Table of Contents:
NOT SO ANCIENT ASOLO
OUTSIDE THE WALLS
FURTHER AFIELD.
Asolo has been attracting artists, poets, writers, painters, and musicians for hundreds of years. There is no famous art college here. No great university known for its Literature or English department. There is no acoustically perfect opera or symphony hall on every maestro’s to-play list. So what is the draw?
Perhaps it is the sense of peace that comes over you upon arrival. It cleanses the pallet so you can create anew. The beautiful horizons in every direction or the gentle smile around each corner.
Is it the delicious northern Italian cuisine or the award-winning sparkling wine from nearby vineyards?
Could it be all of this, or maybe something completely different?
Come see Asolo and find out for yourself. Wander the narrow streets and discover how it inspires you.
Not So Ancient.
There is very little left from the Roman occupation. A few underground remnants from the aqueduct and part of a Roman theater in the gardens of the Villa Freya.
So what is there to see in Asolo?
There is plenty from the Medieval period.
Seee Asolo’s Piazza Garibaldi.
This is the center of Asolo. The piazza still holds much of its 16th-century charm.
Fontana Maggiore.
The Fountain, in the square of the same name, is adjacent to Piazza Garibaldi. Until the 1930s, it was the town’s primary source of water distribution. It was fed by aqueducts running under the city. The winged lion of San Marco signifies the village’s connection to the Serenissima Republic of Venice for more than 400 years.
Sala della Ragione.
The fifteenth-century Palazzo del Vescovado and Loggia della Ragione are now home to the Civic Museum. First built as a place for visiting minor Venetian representatives, it was later the administration building for the area’s Podestà (magistrate).
Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta.
You can see Asolo’s Catholic Cathedral to the east of the museum. Documentation indicates there has been a building here since circa 969. Much of the structure you see today probably dates to circa 1584.
Castello della Regina Cornaro.
Make sure to see Asolo’s castle. The castle possibly dates back to the 10th century, although there is no definite record of the origins. The podestà of Venice moved in circa 1339. During the building of the city walls around the end of the fourteenth century, it became part of one of the walls.
Caterina Cornaro took ownership in 1489 as part of her swap for Cyprus. She would live here for 20 years. When the Pope’s League of Cambrai overthrew Asolo, it became their administrative center. Napoleon’s troops used it during their time in Asolo.
Civic Tower.
One of the castle’s four towers now serves as an exhibition space on the lower levels. The tower was a prison during the First World War, and some of the writings left by the prisoners can still be seen.
The tower, which also goes by the name Bell or Clock due to an eighteenth-century clock addition, offers incredible views from the top. You can see from Monte Grappa to the Venetian coastline on a clear day.
Reata Tower.
Over the years, this much smaller tower along the wall line has served as many things, including a jail.
Casa Eleonora Duse.
This terra cotta palace on your left at #306 overlooks the Porta (gate) di Santa Caterina, part of the medieval walls. The building dates from at least the 16th century.
The Italian actress Eleonora Duse came to Asolo circa 1909 to retire. She moved into the house circa 1920. Her retirement only lasted a short time. She died in 1924. Her daughter would care for the house after her death, and then her daughter after her. Today’s home is still private and cannot be visited inside.
Villa Scotti-Pasini.
The records about this large villa looming over the Piazza Brugnoli parking area are few and confusing. The original structure probably dates back to the Bressas or De Brandis family, who owned the land from the 14th century. Sometime between 1717 and 1741, the property passed to either the Scotti family or Antonio Pasini, who enlarged the existing building and merged the other small buildings into the palace you see today.
Circa 1900, Pen Browning purchased and remodeled the villa, adding the exterior you see today. It was then sold (back?) to the Pasini family. Today, it is still private property and is not available for visits.
Convento dei Santi Pietro e Paolo, Convent of Saints Peter & Paul).
Further hike up Via Colmarion is this Benedictine monastic complex. Sitting at the foot of the Rocca hill, it was a convent from 1634 to 1807. Today, it hosts classical music concerts, theatrical performances, banquets, exhibitions, weddings, and other social gatherings.
Rocca Rock.
Built on the top of Mount Ricco, the irregular polygonal structure has a bird’s eye view over Asolo. Dating from the mid-end of the 12th century, the massive walls have an average height of 50 feet (15 meters) and a width of 8 -10 feet (2.5 – 3.5 meters.)
The fort was part of the defense of the municipality of Treviso (1261-1339), then Venetian (1339-1381), then Carrara (1379- 1388) and back to Venice (1388-1796). However, records indicate it was only occupied by a garrison of soldiers until 1510, the last time the Rocca was involved in battle.
Villa Freya Stark.
