Bolzano to Venice - Girolibero greens Cycling Guide by Girolibero

CYCLING GUIDE

From Bolzano to Venice Sights, history, wining and dining tips, useful information

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From Bolzano to Venice

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Oswald Stimpfl, the author of this Guide, is a passionate cyclist. He has published more than 20 books on various Italian regions and territories for publishers of the calibre of MairDumont, Folio Editore Bolzano/Vienna and the Italian Touring Club Association. When he’s not travelling the country observing, photographing and describing lands, peoples, foods and wines, he lives and works in the bilingual city of Bozen/Bolzano. Chiara Fasolato is a tour guide in love with her homeland and feels privileged to share its History and Beauty with others. The wealth of cultural and natural treasures of the Venice Lands – and the Euganean Hills in particular (where Chiara was born) – is best explored, she will always tell you, astride your bike. Enjoy!

© Girolibero, Vicenza 2019 Concept and design: www.noparking.it Maps: www.noemastudio.it Translation: Alphaville. Traduzioni e Servizi Editoriali, Vicenza Photos: Bruno Boscaini (Masi Agricola, Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella - VR) p. 64/65, 70, 71, 73, 79, 96, 98, 102, 107; Oswald Stimpfl, Antonio Fasolato, Marco Moressa, Pixabay, Terry, Wikipedia; all others: Girolibero and no.parking Printed in Italy www.girolibero.it

OSWALD STIMPFL CHIARA FASOLATO

From Bolzano to Venice

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This guide will accompany you in your trips and excursions through the Trentino-South Tyrol and Veneto regions. The guide not only provides commentary to the scenery and artistic heritage of each of the places you will encounter on your way, but also provides important historical information and practical suggestions that will make your trip and any stopovers you plan more enjoyable and safer. And, last but not least, the guide also provides information on wining and dining, with recommendations for anything from a hefty meal to a quick snack.

Index From Bolzano to Venice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 South Tyrol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A potted history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 South Tyrol on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Bozen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 History of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 The best in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Eating and drinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 From Bolzano to Trento.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Events in South Tyrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Trentino . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 A potted history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Trentino on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Trento.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 History of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 The best in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Eating and drinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 From Trento to Riva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Rovereto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Lake Garda.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Ferry Trip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Desenzano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Garda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Peschiera del Garda Garda. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Events on Lake Garda Region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 The Veneto Region A potted history . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 From Lake Garda to Verona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Verona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 History of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 The best in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 Eating and drinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Verona on the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108 Events in the Province of Verona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 From Verona to Vicenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Vicenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 History of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Vicenza on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 The best in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Eating and drinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events in the Province of Vicenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From Vicenza to Padua thermal district. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Padua thermal district . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Euganean Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The best in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eating and drinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Padua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . History of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Padova on the Internet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The best in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eating and drinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events in the Province of Padua . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . From Padua thermal district to Venice.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mestre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Venice.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . History of the city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Venice on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Getting there . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Small Venice phrase book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The best in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eating and drinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Events in the Province of Venice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Useful information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

135 140 141 152 152 154 163 166 168 170 171 178 181 183 190 196 198 200 201 202 206 211 215 216

MAPS OVERVIEW OF THE TOUR . . 8 STAGES OF THE TOUR From Bolzano to Trento . . . . . . . 22 From Trento to Riva . . . . . . . . . . 52 Lake Garda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 From Lake Garda to Verona. . . . 86 From Verona to Vicenza. . . . . . 110 From Vicenza to Padua thermal district. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 From Padua thermal district to Venice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182

CITYMAPS Bolzano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Trento . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Rovereto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Desenzano . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Peschiera del Garda . . . . . . . . . 76 Verona. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Vicenza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Padua thermal district . . . . . . . 150 Abano Terme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 Battaglia Terme . . . . . . . . . . . . 160 Padova . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 Mestre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 Venice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

