At just 30 km of distance from Venice, Treviso is for sure an ideal day trip from Venice itself because of the compact old medieval town, as it can be easily reached by train in just 30 minutes. However, this cannot be the only reason to visit Treviso: the fact is that this city is really a gem you can miss if you travel in Veneto thanks to its charming historical centre, small canals and houses with frescoes.
If you are looking for a more intimate city and escape from the crowded tourism of Venice, this is really your destination. The Telegraph also considers it as "an underrated gateway to Venice". And as I come from this provice, this is a guide from a local and I am really proud to give you the best tips to visit it.
Ready to explore it?
Ready to explore it?
The first communities Paleovenete founded the city at the confluence of the resurgence rivers Sile and Botteniga. This was the first settlement than then developed during the Roman period as "comune" (municipality) and then in the Middle Ages with a strong economic and architectural development. During the 15th Century many elegant houses ( Venetian Gothic) are built and painted with frescos and the city gets the status of urbs picta. Under the Venetian domination, the city became a fortress to protect the Republic from invasions.
In this history there are all the elements you can find in Treviso: the city of canals, frescoed houses, old medieval town and the walls, still almost intact.
1) Piazza dei Signori: located at the centre of the old medieval town, Piazza dei Signori represented also the political centre during the Middle Ages. It is an elegant square with the Palazzo del Podestà,
the Palazzo dei Trecento that represented the independence from the Church and the Emperor
and the elegant stairway to the Salone dei Trecento, where the members of the municipality where used to gather.
Now there are many bars and restaurants that surround the square and you can stop if you want for a coffee or a meal.
2) Fontana delle Tette: from the main square, if you walk towards the Cathedral along Calmaggiore, elegant street with beautiful houses and shops, at the first gallery on the right (that is also the old Roman street "cardo maximus", you can find one of the hidden symbols of the city. La Fontana delle Tette was built after a long period of dryness during the 16th Century. When a podestà (major) was elected, the statue was pouring red and white wine from the breast. Sadly, now it pours only water...
3) Cappella dei Rettori: if you come back to Piazza dei Signori and cross the Palazzo di Podestà, you get to Piazza dei Monti di Pietà. If you turn left and move towards Piazza San Vito, you find another hidden jem: la Cappella dei Rettori (Chapel of Rectors).This Renaissance masterpiece, dated 16th Century, shows some remarkable paintings.
4) Piazza San Vito: left the Cappella, you get to Piazza San Vito where you can see the Neoromanic palace and the fountain.
5) Loggia dei Cavalieri: getting back to Piazza dei Signori and walking along Via dell'Indipendenza, you can easily reach the Loggia dei Cavalieri, built during the 14th Century as meeting point of the local aristocracy that wanted to challenge the rising power of the bourgeoisie during the Middle Ages. A sense of lightness and the frescoes make this place remarkable.
6) Pescheria and Casa dei Carraresi: walking along Via Martiri della Libertà, you get to the Pescheria, or the fish market. This is an island surrounded by the Cagnan canal where the fish market takes place. In the picture below, you can also see the Casa dei Carraresi that hosts important expositions.
I recommend also to explore the little streets around. You can find small streets with canals that really a worth a visit and most of all a picture. You can find watermills too. However I recommend to leave the square and walk along the Buranelli canal.
7) Water views along Canale dei Buranelli
Not far from the Pescheria, if you walk north along the Buranelli Canal you can find this stunning view.
Another "water view" is for sure on the way between la Pescheria and the Piazza dei Monti di Pietà, or Piazza dei Signori. So in Vicolo Trevisi, you can find also this stunning view.
8) The Bronsa - the shadow of the poet Comisso
Always along the canal of Buranelli, there is also another hidden place you should not miss: first of all for the sight over the canal again and second for the shadow that you can see over the facade of a house. It represents la Bronsa, the boat of the Trevisan poet Giovanni Comisso.
9) The University - Quartiere Latino
Not far from la Pescheria and also the Buranelli Canal, another interesting place to go is for sure the new Latin District (Quartiere Latino), recently restored and reniewed. It is a calm and intimate district close to the University. If you cross the entire district, you will find the Dante bridge (Ponte Dante), "dove il Sile e il Cagnan s'accompagna".
10) Walking along the walls and bastions: when Venice was threatened by the Cambrai League, the Republic decided to turn Treviso into a fortress city. Now you can walk along the walls and ramparts and find several gates, where you can even find the Lion of St. Mark. Here you can see the south-eastern rampart of St Paul and the Palazzo Dolfin-Giacomelli. Tbis is a 5km itinerary.
11) The Cathedral: the complex of the cathedral is the most impressive structure of the city. The entire complex has been built in different times and can be reached from Piazza dei Signori walking along the Calmaggiore.
