Jodi Beech

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Unique Points

Bassano sits in a stunning location by the River Brenta with

Monte Grappa in the background. It is about 35 kilometres

north east of Vicenza. The town’s symbols are said to be the

Palladian bridge, white asparagus, ceramics and the

Grappa liqueur. I visited the town for the day in February

2005. I really liked the location, the fresh air, the fast flowing

river and the picturesque bridge. If you like to be slightly off

the tourist track and would prefer a more rural setting for

short break or as a base for a touring holiday, Bassano is

ideal.

How to get there

The nearest airports are Treviso, used by Ryanair as it’s

airport for Venice and Venice Marco Polo. You could hire a

car from the airport. It is possible to reach Bassano by train

on the Vicenzia – Trento or Padova – Bassano lines.

History

It is often assumed that the city takes its name from the

well known liqueur Grappa. This is not the case; it is named

after Monte Grappa. The mountain’s name is said to

originate from crapp or greep, meaning crag in an ancient

pre-Latin language. The liqueur Grappa’s name stems

from grappolo, meaning a cluster of grapes.

Grappa liqueur has been produced in Bassano since 1779

when Bortolo Nardini bought a Grapperia on the Brenta

River bank. Grappa is made from the by-products of wine

making, the seeds, stems and skins. The company is still

run by members of the Nardini family, accounting for around

one quarter of annual grappa production.

Ponte Vecchia has become synonymous with Bassano.

The bridge is first mentioned in the 11th century. The bridge

has been rebuilt several times due to flooding or

destruction during wars. It is still the original design by

Palladio from 1569. The bridge is built of wood, making it

more resilient to the fast flowing River Brenta.

There is a record of the city on St Mary’s Hill from the 10th

century. From the 14th to 18th century the city was under

Venetian rule. It became well known for the manufacture of

ceramics, wool, silk, iron and copper. The Remondini

family ran one of the most up to date printing houses in

Europe from the17th to the 19th century.

Grappa liqueur has been produced in Bassano since 1779

when Bortolo Nardini bought a Grapperia on theBrenta

River bank. Grappa is made from the by products of wine

making, the seeds, stems and skins. The company is still

run by members of the Nardini family, accounting for around

one quarter of annual grappa production.

The Town Hall was first constructed in1405. Bartolomeo

Ferranci installed the present clock mechanism in 1743.

The interior walls are adorned by frescoes of 120 coats of

arms.

White asparagus was first produced in the 16th century after

Bassano experienced a hailstorm which destroyed the

asparagus crop. The farmers dug up the part of the plant

below the earth and discovered that it was so tender and

delicious that they started to grow it underground

permanently.

Parolini, a local nobleman, designed the Giardini Parolini in

the early 19th century. In 1829 Parolini catalogued 3000

plant species in the garden.

During the First World War the Italians took a last stand

against the Austrians in Monte Grappa where they

entrenched themselves in tunnels and bunkers to repel the

Austrian attackers. Over 12,000 Italian and 10,000 Austrian

soldiers lost their lives in the numerous battles.

During the Second World War Italian partisans hid in Monte

Grappa, organising raids on the main supply route from

Germany to the German troops stationed in Italy. In 1944

the Germans took revenge by marching up the mountain

behind women, children and elderly local inhabitants. Any

partisans discovered or civilians suspected of assisting

partisans were killed. There were public hangings and

shootings with families forced to watch.

In 1946 the Italian prime minister awarded Basssano the

gold medal for military valour. Every year the city

commemorates these events during September.

The Museo degli Alpini was established in 1948 in memory

of the Italian Alpine Troops It is located on the eastern side

of the Ponte Vecchio. You have to enter it through a cafe. I

found this rather confusing but the museum is down stairs

to the left when you enter the cafe.

Originally the collection was very small but has grown as

more war relics have been gathered together. There are

many original photos, uniforms and armoury.

Museo della Cermica is near the eastern side of the Ponte

Vecchio. The building was constructed as the residence of

Ferrari family, owners of a local silk factory. The entrance

hall is adorned with a fresco by Giorgio Anseli. There are

pieces of engraved ceramics from medieval times, Mainardi

majolica pieces from the 17th and 18th century, along with

modern pieces.