From Bolzano to Venice

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

The cycle route from Bolzano to Venice connects two completely different Italian cities and takes the cyclist through the diverse scenery of northern Italy. This book provides a guide to the interesting things you will encounter along the way, the history of the towns and cities of the area and a host of sightseeing programmes. The cycle route starts in SOUTH TYROL, in the town of Bolzano (260 metres above sea level) and winds its way through the hillside vineyards or follows the course of the Adige on its way south. It proceeds past medieval manors and castles, through the historically important towns of TRENTO and ROVERETO before turning west at Mori and advancing towards RIVA on the shores of Lake Garda. In Riva you can load your bike onto a boat that zigzags along the entire length of Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest lake to DESENZANO/PESCHIERA on its southernmost tip. After leaving the lake and Alps behind you, you can cycle away from the old fort of Peschiera eastwards through countryside that slopes gently down to the Venetoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous artistic towns. After VERONA, which treats us to Roman and medieval treasures, we can move on to VICENZA, the elegant town of Palladio, to the EUGANEAN HILLS and largest European thermal district, then to PADUA, the cradle of Renaissance culture, and finally reach VENICE, the beautiful and fascinating pearl in the lagoon on the Adriatic Sea. The route mainly runs along cycle tracks and lightly trafficked provincial roads without any challenging climbs or descents and presents no great technical difficulties. The varied landscapes include the spectacular mountains of the main ridge of the Alps, the gentle vineyard-covered slopes of the foothills of the Alps along the Adige river, the enchanting Lake Garda and the cultivated plains that lead to the Venice Lagoon. The actual route is not described; that is what the accompanying 1:50,000 maps are for. The most important sights on the way are described, however, and accompanied by important background information on the area and its people as well as amusing anecdotes to help you better understand the way of life of each province. For more in-depth knowledge, we recommend different guides that can be found in any good bookshop. Enjoy your ride through this outstanding area!

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FROM BOLZANO TO TRENTO

South Tyrol South Tyrol lies on the sunny, AUSTRIA SÜDTIROL/ climatically blessed southern ALTO ADIGE slopes of the Alps and is one of Europe’s favourite holiday destiI TA L I A nations. Small wonder, considering what is on offer: lively towns with fascinating historical centres, a landscape comprising woods, lakes, gentle vineyard-covered hills and the striking Dolomite peaks, all inflected with Italian grace coupled with German thoroughness. And it is this variety that makes the difference!

SOUTH TYROL IN FIGURES AREA: 7,400 square kilometers INHABITANTS: 508,000 THE SIX LARGEST TOWNS (IN TERMS OF POPULATION) ARE: Bolzano: 110,000, Merano: 38,300, Bressanone: 20,700, Laives: 17,200, Brunico: 15,500, Appiano: 14,250.

A potted history 12,000–5,000 BCE Evidence uncovered of prehistoric hunters. 5000–3000 BCE The glacier-embedded “Ötzi” mummy and other other remains in Similaun provide proof of permanent settlements in the Alpine region. 15 BCE Romans conquer Tyrol during Drusus’ campaign. 4th and 5th centuries CE Spread of Christianity throughout area. 8th century Tyrol becomes part of Carolingian Empire under Charlemagne. 11th century Prince-Bishops of Brixen and Trent entrust bailiffs with administration of their lands. 13th–14th Meran becomes capital of Tyrol. 14th century Margarethe Maultasch, the last Countess of Tyrol, dies without issue; Tyrol taken over by the Habsburgs. 1499 Swabian War between Swiss Confederacy and the House of Habsburg: Swiss troops enter the Vinschgau valley through the Müstair valley.

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

1525/26 Peasant revolt led by Michael Gaismair.

Leopold. 1740–1790 The reforms of Maria Theresa and Joseph II reduce the power of the nobles and clergy. 1805 Peace of Pressburg: after losing several wars, Austria forced to cede Tyrol to France’s ally, Bavaria. 1809–1813 Uprising led by Andreas Hofer against Napoleon’s troops crushed. 1915–1918 World War I: Italy declares war on Austria and is rewarded with South Tyrol. 1922–1943 Fascists come to power in Italy. Policy of Italianisation rigorously pursued in South Tyrol. 1943–45 After the fall of Mussolini, German troops occupy South Tyrol until Allies’ arrival (May 1945). 1946 Paris Agreement aims to protect minorities in South Tyrol. 1956–58 and 1961 Italy fails to fully enforce Paris Agreement, leading to protest bombings in South Tyrol; Austria brings “South Tyrol question” before the Council of Europe and UN. 1972 New Statute of Autonomy gives South Tyrol minorities special rights. 1998 Border controls between Austria and Italy abolished. June 2006 Brenner Base Tunnel begun. This joint Austrian-Italian project is for a passenger and freight rail tunnel through the base of the Brenner massif.

