I Love Italian Wine and Food – Northern Veneto
If you are planning a European tour, consider the Veneto region in northern Italy in the Gulf of Venice. Venice is its best known city and one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth. But the Veneto region has a lot more to offer. You will find many attractions, many excellent tourist and will not have to fight huge crowds. With a little luck you will avoid tourist traps and go home feeling that you have truly visited Italy. This article examines tourist attractions in northern Veneto. Be sure to read our companion articles in southern Veneto, in the city of Verona for Shakespeare, and the university city of Padua.
We begin our tour of the northern Veneto Marostica, northeast of Vicenza and northwest of Venice. Then we went basically to the east, first to Bassano del Grappa, in Asolo, and finally southeast of Treviso.
Marostica, population of about thirteen thousand, is known for two castles: the Lower Castle (Lower Castle) a very unique environment for the city of meetings Superior Council and the Castello (Upper Castle) up the hill. But in the second weekend of September in even years such as 2008, these attractions to the background to the Partita a Scacchi (Chess) with human players dressed in medieval costumes. This practice began in 1454. It seems that two local noblemen Renaldo D. and V. Vieri da fell in love with the beautiful Lionora P., daughter of the Lord of Marostica. They were ready to duel for the hand of lady fair. The future father-in-good for him, said no dueling in these parts, if want to win my daughter, you must first win a game of chess to be played in the square near the lower castle. The winner will marry Lionora and the loser will marry her younger sister, Oldrada. The whole town showed up to watch the game. Historians have noted if Lionora favored the eventual winner or not. Instant replay not too hard on the night of Friday to Sunday and the moves are announced in the local dialect. Marostica is also famous for its cherries and has a cherry festival every May and June.
Bassano del Grappa, the population of about forty thousand, was founded as a Roman agricultural estate more than two thousand years. It's a nice city old houses and squares at the base of Mt. Grappa. In its way this mountain protected Italian partisans during the Second World War. In 1946, Prime Minister of Italy granted the city a gold medal for his military prowess. This day is commemorated every September.
The city has several unusual museums. The Poli Grappa Museum presents the details of Grappa, an internationally renowned distilled liquor. Tastings are free, but is best remembered grappa is much stronger than wine. (Ceramics Museum) The Museo della interesting collection includes several pieces ceramic tiles dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth century. You can purchase local ceramics in many shops in the area. The Museo degli Alpini (Museum Alpine) celebrates the Italian Alpine troops. The Municipal Museum displays archaeological remains, several paintings by local artists known historical, and drawings by Alberto D? and Rembrandt.
Bassano del Grappa is home to several historic churches such as the Eleventh Century Duomo (Cathedral) renovated several hundred years later, the thirteenth century San Donato Church, said when receiving the visit of two of San Francisco de Asis and San Antonio de Padua, the twelfth century Church of San Francisco, and the fourteenth century church of San John the Baptist restored in the eighteenth century.
most famous monument of the city is the Ponte degli Alpini (Alpine Bridge) over the Brenta River. This bridge was designed engaging in the sixteenth century by the architect Andrea Palladio to replace one built in the thirteenth century. You may know that Palladio was said to be the most influential person in the history of Western architecture. Read more about him and his work in the companion article I Love Touring Italy – Southern Veneto. Palladio bridge was destroyed and rebuilt in 1748 three years later. What we see today was rebuilt after the Second World War of their own design.
Asolo, the population of about seventy-five hundred known as the "Pearl of the province of Treviso", and "The City of a Hundred Horizons". Asolo is associated with the Italian word "desolation" that means spending time in a beautiful but meaningless way. The famous British poet Robert Browning certainly agree with charming, but not sense, here in the nineteenth century who wrote ruined, its final volume of poetry. Other famous writers including Elizabeth Barret Browning, Ernest Hemingway and Henry James visited or lived this city.
At the top of the town is a monastery that now houses a university: CIMBA (The International Consortium for Management and Business Analysis). Students worldwide live work and study in Asolo while earning his MBA. CIMBA sister has a college campus in Paderno.
Treviso, population of about eighty thousand, has had a long and bloody history. It was near the headquarters of a major battle in World War I and the site of a concentration camp in the Second World War. During that war was heavily damaged in the medieval town with a large loss of life. Despite the massive destruction its center is still something to see. Treviso is home to the famous designer Benetton and has sufficient channels to deserve the nickname "Little Venice."
Start your tour at Piazza dei Signori (Square of the Knights), the medieval city center, with several interesting buildings, including the twelfth century Palazzo dei Trecento (Town Hall). Nearby is the Pescheria (Fish Market) on an island in the channel.
Among the churches to see is the late Romanesque-Gothic early twelfth century San Francisco Church (San Francisco), used by Napoleonic troops as stable. It contains several interesting paintings and frescoes and the tombs of Pietro Alighieri, son of Dante, Petrarch and Francesca the daughter of the poet Francesco. The Church of San Nicol? a mixture of XIII century Venetian Romanesque and French Gothic elements. It is also loaded with historic frescoes. The Duomo di San Pietro (St. Peter's Cathedral) was built in the XV and XVI at the site of a Romanesque church. Among his works of art is Titian's The Annunciation.
What about food? Treviso is known by many different specialties including pasta and rice dishes with wild herbs and vegetables such as asparagus risotto (bruscandoi). When gourmets think Treviso often for the local radicchio, perhaps served in risotto. Other dishes that the locals enjoy include bigoli, thick homemade spaghetti served with duck sauce or sausage, risi e bisi (rice with peas), and pasta e Fagioli (pasta with beans). Meat and sausages are often served with Pevero, a strong sauce made with liver and spices. Like several other areas, the findings of Treviso famous Italian dessert, tiramisu.
We will propose a tasting menu one of many. Start with Soup Coad (Pigeon and Bread Soup). Then try and Ricotta Ravioli ai porcini Affumicata (Ravioli of smoked porcini mushrooms and Ricotta Cheese). For dessert indulge yourself with Focaccia alla Ceccobeppe (Flat Bread with dried fruit). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.
We will conclude with a quick look at Veneto wine. Veneto ranks third among the 20 Italian regions, both in area planted with vines of grapes and wine its total annual production. About 45% of Veneto wine is red or pink, leaving 55% for white. The region produces 24 DOC wines and three DOCG wines, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superior, Superior, and Bardolino. DOC means Controlled Appellation of Origin, translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine DOCG G Garantita means, but in reality there is no guarantee that these wines are truly superior. Almost 30% of Venetian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation.
Montello e Colli DOC Asolani occurs on the right bank of the Piave River north of Treviso. It comes in many styles from a variety of local and international grapes. The best known Prosecco is the fact the white Prosecco grape with up to 15% of other white grapes, mostly local, but including Chardonnay. While Prosecco wine can be fixed or gas usually is brilliant. And it is usually not very special.
About the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine German, Italian, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and the right people. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can eat and drink what he wants, in moderation. He teaches various and sundry classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, wine, and food website www.travelitalytravel.com and his Italian wine website www.theitalianwineconnection.com .
