineraries
THE Paths
114
115
Itineraries
THE Paths
SENTIERO DELLA ROCCA
The path originates from the church of San Martino,
among rows of Scots Pine, Spruce, Olives, Poplars
blacks, blacks Carpini and manna-ash. The man’s
hand blends the natural environment still intact, which
is supporting the scenario of these sites charm. Each
house is well maintained and manicured gardens in a
wise, gratify the look of the hiker. The trail leads to the
east and then, immediately, in continuous curve, first
north and then west. These forested areas are still
well preserved. The vegetation is intricate, lush, enhanced at every step of interesting species. In spring
blooms follow each other and are quite showy. A broom intensely colors of yellow-orange color the borders of the path, while the Hawthorn gives his white
robe with the Lantana and the Balloon May. Following
the boundary wall of the park, you will come across
the entrance to the street of San Martino, which is the
classic walk of Asolo. The course, always flat, in 2.5
km leads to the Fornét fork, where the road climbs
a bit looking out on the landscape of the hills and
valleys of Monfumo, Castles and the Alpine foothills.
During the walk, all in the sun, so pleasant in the winter, you pass the church of San Carlo, which is part
of Villa Rubini, you meet the road that goes to the
Fortress, and later the Church of San Martino with
its bell tower. From here, wanting to do a variant, you
can go down the road that leads under the Church
to meet the Foresto Nuovo in Breda Valleyfrom which
you can go back in the city. Continuing our walk over
San Martino, after the old inn of Bersagliere, you enter
the Valley of FORNET towards the fork, passing close
to the source of the Water of Regina. The water of this
spring, which now provides a part of the aqueduct of
Maser and Asolo, was collected and channeled at the
time of Caterina Cornaro to feed the fountains of Barco. The Bembo speaks of a source that flows from
the mountains.
116
117
ACCESS: public car park via Foresto Nuovo or from
underground car park via Cipressina.
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TOTAL ASCENT:about 50 meters
LENGTH: about 3 km
TIME: 1.30 minutes
MOUNTAIN BIKE: Yes
sport
Golf Club Asolo
31034 Cavaso del Tomba - Treviso
Via dei Borghi, 1
390423942211
[email protected]
http://golf.ictmail.it/
Asolo Golf Club is located in the municipality of Cavaso del Tomba, about 12 km from the center of Asolo.
Set at the foot of the hills of Asolo the course covers
three routes: red (3.136 metres), green (3.137 metres)
and yellow (3.077 metres). The routes that differ in
conformation and difficulty ensure a serious challenge
for each golfer.
Free flight
Borso del Grappa
Free flight: Hang gliding – Paragliding in the municipal
district of Borso del Grappa (15 km from the old town
centre of Asolo) International Free Flight Centre. One
of the most popular places in Europe for those who
practice these sports. Launch area: Campo Croce.
Landing area: Semonzo.
118
119
sHOPPING
OLD TOWN
Toffolo DONNA
Via G. Marconi, 135 - 31011 Asolo
+390423952748
Clothing
Boutique 181 Bambini 0/16 anni
Via R. Browning - 310011 Asolo +390423951163
www.boutique181.it
Boutique 181 Uomo - Donna
Via R. Browning, 181 - 310011 Asolo +390423950270
www.boutique181.it
Eleonora Asolo
Via Pietro Bembo, 81 - 31011 Asolo
+393356823310, +393487944913
[email protected]
LA FEMME
Via R. Browning 161 - 31011 Asolo
+390423529632
La Rocca Asolana
Via Regina Cornaro, 218 - 31011 Asolo
+390423952255
Le Damini 1980
Piazza G. D’Annunzio, 6 - 31011 Asolo
+390423520234, +390423951355
Marta Stradiotto
Via Dante, 21 - 31011 Asolo
+390423529490
www.martastradiotto.it
Pot Pourrì
Via Regina Cornaro, 223B - 31011 Asolo
+390423529374
120
Toffolo Uomo
Via R. Browning, 169 - 31011 Asolo
+390423951024
YORICK Boutique
Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, 73 - 31011 Asolo
+390423950678
Zabeo Cashmere
Piazza Garibaldi, 59 - 31011 Asolo
+393462202876
[email protected]
Accessories
LA BOTTEGA
Piazza Garibaldi - 31011 Asolo
+390499336505
www.giannisegata.it
Leatherwear
LA BUFANDA
+39042355311
Accessories
La Stanza s.n.c.