SOUTH TYROL ON THE INTERNET The following Internet pages provide all sorts of information about South Tyrol: WWW.SUEDTIROL.INFO The official website of Südtirol Marketing Gesellschaft KGmbH, also in English. WWW.ALPENVEREIN.IT The AVS – Alpenverein Südtirol provides information on tours and useful tips, only in German.

WWW.SUEDTIROLERWEIN.COM Information about wine growing in South Tyrol, including list of wineries and events, also in English. WWW.PROVINZ.BZ.IT The public administration service portal, also in English.

WWW.BIKEARENA.IT WWW.KULTUR.BZ.IT Provides maps for cyclists and supplies The cultural events calendar, also in products and services for cycling in South English. Tyrol, only in German.

, The individual entries in this book will also provide further links to Internet pages.

FROM BOLZANO TO TRENTO

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Hotels Design Hotel Greif Stadt Hotel Città Parkhotel Laurin Hotel Regina Parkhotel Luna Mondschein Hotel Magdalenerhof Hotel Post Gries Hotel Chrys Premstaller Garden Hotel Four Points Hotel Sheraton

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F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

Bolzano South Tyrol, though part of Italy, is at the same time very much rooted in the German-speaking world, and Bolzano, which is the capital of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, is an especially lively mixture of Italian and German. The town is full of historically fascinating things to see and is known as the “Gateway to the Dolomites” because of its proximity to these famous mountains. The Dolomites’ Rosengarten massif (known as the Catinaccio,, or large chain, in Italian) is breathtakingly high and forms a startling backdrop to the Gothic roofs and towers of Bolzano’s old town. To the north, the Roncolo/Runkelstein castle guards the passage into the narrow Sarentino/Sarntal valley, whilst the hills to the west and south open onto the fertile Adige valley. Visitors are enchanted by the natural beauty of the area. The valley is luxuriantly fruitful, the mountains recede dramatically into the background and Bolzano is surrounded by a protective clutch of hills. The Tyrolean character of the old town centre is epitomised by fine late Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque town houses. Beyond the Talvera/Talfer creek, in the Gries and Quirein districts, Italian residential quarters for officials and workers were built after 1945 in the national monu-

AZIENDA DI SOGGIORNO E TURISMO BOLZANO Waltherplatz 8, 39100 Bozen, Tel. 0471 307000 www.bolzano-bozen.it

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

mental style. Even though snow is still coming down from the surrounding mountain peaks, tourists throng the street cafés, restaurants and promenades in the spring sunshine. The old trading town of Bolzano with its market squares and many stylish boutiques invites people to shop and stroll whilst the historical squares and alleys of the old town convey culture at every turn.

History of the city THE FOUNDING OF THE TOWN When the Romans entered mod-

ern Tyrol around 15 BCE under their general Drusus, the Bolzano valley basin had already been settled for thousands of years. Under the Romans, an important bridgehead was built over the Isarco/Eisack river. After the fall of Rome, the Bavarii (the ancestors of today’s Bavarians) from the north settled the country and fought tooth and nail against the Longobards. In the eighth century, Tyrol was finally incorporated into Charlemagne’s empire. Around 1200 this still very small market town, which was under the influence of the Prince-Bishop of Trent, was already surrounded by hefty town walls. Towards the end of the thirteenth century, the Counts of Tyrol replaced the Prince-Bishops as the town’s rulers. In the fourteenth century Tyrol was subsumed into the Habsburg empire, and from the fifteenth century influential local rulers helped Bolzano become an important political and economic hub in the central Alps.

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

BOLZANO AS A TRADING TOWN The peaceful trading that would

eventually turn Bolzano into an important commercial centre was already well under way by the year 1000. The town’s strategic proximity to the important Alpine pass Brennero was decisive, as was the fact that the Adige was navigable right up to the town’s gates. Goods in transit were therefore stored here, and counting houses, banks and branches of foreign companies were founded in the city, thus making it the perfect venue for trade fairs and lucrative markets. There was no limit to the wares on offer under the porticoes, and the city was so economically significant that it was considered the unofficial capital of Tyrol until the French Revolution. THE NEW, MODERN BOLZANO Bolzano has been a provincial capital for barely a hundred years. Previously, the cities that held political clout in the area were Merano in Tyrol and Innsbruck, which explains why Bolzano has relatively few historical administrative buildings. After World War I, when the County of Tyrol was partitioned and South Tyrol was annexed by Italy, the Italian state went to great lengths to italianise the area. The Fascist regime set up important industries and settled thousands of workers from other Italian provinces in Bolzano, and today about 73% of the inhabitants are native Italian speakers. It was only after lengthy negotiations with central government in Rome that all linguistic groups in South Tyrol were granted comprehensive autonomy and financial and economic independence in many areas. The three linguistic groups (as well as German and Italian, there are still 20,000 speakers of Ladin, a Romance language) now live peacefully with or at least alongside one another. Bolzano’s prevalently Italian town council currently has an Italian-speaking mayor.