Once belonging to Freya Stark, the English writer and traveler who is best known for her journeys of exploration and stories from the Middle East. This house was her oasis for recovering after months of traveling.
The original villa dates from the early 1800s, using part of the pre-existing medieval walls. The priest Pietro di Antonio would buy the property in 1842. After his death, it would have several owners, including a landscape architect.
In 1934, Freya buys the house with earnings from her first book, The Valley of the Assassins. She would live there until 1966. The house, and especially the gardens, would receive very little care over the next almost 50 years.
Circa 2014, the current owners moved in and remedied that. The house is a private residence and not always open to the public. When available, it is by guided tour.
The gardens behind the house are open to visit.
A stroll through the grounds can take you back to the time Freya lived here. Parts of a Roman theater are visible at the far end.
See Asolo Outside the Walls.
Villa Galanti Cipriani.
Along Via Canova is one of my favorite places in Asolo. Originally built around 1550, the villa has undergone significant restorations, especially in the 18th century.
The “Tuscan” decoration comes from circa 1889, when the poet Robert Browning bought the property just before his death. His son would sell the house circa 1902. The Venetian family who bought it used it as a holiday home for many years. Sometime circa the 1940s, it transformed into an inn.
In 1962, Rupert Guinness ( of Irish beer brewing fame) bought the inn. He hires Giuseppe Cipriani, owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice, to manage, and he renames it Villa Cipriani.
You must be a hotel guest to enter, but it is so worth the price. You can see Asolo from a different angle from the terrace.
St Catherine’s Church.
At the end of Via Canova, where it splits and Via S Catarina begins to the left, is the church giving the street its name.
The Confraternita dei Battuti built the church in the early 1300s. The Confraternity also ran a hospital next door in operation until the 1900s. Today, it no longer stands. The interior has a single hall with decorations dating to the 14th century.
Casa Longobarda.
On the western end of Via Santa Caterina at #245 is a house with a unique facade. From the time of Queen Cornaro (circa 1500), the architect and sculptor Francesco Graziolo lived here. He was the queen’s architect. The house’s name is believed to refer to his workshop or the style of architecture – Lombardus. The building is private.
Villa Contarina.
The private residence, Villa Contarini or Degli Armeni, is on the hill to your left. It dates from 1558, when the Surian family of Venice built it. Later, through inheritance, it became the property of the Contarini, one of the founding families of Venice. By the beginning of the 19th century, it passed from various noble Venetian families, including the Bragadini, the Soranzo, and the Pasqualini. In the 2000s, it became a private residence again.
See Asolo’s Neighbors.
Bassano del Grappa.
This town is twenty-five minutes west of Asolo. It is most famous for its wooden Ponte Vecchio bridge, designed by Andrea Palladio in 1569. Being wood, it has been replaced many times, most recently after WWII. This charming town has weekly markets in the main squares. Sip some Grappa at Nardini, Italy’s oldest distillery, dating from 1779. Then, sample a local pizzetta.
Temple of Canova in Possagno.
This neoclassical church would be one of the last designs by the famous architect Antonio Canova. Construction began in 1819, but the architect died before the church was consecrated in 1932. The temple is a 20-minute drive north of Asolo.
Villa Barbaro in Maser.
The great architect Andrea Palladio designed this villa, built between 1554 and 1560 for the humanist Daniele Barbaro. This villa is part of the UNESCO World Heritage list and sits seven miles east of Asolo.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Wine Region.
Starting in Valdobbiadene, a 30-minute drive north of Asolo and stretching 20 miles east to Conegliano, this route runs through the Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG wine region. The region is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and 97% of the wine made here is sparkling. Prosecco is the most planted grape and now goes by the name Glera.
More than 200 wineries in the region produce over 400 varieties of wine. Wine Folly list of wineries. A few of my favorites are Cartizze PDC near Valdobbiadene and Locanda Sandi.
For a bonus, the Sandi vineyards have the Villa Sandi, a 30-minute drive south of Locanda Sandi. The headquarters of the winery is in a lovely Palladian-style house dating from the 1600s. Wine tastings and tours of the house and cellars are available.
At all wineries, I strongly recommend reservations.
Villa Emo in Fanzolo.
Another villa of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the City of Vicenza and the Palladian Villas of the Veneto is the Andrea Palladio villa for the Emo family of Venice circa 1556. This patrician villa will remain in the Emo family for almost 450 years, finally leaving the family in 2004.
See Asolo Summary.
How did a place this captivating avoid your radar? You can see Asolo has so much to offer. And not just the town.
Nearby are wineries, lakes, mountains, and valleys to explore.
Day trips to Basso, Vicenza, Venice, Padua, and Verona, or the Alps are all very doable.
Plan a few days to see Asolo and all that it has to offer. It is a beautiful corner of Italy.