It displays five huge domes, a sort of temple entrance (despite it is dated 15th Century), a nice interior with the Cappella dell'Annunziata where you can find the stunning painting by Tiziano. the Annunciation (Annunciazione).
Besides that you can even find the original crypt and Baptistery that date back to the 11 and 12th Century.
12) San Nicolò
Another impressive religious building is the San Nicolò church. It is located in the southern western part of the old medieval town and dominates the surroundings. Built around the 13th Century by the Dominican friars in Treviso, you can see many decorations and the wooden ceiling, stone and brick columns, a stunning organ and frescos.
13) Eating in a typical hostaria: if you want really to live Treviso as a local, you must absolutely find a typical hostaria and enjoy the typical food and drink a nice glass of wine or prosecco. Sandwiches with porchetta or soppressa, polenta, radicchio rosso, cheese together with a glass of wine, prosecco or the traditional spritz ( known as Aperol Spritz worldwide) and a slice of tiramisu are some of the traditional finger food you can taste. You will see many locals enjoying this from 6pm (before dinner) till late night! Please check my recommendations below.
Travel Tips:
In this history there are all the elements you can find in Treviso: the city of canals, frescoed houses, old medieval town and the walls, still almost intact.
1) Piazza dei Signori: located at the centre of the old medieval town, Piazza dei Signori represented also the political centre during the Middle Ages. It is an elegant square with the Palazzo del Podestà,
the Palazzo dei Trecento that represented the independence from the Church and the Emperor
and the elegant stairway to the Salone dei Trecento, where the members of the municipality where used to gather.
Now there are many bars and restaurants that surround the square and you can stop if you want for a coffee or a meal.
2) Fontana delle Tette: from the main square, if you walk towards the Cathedral along Calmaggiore, elegant street with beautiful houses and shops, at the first gallery on the right (that is also the old Roman street "cardo maximus", you can find one of the hidden symbols of the city. La Fontana delle Tette was built after a long period of dryness during the 16th Century. When a podestà (major) was elected, the statue was pouring red and white wine from the breast. Sadly, now it pours only water...
3) Cappella dei Rettori: if you come back to Piazza dei Signori and cross the Palazzo di Podestà, you get to Piazza dei Monti di Pietà. If you turn left and move towards Piazza San Vito, you find another hidden jem: la Cappella dei Rettori (Chapel of Rectors).This Renaissance masterpiece, dated 16th Century, shows some remarkable paintings.
4) Piazza San Vito: left the Cappella, you get to Piazza San Vito where you can see the Neoromanic palace and the fountain.
5) Loggia dei Cavalieri: getting back to Piazza dei Signori and walking along Via dell'Indipendenza, you can easily reach the Loggia dei Cavalieri, built during the 14th Century as meeting point of the local aristocracy that wanted to challenge the rising power of the bourgeoisie during the Middle Ages. A sense of lightness and the frescoes make this place remarkable.
6) Pescheria and Casa dei Carraresi: walking along Via Martiri della Libertà, you get to the Pescheria, or the fish market. This is an island surrounded by the Cagnan canal where the fish market takes place. In the picture below, you can also see the Casa dei Carraresi that hosts important expositions.
I recommend also to explore the little streets around. You can find small streets with canals that really a worth a visit and most of all a picture. You can find watermills too. However I recommend to leave the square and walk along the Buranelli canal.
7) Water views along Canale dei Buranelli
Not far from the Pescheria, if you walk north along the Buranelli Canal you can find this stunning view.
Another "water view" is for sure on the way between la Pescheria and the Piazza dei Monti di Pietà, or Piazza dei Signori. So in Vicolo Trevisi, you can find also this stunning view.
8) The Bronsa - the shadow of the poet Comisso
Always along the canal of Buranelli, there is also another hidden place you should not miss: first of all for the sight over the canal again and second for the shadow that you can see over the facade of a house. It represents la Bronsa, the boat of the Trevisan poet Giovanni Comisso.
 |
| Source: http://www.italianways.com/il-canale-dei-buranelli-e-i-paesaggi-di-giovanni-comisso/ |
9) The University - Quartiere Latino
Not far from la Pescheria and also the Buranelli Canal, another interesting place to go is for sure the new Latin District (Quartiere Latino), recently restored and reniewed. It is a calm and intimate district close to the University. If you cross the entire district, you will find the Dante bridge (Ponte Dante), "dove il Sile e il Cagnan s'accompagna".