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

The best in brief town is “Bolzano’s open-air drawing room”. The square is named after the Minnesänger, i.e. German troubadour, Walther von der Vogelweide, who for a long time was thought to come from South Tyrol. DUOMO DI SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA 2 On the southern side of Pi-

azza Walther you will find the city’s cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which was consecrated in 1180 and rebuilt in Gothic style in the fifteenth century. The typical 62-metre high filigree-like tower by the Swabian master builder Hans Lutz von Schussenried is well worth a visit. In the ambulatory behind the altar there is a memorial slab dedicated to Archduke Rainer of Austria. In addition to the finely decorated sandstone pulpit, there are fascinating remains of Gothic frescoes from the fourteenth century on the southern wall of the nave. CHIESA DEI DOMENICANI 3 The church in the Dominikanerplatz square near the cathedral is worth visiting. From the choir you can access the Gothic chapel dedicated to Saint John, featuring some of the finest examples of northern Italian frescoes belonging to the Giotto school to be seen in South Tyrol. PIAZZA DELLE ERBE 4 Bolzano’s fruit and vegetable market is

held on week days in this square, which is the lively heart of the old town; surrounded by trim houses, it is embellished by the Neptune fountain (1746). VIA DEI PORTICI 5 This narrow porticoed street (Laubengasse

in German) leads eastward from the fruit market, and its elegant boutiques make it the town’s most popular shopping street. Some of the characteristically porticoed houses date from as early as the fifteenth century. PIAZZA MUNICIPIO 6 The eastern end of the Laubengasse ends

in the Rathausplatz, the town hall square, which is bordered by bright, decorated house façades. The Baroque town hall and campanile were built in the nineteenth century.

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PIAZZA WALTHER 1 This focal point in the centre of the old

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CHIESA DEI FRANCESCANI 7 This thirteenth–fifteenth-century

Franciscan church near the fruit market contains a Gothic wooden wing-altar carved by the master Hans Klocker from Bressanone. RIVER EMBANKMENT PROMENADES 8 Promenades have been

laid out on both sides of the fast-flowing Talvera/Talfer creek that flows into Bolzano from the Sarentino valley. On the eastern bank the Wassermauerpromenade connects the old town with the Sankt Anton bridge to the north and provides a fine view of the Rosengarten massif and the vine-covered Maretsch Castle. On the western bank, a footpath and cycling path lead to the valley ski lift station that takes people to San Genesio/ Jenesien and then on to Roncolo/Runkelstein Castle. PIAZZA VITTORIA 9 The Talvera/Talfer bridge connects the old

and new areas of town and was built by Italians under Mus-

MUSEUMS 11 MUSEION www.museion.it 6 Dantestrasse; Tel. 0471 223413 Daily 10am–8pm, Thursdays 10am–10pm; € 6 Museion (Museum for Modern Art) was opened in 2008 on the bank of the Talvera/Talfer and is remarkable for its striking cubic construction. The architecture is perfectly in keeping with the museum’s focus on modern art, which can also be contemplated in the library or in the quiet garden café looking out over the river. 12 MUSEO ARCHEOLOGICO DELL’ALTO ADIGE www.iceman.it, 43 Museumstrasse; Tel. 0471 320100 Tuesdays– Sundays 10am–6pm; July, August, December, daily; € 9 The great attraction of the museum

is the more than 5,000-year-old “Ötzi”. The mummy found in a glacier in the Ötztaler Alps can be seen in a climate chamber; related finds shows what life was like in Neolithic times. 13 CASTEL RONCOLO www.runkelstein.info 15 St Anton Weg; Tel. 0471 329808, Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–6pm; € 8 The castle in Germanic romanticised style contains frescoes from circa 1400 depicting scenes from court life and the Tristan legend. These frescoes are one of the most important examples of profane art of their kind, so much so that the castle that houses them is known as “the illustrated castle”. The castle is a 15-minute bike ride along the cycle path from the town centre.