The Civic Musuem is one of the oldest in the Veneto region.

It was built in1828 on the site of the convent of St Francis. It

houses a collection of paintings by the Da Ponti family,

Guariento and Magnasco, a collection of prints by the

Remondini family. There is also an archaeological section

and pieces by Antonio Canova.

Bassano boasts several churches. San Donato was built in

1208. It is claimed that St Francis of Assisi and St Anthony

of Padua both stayed here during the third decade of the

13th century. The church was a hospital, run by Benedictine

nuns in the 14th century, then a Fransican monastery during

the 15th century. The church was restored in 1900,

including work being done on the cell which was used by

the two saints.

The Church of San Francesco was started in the mid 12th

century, after the return of Ezzelino 11, the Stutterer, from the

Holy Land. The Church of St John the Baptist was originally

built in 1308 but reconstructed in the 18th century by local

architect Giovanni Miazzi. Giambattista Piazzetti made the

altarpiece of John the Baptist and Orzio Marinali created the

statues of angels and the bas-reliefs.

The Cathedral of Holy Mary was a 10th century parish

church in the original high part of the town. The present

cathedral dates from the 17th century. The high altar piece

and the painting of St Stephen are the work of Leandro di

Ponte, and the sculptures are by Mainali. Di Giacomo Dacci

made the organ and the three ceiling paintings are by

Volpata.

Where to eat

Trattoria del Borgo is a traditional restaurant with a garden,

via Margan 7, tel 0424 522155

Birreria Ottone is an a 13th century palazzo. They offer a

selection of Italian, Tyrolean and Austrian dishes, via

Matteotti 48 – 50, tel 0424 522206.

Day trips

Marostica

Marostica is a 14th century medieval town where the

original town wall stands intact.

It is best known as the “town of chess”. Every second year a

match, with people dressed in elaborate costumes to

portray the pieces, is played on the giant chessboard below

the castle. This takes place on the second Friday, Saturday

and Sunday every second year, when the year ends in an

even number. This commemorates the chess match

played in 1454 when the victor was to win the hand in

marriage of Lianora, the daughter of the Lord of the Castle

of Marostica. Two suitors, Rinaldo d’Angarano and Vieti da

Vallonara, had fallen in love with Lianora and were to fight a

duel to see how would marry Lianora. The Lord forbade the

duel and order decreed that the victor of the chess match

would marry Lianora. However all was not lost for the

defeated suitor, as he would marry Lianora’s younger sister,

Oldrata.

The period costumes are permanenly displayed in the

Lower Castle.

Marostica holds a Cherry Festival every year during May and

June. There are kiosks in the streets selling a variety of

cherries including morello, roame,marostagne and sander.

There is an annual exhibition of comic cartoons in the town.

Every July and August local craftsmen display their work the

exhibition hall of the Lower Caste.

There are some lovely walks through the surrounding hills.

Asola

Asola is a charming hilltop town, with a castle, a cathedral

with a altar piece by Lorenzo Lotto and the 15th century

Palazzo della Ragione. It was called the “city of one

thousand horizons” by Giosue Carducci, because of all the

fantastic views. It was much favoured by the Venetian

nobility. Caterina Corona, the former Queen of Cyprus, lived

here in the late 15th century. Robert Browning, the English

poet, bought a house ere in the mid 17th century. Eleanora

Duse, credited with being the greatest actress of the Italian

stage was also a resident. The travel writer Freya Stark was

brought up in Asolo and spent a lot of time here between

her various expeditions. There is an antiques market every

second weekend of the month, except during July and

August.

You can read the full guide to Bassano including photos and accommodation options at http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/Italy/bassano.html

Karen Bryan is a UK based independent travel consultant and writer. In her website, Europe a la Carte, http://www.europealacarte.co.uk, she promotes less well known destinations in Europe. Karen believes that you can get more of a flavour of the real country even if you venture only slightly off the well beaten tourist track

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