www.Veneto-Traveller.com - Itineraries

Cruising the Brenta

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A cruise along the Brenta Riviera is by far the most romantic way to visit the sumptuous villas overlooking this Veneto waterway, and the journey is even more romantic when made by "burchiello": the ancient floating room used by the 18th century Venetian aristocrats to reach their riverside holiday homes.

Leaving Padua, travelling downstream to the mouth of the river Brenta, the first architectural masterpiece we come to is the Villa Fosacrini-Negrelli-Rossi, the elegant arcade of which is clearly inspired by the works of Palladio. The villa's main attraction is its Rossimoda Shoe Museum, which contains examples of 50 years of couture footwear, including a pair of shoes based on designs by Andy Warhol.

At Villa Pisani you can almost hear the laughter of the Venetian nobility who used to grace the rooms of this immense dwelling and the villa's stunning 18th century formal gardens. Gabriele D'Annunzio was one of a long list of artists and politicians to have professed their...

The Great Masters of Veneto

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0200

Pieve di Cadore is a peaceful little town lying at the feet of the Dolomites. In the heart of its historic center, by appointment, visitors are granted access to the house where Tiziano Vecellio, one of the most famous of Italy's painters best known internationally as Titian, was born. This typical "Cadorino" style edifice has acquired National Monument status. Also worthy of visit are the splendid Palazzo della Magnifica Comunità di Cadore and the Eye Glass Museum, with its fascinating collection of over 2000 spectacles, some of which date all the way back to the middle ages.

Following the flow of the Piave river, we head southwards to Belluno, where the writer Dino Buzzati was born, and beyond, in to the heart of the alluvial plain of Treviso. At Lentiai we stop so as to visit the 15th century Church of St Maria Assunta, in which a great number of renaissiance artworks by local painters are conserved. Not far from here lies Feltre, a city rich in artistic...

From Belluno to Cortina

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:00:00 +0200

Visitors to Belluno soon find themselves in Piazza Duomo, a stunningly beautiful square home to the town's Cathedral, Torre Civica, Palazzo dei Rettori and Palazzo dei Giuristi. Other sites not to be missed include the Gothic Church of Santo Stefano, Piazza del Mercato and Piazza dei Martiri. A walk through the old Borgo Piave, introduces visitors to a district where the boats employed to transport goods to and from Venice used to be moored.

The road to Agordo leads to the National Park of the Belluno Dolomites and Mas, town which nestles between the Monti del Sole and Della Schiara Mountain range. The 15th century charterhouse of Vedana would be well worth visiting had it not been coverted in convent. Surrounding the towns of Pedavena and Feltre there are more than two hundred villas, some of which, strikingly beautiful. In order to admire the Marmitte dei Giganti rock formations and the Cascata della Soffia waterfall, we take the road towards Lake Mis and the Cadini del Breton.

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The exquisite charm of Veneto

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0100

Verona. Home to the magnificent Roman Amphitheatre where, in 1913, Giuseppe Verdi's Aida opera was first performed. Since then, a prestigious international lyrical festival has been held here each and every summer. Like the Amphitheatre, the city's Roman Theatre dates back to the 1st century A.D and still functions as unique venue where important theatrical performances are staged. Close by, we find Verona's Cathedral which, after numerous alterations carried out over the centuries, assumed its present appearance in the 16th century.
Verona's Church of San Zeno is a veritable masterpiece of Italian Romanesque architecture. Other houses of worship particularly worthy of mention are the Church of San Fermo Maggiore and the Church of Santa Anastasia. Important monuments built during the reign of the Scaligeri include the 14th century Castelvecchio fortress and the Arche Scaligere, where the imposing tombs of Verona's medieval ruling family are housed.

From Verona we travel to...

Venice and the pearls of the lagoon

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:00:00 +0100

An irresistible concentration of artistic wonders, Venice welcomes its visitors in the great open air drawing room of Piazza San Marco, and accompanies them, spellbound, through the city's enchanting calli and sestieri. A visit cannot fail to commence anywhere other than the district of San Marco with its piazza of the same name, home to the Basilica, the Doge's Palace, the 18th century cafes and the Procuratie, the latter once serving as the lodgings and offices of the powerful Venetian procurators. In St Mark's Basilica, the relics of the evangelist are conserved, brought to Venice from Alexandria, Egypt in 828, year of the church's foundation.

Over the centuries, the Basilica has been the subject of numerous alterations, but the Greek cross plan and exquisite mosaics are Byzantine in origin. The bell tower is not connected to the church, but rather occupies an isolated position in the corner of the piazza from where it gazes out to sea. Undisputed masterpiece of Venetian...