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solini’s rule. Directly next to the bridge there is Piazza Vittoria/ Siegesplatz with the Fascist Victory Monument (1928), which takes its inspiration from the triumphal arches of Ancient Rome. The wide Freiheitstrasse (Freedom Avenue) leads into Bolzano’s Gries district, an attractive suburb of detached houses at the foot of the Guntschnaberg mountain. MONASTERO DI MURI-GRIES 10 The impressive Benedictine Gries-Muri monastery on Grieser Platz (Grieser Square) comprises the collegiate Sankt Augustinus church (1769–1771), which Martin Knoller decorated with wall, ceiling and altar paintings. The Muri-Gries monastery winery produces one of the best Lagrein wines in South Tyrol. The nearby Gries parish church Unsere Liebe Frau, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is also worth visiting. It contains a winged altar (1475) by Michael Pacher and a thirteenth-century Romanesque crucifix. www.muri-gries.com 21 Grieser Platz, Bolzano, Tel. 0471 282287

Eating and drinking KNÖDEL OR SPAGHETTI? The diverse South Tyrol cultures also come together in the local cuisine in a tasty combination of dishes that include classics from the Austro-Hungarian and Italian traditions. On the menu you can find dumpling dishes such as Knödel mit Speck (dumplings with speck), Leberknödel (liver dumplings) or Spinat- und Käseknödel (spinach and cheese dumplings). Schlutzkrapfen, which are ravioli filled with spinach,

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are another Tyrolean speciality. The Italian influence can be seen in the pasta, pizza and risottos. Memories of Vienna are awakened by popular puddings such as Marillenknödel (dumplings filled with apricots), Zwetschgenknödel (dumplings filled with plums), Apfelstrudel and Kaiserschmarren (shredded pancake sprinkled with icing sugar and covered with raisins). In autumn, the menu also features typically rustic dishes such as roasted, salted or smoked pork served with Sauerkraut, as well as snacks for the Törggelezeit, or wine harvest, period, with favourites such as roast chestnuts and smoked speck and sausage.

EATING AND DRINKING 14 OSTERIA DEI CARRETTAI 20 Dr Streiter-Gasse, Tel. 0471 970558, closed Sundays This wine bar is always packed. It trusts its customers, who help themselves to wine drawn directly from the barrel and tasty rolls and snacks temptingly laid out on the counter. Customers are not expected to pay until they’ve had their fill! 15 FISCHBÄNKE, DOCTOR STREITER’S WINEGARDEN 28 Dr Streiter-Gasse, mid April to mid October, open every day but closed Saturdays from 6pm and all day Sundays. This must be the most original pub in the town: wine, beer and light dishes are served on the marble slabs of the old fish market. Open only when the weather is warm and good. 16 BANCO VINO 11 11 Obstplatz, Tel. 0471 1922845, closed Sundays

Between and behind the fruit and food stands there is a tiny wine bar, a veritable oasis of good food and great wine. 17 WEISSES RÖSSL 6 Bindergasse, Tel. 0471 973267, closed Saturday evenings and Sundays, www.weissesroessl.org This popular Bolzano pub provides local Tyrolean cooking at reasonable prices. A traditional hostelry, this has become a meeting place for young and old, townspeople and farmers, yuppies and workers, and office staff and intellectuals. Hot food until midnight. 18 LA TORCIA 25 Gärbergasse, Tel. 0471 973236, closed Sundays, www.latorcia.com In this narrow pedestrian alley a maze of small dining rooms are tucked away in an old town house in which regional Italian cooking and a mindboggling range of pizzas are served. Al fresco tables available during the summer months.

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BOLZANO AT A GLANCE Piazza Walther is a good place to start a “circular” walk. On the northern side of the square, the open-air tables and chairs of the town hotel tempt you to have a cappuccino and croissant as you peruse various newspapers. In the southern portion of the square there is the cathedral with its magnificent stone tower. The tourist office is right in the south-eastern corner, and near the square there is the former Dominican monastery that contains one of Bolzano’s treasures, the Johanneskapelle (St John’s Chapel) with its Gothic, Giottoesque frescoes. All of the old town is a pedestrian zone, so a stroll from

the Waltherplatz is worthwhile: towards the north over the Kornplatz into the nearby Laubengasse, past the splendid Merkantilgebäude (Trade Court) building over to the Obstplatz fruit market, whose colourful bustle fired Goethe with enthusiasm more than two centuries ago. If you have enough time, you should also visit the “Ötzi-Museum” in the Museumstrasse. You can walk back to the Waltherplatz via Dr Streiter-Gasse with the marble slabs of the old fish market, the Bindergasse with its historical inns (pop into the Weisses Rössl if you can) and the Rathausplatz with its magnificent town hall building.