10) Walking along the walls and bastions: when Venice was threatened by the Cambrai League, the Republic decided to turn Treviso into a fortress city. Now you can walk along the walls and ramparts and find several gates, where you can even find the Lion of St. Mark. Here you can see the south-eastern rampart of St Paul and the Palazzo Dolfin-Giacomelli. Tbis is a 5km itinerary.
11) The Cathedral: the complex of the cathedral is the most impressive structure of the city. The entire complex has been built in different times and can be reached from Piazza dei Signori walking along the Calmaggiore.
 |
| Source: Wikipedia - Szeder László |
It displays five huge domes, a sort of temple entrance (despite it is dated 15th Century), a nice interior with the Cappella dell'Annunziata where you can find the stunning painting by Tiziano. the Annunciation (Annunciazione).
12) San Nicolò
Another impressive religious building is the San Nicolò church. It is located in the southern western part of the old medieval town and dominates the surroundings. Built around the 13th Century by the Dominican friars in Treviso, you can see many decorations and the wooden ceiling, stone and brick columns, a stunning organ and frescos.
 |
| Source: Wikimedia |
13) Eating in a typical hostaria: if you want really to live Treviso as a local, you must absolutely find a typical hostaria and enjoy the typical food and drink a nice glass of wine or prosecco. Sandwiches with porchetta or soppressa, polenta, radicchio rosso, cheese together with a glass of wine, prosecco or the traditional spritz ( known as Aperol Spritz worldwide) and a slice of tiramisu are some of the traditional finger food you can taste. You will see many locals enjoying this from 6pm (before dinner) till late night! Please check my recommendations below.
 |
| Source: https://www.viaggi-lowcost.info/ |
Travel Tips:
- How to get to Treviso: from Venice you can take the train and stop in Treviso Centrale, while from the airport you can take the bus nr. 6. The bus nr 6 is the same you take if you land in the airport of Treviso and you must take the train to go to Venice.
- Best time to visit Treviso: spring, summer and autumn. It is recommended to avoid July and August due to the heat.
- One day to visit the main attractions is enough: the medieval old town is compact in size. Anyway, it can be a good starting point to explore the charming province.
- Surroundings: of course the world famous Venice; the province of Treviso offers really diverse and charming spots, of course all off the beaten path: Asolo, considered one of the most beautiful medieval small towns in Italy; the prosecco road, an incredible trip between the vineyards from Valdobbiadene to Conegliano, where to taste the local wine; the architecture road that takes you to enchanting villas and unique places like Villa Barbaro, Villa Emo or the Temple of Canova, Do not miss the cities of Conegliano, Vittorio Veneto and the forest of Cansiglio.
- If you are into nature, the province is a paradise for hiking, trekking and cycling: the hills and the mountains like Mt Grappa and Mt. Cesen represent an ideal place, together with the forest of Cansiglio and the caves of Calieron.
- If you are into war and historical battles, the province has also an itinerary regarding the WWI (percorsi della Grande Guerra) with many monuments like the Military Cemetery on the top of Mt. Grappa.
Where to eat - the best restaurants and hostarias in Treviso:
- Finger food - Osteria dalla Gigia: definitely one of the best and cheapest hostarias in Treviso, at few meters from Piazza dei Signori and also Hostaria dai Naneti, close to Palazzo dei Trecento, both ideal to taste delicious cicchetti and prosecco while you are exploring the city.
- Local cuisine: places with good price/quality are for sure the Ostaria Arman, that serve tasty local dishes, or the Trattoria all'Antico Portico, with its delicious local specialities and unique location.
- Traditional cuisine and fish: Ristorante Antico Morer, a nice restaurant that serves local and fish specialities. The prices are a bit higher, but it is really worth!
- Eating after dinner: a nice spot where to have a drink and eating always some cicchetti after dinner is for sure Hostaria al Botegon, where many locals and young people gather during the night.
Where to sleep in Treviso:
- Budget accomodation: B&B Hotel Treviso is an elegant bed and breakfast located close to San Nicolò, in one of the nicest areas of the city, ideal for couples, breakfast not included (7,20 Euros per person) and prices from 65 Euros per night per double room.
- Mid-range budget: Locanda San Tomaso, located close to the museums of Santa Caterina and the Pescheria, is an interesting hotel in a 18th Century building with old-style furniture and environment. Large buffet breakfast included and prices from 95 Euros per double room per night.
- Luxury accomodation: Leconvertite is an elegant place to stay at just 400 meters from Casa dei Carraresi and museum of Santa Caterina. It offers a charming view over the canal, has a lounge for clients, great and functional rooms, breakfast included, prices from 170 Euros per double room per night.
Enjoy this fantastic city and do not miss the other beautiful places in Veneto:my land!
No comments:
Post a Comment
No spam allowed or comments with link to products or services: your content will be removed. Please check the Contact page for more info.