Via G. D’Annunzio - 31011 Asolo
Footwear
Moda’s srl
+390423529562
Leatherwear
121
sHOPPING
OLD TOWN
Minimarket
Delizie Asolane
Via Dante - 31011 Asolo
+390423952016
Minimarket
Florist
Fioreria La Rocca
Via Marconi - 31011 Asolo
-39042355538
PANAZZOLO DI FELTRACCO LUCIO
+390423952160
Fruits & Vegetables
SPECIALITà GASTRONOMICHE ENNIO
Via R. Browning,151 - 31011 Asolo
+390423529109
Minimarket
Antiques
Asolo Kilim
Via Marconi, 132 - 31011 Asolo
+39042355435
Cecchetto Prior
+390423952654
Galleria Asolana
+39042355320
Il Pozzo Antichità
Via Roma, 58 - 31011 Asolo
+39042355251
La Grange
Via Belvedere, 231 - 31011 Asolo
+390423952139
122
Jewellery
Canova 325
Via G. Garibaldi, 75 - 31011 Asolo
+39042355428
Damini Orafi in Asolo
+39042355723
Rosso s.a.s.
Via Giorgione, 58 - 31011 Asolo
+39042355544
Tabacco shop
Tabaccheria Asolo
+390423529811
VARie
Anima e Cuore di Panizzolo Ilenia
Via Dante, 13A - 31011 Asolo
Herbalist’s
123
sHOPPING
OLD TOWN
ATELIER F. RAZ
Ceramist
Berdusco Daniele Sartoria
Via Regina Cornaro - 31011 Asolo
-390423952303
Couture
CERAMICHE LA BÒT
+39042355430
www.ceramichelabot.it
Handicrafts
DE LAZZARI ERNESTO
+390423952073
Fixtures
FRANCESCHINI FRANCA
+390423950060
Haberdashery
Irma Paulon - Atelier
Via Pietro Bembo, 89 - 31011 Asolo
+393406402443
www.irmapaulon.com
Artist
124
125
Tourism Services
Information Point
Saturday evenings and Sundays and holidays, when
the ZTL applies.
How to get there
ZTL timetable (Limited Traffic Zone): Access to
the old town centre, to non-residents, is forbidden at
the following times:
-from 1 October to 30 April:
every Saturday from 9:30 pm to 2:00 am of the following day – every Sunday and public holiday from
10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
-from q May to 30 September:
every Saturday from 9:30 pm to 2:00 am of the following day – every Sunday and holidays from 10:00
am to 10:00 pm.
CAR PARKS
Piazza Brugnoli
car park in the
old town centre
How to get there: it
is the main square of
the old town centre.
Times: always open
with ZTL- Limited
Traffic Zone access
restrictions.
Price: “scratch and
park” card system
purchasable at newsstands and bars in
the centre.
The old town centre is accessible by car, except for
Ca’ Vescovo car park
How to get there: along the Schiavonesca Marosticana highway (Montebelluna – Bassano del Grappa
connection) in front of the “Scarpa” factory.
2 km (it is recommended to take the shuttle for the
ascent, which runs every 30 minutes.
Times: Always open
Price: Free
126
127
Piazza Garibaldi 73, 31011 Asolo
+390423529046
[email protected]
Opening time.
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 9.30-12.30
Wednesday: 9.30-12.30
Thursday: 9.30-12.30 / 15.00-18.00
Friday: 9.30-12.30 / 15.00-18.00
Saturday: 9.30-12.30 / 15.00-18.00
Sunday: 9.30-12.30 / 15.00-18.00
Bus and car rental with driver
Autoservizi De Zen Michele Sas
Asolo - Via del Capitello 4 - cell. 368 282232
e-mail:[email protected]
Pegasus Tours Snc di Aroldo Dal Bello
& C. - Asolo - Via Foresto di Pagnano 19
tel +39 0423 952086 fax +39 0423 529388
e-mail: [email protected]
BY CAR:
From the east: Toll booth Treviso Nord, via Montebelluna/Toll booth Treviso Sud, via Castelfranco
From the south: Toll booth Padova, via Castelfranco, Nuova Strada del Santo
From the west: Toll booth Vicenza Nord, exit Valdastico, via Cittadella /Castelfranco and Toll booth Dueville, via Bassano
Tourism Services
The Forestuzzo car park
about 1.5 km it is signposted on the right (reference: service area in front of the entrance of the former
hospital, now the ULSS 8 – Local Health and social
Care Services)
GPS: TV002 N45,7963667 E11,9137833
400 metres uphill (with moderate incline) with shuttle
bus stop
Times: Always open
Price: Free
the “Cipressina” covered car park
about 2 km it is signposted on the right (reference:
after 200 metres from the beginning of the one-way
road and wide bend to the left).
150 metres uphill (pavement along the access road).
Times: Always open with parking meter
Parking area and motorhome parking
Equipped communal area with fee, open all year. Facility with 13/15 gridded paved pitches, water, small
well, lighting, electricity, barbeque and picnic area,
shaded. Located inside the Forestuzzo (P2) car park,
at approximately 400 metres from the old town centre, with shuttle bus stop.
Call Mr Attilio Pastro at n. 340 7733042.
