Venice is not the only Italian city to have canals either – Treviso has a gorgeous array of canals that are perfect to explore in the fine weather.
Treviso is a city and comune in the Veneto region of northern Italy.
Some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls (le Mura) or in the historical and monumental center; some 80,000 live in the urban center while the city hinterland has a population of approximately 170,000.
The city is home to the headquarters of clothing retailer Benetton, Sisley, Stefanel, Geox, Diadora and Lotto Sport Italia, appliance maker De’Longhi, and bicycle maker Pinarello.
Treviso is also known for being the original production area of Prosecco wine and radicchio, and is thought to have been the origin of the popular Italian dessert Tiramisù
HIGLIGHTS
Treviso is a city that is often overlooked due to its close proximity to Venice but it is an amazing tourist destination and has a great deal to offer for those who are willing to explore! This city is located approximately 40 minutes from Venice and has a population of over 80,000 – most of the citizens of Treviso live outside the historic city walls and the hinterland however.
Treviso has Celtic origins and it was thought that the Celts settled here originally. In 89 BC however the settlement was turned into a Roman Commune and developed into an important city. Throughout the Middle Ages, Treviso was part of the Lombard League and was involved in various sieges and conflicts; hence the need for its stunning city walls and defensive towers. It is said that Treviso is the site of the original production of Prosecco wine, and some historians believe it is the birthplace of the Italian dessert Tiramisu.
Treviso Cathedral
The cathedral is located in the northern part of the historic town centre and is easily reached on foot from the Piazza dei Signori.
At the western edge of the Cathedral, the entrance features a columned portico that looks more like an ancient Roman temple rather than a 15th century church.
Aside from the portico, the exterior is quite reserved and simplistic, but the interior features some gorgeous artwork and frescos.
Museo Diocesano
Next to Treviso Cathedral is the Museo Diocesano which contains a fantastic array of relics and artefacts relating to the church and the religious history of the city.
The ground floor of this museum contains various archaeological finds from the region including a brilliant collection of marble statues.
Continuing on, the second floor contains a host of religious artwork dating as far back as the 13th century from such artists as Batoni and Rocco Marconi.
Walk around the ancient City walls and gates
Treviso is an ancient city that had an extensive system of defensive fortifications, guard towers and gates.
The historic old town is still separated today from the modern parts and much of the cities original city walls and gates remain in good condition.
Created in the 15th century, the walls covered the entirety of the old town and much of the sections ran parallel to the River Sile and the man-made canals that were channelled.
Porta San Tomaso and Porta Santi Quaranta are two of the most impressive gatehouses that still stand, and in the north eastern corner of the old town, you can see one of the round towers that served as a defensive garrison.
Chiesa di San Nicolo
The Church of San Nicolo is another important religious structure in the historic old town.
Located in the south western part of the old town, the church is of immense size and towers over the surrounding structures.
Originally the church was constructed around the 13th century by the Dominican Friars who settled in Treviso.
The exterior of the church is relatively simple and features minimal decoration but the interior contrasts greatly.
Architecture
- The Late Romanesque–Early Gothic church of San Francesco, built by the Franciscan community in 1231–1270. Used by Napoleonic troops as a stable, it was reopened in 1928. The interior has a single nave with five chapels. On the left wall is a Romanesque-Byzantine fresco portraying St. Christopher (later 13th century). The Grand Chapel has a painting of the Four Evangelists by a pupil of Tommaso da Modena, to whom is instead directly attributed a fresco of Madonna with Child and Seven Saints (1350) in the first chapel on the left. The next chapel has instead a fresco with Madonna and Four Saints from 1351 by the so-called Master of Feltre. The church, among others, houses the tombs of Pietro Alighieri, son of Dante, and Francesca Petrarca, daughter of the poet Francesco.
- The Loggia dei Cavalieri, an example of Treviso’s Romanesque influenced by Byzantine forms. It was built under the podestà Andrea da Perugia (1276) as a place for meetings, talks and games, although reserved only to the higher classes.
- Piazza dei Signori (Lords’ Square), with the Palazzo di Podestà (later 15th century).
- Church of San Nicolò, a mix of 13th-century Venetian Romanesque and French Gothic elements. The interior has a nave and two aisles, with five apsed chapels. It houses important frescoes by Tommaso da Modena, depicting St Romuald, St Agnes and the Redemptor and St Jerome in his Study. Also the Glorious Mysteries of Santo Peranda can be seen. Noteworthy is also the fresco of St Christopher on the eastern side of the church, which is the most ancient depiction in glass in Europe.
- Cathedral is dedicated to St Peter. It was once a small church built in the Late Roman era, to which later were added a crypt and the Santissimo and Malchiostro Chapels (1520). After the numerous later restorations, only the gate remains of the original Roman edifice. The interior houses works by Il Pordenone and Titian (Malchiostro Annunciation) among others. The edifice has seven domes, five over the nave and two closing the chapels.
- Palazzo dei Trecento, built in the 13th–14th centuries.
- Piazza Rinaldi. It is the seat of three palaces of the Rinaldi family, the first built in the 12th century after their flight from Frederick Barbarossa. The second, with unusual ogival arches in the loggia of the first floor, is from the 15th century. The third was added in the 18th century.
- Ponte di Pria (Stone Bridge), along the city walls, where River Botteniga divides into the three channels that cross the city centre (Cagnan Grande, Cagnan di Mezzo, Roggia).
- Monte di Pietà di Treviso and the Cappella dei Rettori. The Monte di Pietà was founded to house Jewish moneylenders.[citation needed] On the second floor is the Cappella dei Rettori, a lay hall for meetings, with frescoes by il Pozzoserrato.
- Teatro Mario Del Monaco, the main theatre and opera house of the city. It was built in 1869 to designs by Andrea Scala [it] which kept the theatre’s original facade. The internal decorations were by the painter Federico Andreotti and the sculptor Fausto Asteo.
