Guide to Bassano del Grappa, Northern Italy
Posted by Karen Bryan
A guide to the lovely town of Bassano del Grappa, famous for its bridge, white asparagus, ceramics and Grappa liqueur.
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. Accommodation Villa Brocchi Colonna, Bassano del Grappa This lovely agriturismo, country farmhouse hotel, is located
two kilometres from Bassano in spectacular countryside,
surrounded by hills. The west wing was converted in 2002
to provide eleven elegantly furnished bedrooms. Breakfast,
prepared by the owner, offers home made jams, breads,
biscuits and cakes, prepared using her own natural farm
produce. Rooms cost from 90 - 150 euros per night including
breakfast. There are two rooms with an internal door
suitable for a family and two rooms suitable for disabled
guests. Albergo Contarini, near Bassano The Contarini is in the lovely village of Compologno sul
Brenta, in the Brenta valley, at the foot of the Dolomite
Mountains, a few kilometres north of Bassano. There is a
large garden and private parking. Each of the three annexes
has its own character and contains bedrooms, studios and
one-bedroom apartments. Double rooms cost from 55 - 72 euros per room per night,
single rooms cost from 40 -54 euros. If you stay for at least
three days there is the option of half board at 40 - 54 euros
per person per night, or full board at 48 - 62 euros per
person per night. Col delle Rane Apartments These four farm agriturismo apartments are located 10 km
east of Bassono, in the green hills of the Trevisan March.
The agriturismo is run by the Gallina family. There are lovely
walks in the nearby hills and vineyards, and you can hire
bicycles too. There is a shared leisure garden. The apartments are all on the ground floor, with garden
views. There is a living room/kitchen. The kitchen has a
fridge and gas rings. There is a double bedroom and a
bathroom. The price is 385 euros per week, based on two sharing,
which includes linen, water, electricity, gas and air
conditioning. It is possible to accommodate an additional
two guests in the apartments, at a cost of 5 euros per
person per night. There is a final cleaning charge of 15
euros.
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. Karen Bryan is an independent travel consultant and writer,
specialising less well known destinations in Europe.
Her websites are
http://www.europealacarte.co.uk and http://www.europe-culture-activity-tours.com
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