128
BY PLANE
MARCO POLO VENEZIA
www.veniceairport.it
+390412606111
To reach Asolo, the MOM company has continuous
connections with the railway and bus stations of Treviso.
http://www.mobilitadimarca.it/aeroporto-bus
CANOVA TREVISO
www.trevisoairport.it
+390422315111
To reach Asolo, the ACTT company – line n. 6, has
continuous connections with the railway and bus stations of Treviso.
BY TRAIN
Nearest railway stations:
Montebelluna, 15 km
Castelfranco Veneto, 16 km
Bassano del Grappa, 16 km
Cornuda, 8 km
Montebelluna
from the Montebelluna station, take line 162 (12b.LM)
129
Tourism Services
Castelfranco Veneto
From the Castelfranco Veneto railway station go to
the via Padgora 1 bus station, take line 204 (4CTM)
Bassano del Grappa
From the Bassano del Grappa railway station, take
line 162 (12b.LM ) or line 207 (7CTM)
FOR THE OLD TOWN CENTRE OF ASOLO
From the Ca’ Vescovo bus stop, in the MontebellunaBassano direction, a shuttle bus runs approximately
every 30 minutes to reach the old town centre. Timetable at the bus stop or on internet at
www.asolo.it, in the Plan your trip section.
Tel. +39368282232
Service Station
REPSOL
Casella d’Asolo, Via Schiavonesca Marosticana 46
IP
Casella d’Asolo, Viale Tiziano 34
ESSO
Casella d’Asolo, Via Montello 25
OIL ITALIA
Pagnano d’Asolo, Via Vallorgana 1
IP
Asolo, località Casonetto, Via Bassane 2
130
Bank
services
Unicredit Banca Spa
Via Regina Cornaro, 220 - 31011Asolo
+3904231850001
Veneto Banca S.C.P.A.
Via Dante, 29 - 31011 Asolo
+390423950450
Banca Popolare di Verona
Società Cooperativa
Via Dei Tartari, 31 - 31011 Casella d’Asolo
+390423952980
Banca Popolare di Vicenza SCpA
Via Tiziano Ang. Foresto Nuovo, 150
31011 Casella d’Asolo
+390423950860
Credito Trevigiano
Banca di Credito Cooperativo
Via Manin, 2A - 31011 Casella d’Asolo
+390423950831
Intesa Sanpaolo Spa
Viale Tiziano, 1/A - 31011 Casella d’Asolo
+390423529244
Unicredit Banca Spa
Via Dei Tartari, 3 - 31011 Casella d’Asolo
+3904231850005
Veneto Banca S.C.P.A.
Via Giorgione, 7/A - 31011 Casella d’Asolo
+390423529855
131
Tourism Services
CASTELFRANCO VENETO Hospital
Via Ospedale, 18 - 31033 Castelfranco Veneto
+39118, +390423497892
CIVILE MONTEBELLUNA Hospital
Via Togliatti, 1- 31044 Montebelluna
+3904236111
Duty Doctors
Local Police
Via Cavin Dei Cavai, 27 - 31011 Asolo
+390423950044
[email protected]
Morning opening time:
Monday 11.30 - 13.00 / Friday 11.30 - 13.00
Afternoon opening time:
Wednesday 16.30 - 18.00
The Service of continuous assistance on holidays and
at night respects the following times:
Weekdays - from 20.00 to 8.00 Days before holidays - from 10.00 to 20.00
Holidays - from 8.00 to 20.00
Carabinieri
The Headquarters where you can turn are:
CRESPANO DEL GRAPPA - TEL.0423 935777 Via Montegrappa 17 - Presso sede Distretto
CASTELFRANCO V.TO - TEL. 0423 732753 - Via
Ospedale 12 - Presso Centro Anziani Sartor
MONTEBELLUNA - TEL. 0423 601570 - Via Ospedale,54 - Presso Ospedale Vecchio
VALDOBBIADENE - TEL. 0423 977301 - Via Roma
38 - Presso sede Distretto
Via Giorgione - 31011 Casella D’Asolo
+39115, +390423952222
Pharmacies
Bonotto dr. Massimo
Piazza Garibaldi, 79 - 31011 Asolo
+39042355136
Farmacia All’Angelo di Dr. Tonini Sergio
Via Dei Tartari, 1 - 31010 Casella D’Asolo
+390423529382
Via Santa Caterina, 280 - 31011 Asolo
+39112, +390423952012
[email protected]
Firefighters
Post office
Post office asolo
Via Browning, 172 - 31011 Asolo
+390423950334
Post office casella D’asolo
Viale Tiziano, 27 - 31011 Casella D’Asolo
+39899022956
Veterinary Avanzi Vets
Via M. Ricci, 8 - 31011 Asolo
+390423950113
132
SOS
133
Comune di Asolo
Assessorato al Commercio
www.asolo.it
134

città dei cento orizzonti

Transcription

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