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The cycle path heading south-west runs the length of the Bolzano valley basin, crosses the Adige and follows an abandoned railway line to the villages of the Oltradige/Überetsch area, past Sigmundskron Castle. It then winds its way through fertile orchards and vineyards to the localities of Appiano/Eppan and Caldaro/Kaltern, to the lake of the same name, and finally returns to the Adige valley, where it follows the river south through the so-called Unterland. At Salorno/Salurn, the cycle route enters the province of Trentino and the first day’s stage ends in the provincial capital of Trento. MESSNER MOUNTAIN MUSEUM SIGMUNDSKRON IN FIRMIANO

The cycle path passes near Sigmundskron castle, which lies south of Bolzano on a striking red porphyry outcrop. This large castle really catches the eye and is a leading tourist attraction. The location was settled in prehistoric times, while the castle built in the early Middle Ages came into the possession of the Counts of Tyrol in the thirteenth century. Duke Sigmund, the man who was “rich in coin”, had it expanded magnificently in 1473, and named it Sigmundskron. It subsequently lost its strategic importance and slowly decayed. Today, it houses one of the Messner Mountain Museums. A walk around the marvellously restored castle ruins emphasises the relationship between people and the mountains. MMM Firmian, 53 Sigmundskronerstrasse, Bolzano Large car parks, tavern in the castle grounds, Tel. 0471 631264 Beginning of March–mid November. Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–6pm www.messner-mountain-museum.it

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OLTRADIGE, THE LAND OF CASTLES AND PALACES The rocky wood-

ed ridge of the Monte di Mezzo/Mitterberg separates the Adige valley from the Oltradige district to the west, where a landscape incredibly blessed by nature stretches out before your gaze. Wine-growing and fruit-growing, alongside tourism, are the area’s main activities. Small wonder that this was where patrician merchants, aristocrats and the clergy chose to build their castles, palaces, churches and monasteries. The sixteenth and seventeenth centuries saw the development of a local building style: Italian features such as round-arch doorways, loggias, mullioned windows and inner courtyards are combined with steep Gothic roofs, bay windows and stone-set windows. A fine example of this style is the Zum weissen Rössl inn on the village square in Caldaro/Kaltern.

THE WINE LINE There was once a little railway that linked Bolzano with the vineyards of the Oltradige area, and as the railway was important for the wine trade it was humorously nicknamed the “Lepsbahn”, “Leps” being a light common wine. The railway was not closed until the 1960s. A 17-kilometer cycle path

now runs along the railway line and leads cyclists through beautiful vineyards and orchards, keeping them well away from the busy provincial road. The approximately 200-metre height difference between Bolzano and Caldaro/ Kaltern is easy to manage.

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Paolo and San Michele (the municipality’s headquarters) are also part of the district. The magnificent Gothic parish church in San Paolo is also known as the “country cathedral”. At 86 metres, its campanile is one of the highest in the country, and its bell one of the biggest and loudest. It comes as no surprise to learn that the logo on the label of the wine producers’ cooperative of San Paolo prominently features the campanile. Appiano/Eppan is South Tyrol’s biggest wine-growing district and the San Paolo wine producers’ cooperative is one of the most productive and modern wineries in South Tyrol. The cycle path runs right past the winery building that was built in an ornate late-nineteenth-, early-twentieth-century style; the modern extension houses a wine bar and wine sales department. The guided tours of the cellars are often rather convivial affairs! KG St. Micheal/Eppan, 17/19 Umfahrungsstrasse, Eppan Tel. 0471 664466, www.stmichael.it

MONTIGGLER LAKES 3 From San Michele/St. Michael a 6.5-kil-

ometer side road climbs gently south-east through the Montiggler wood to the large and small Montiggler lakes, which nestle romantically in the wood and offer swimming facilities and hostelries for resting and cooling off.

EATING AND DRINKING KREUZWEGERHOF 1 Kreuzweg, Eppan, Tel. 0471 661789, closed Saturdays This inn cum restaurant is near the cycle path on the southern outskirts

of Appiano. In addition to filled rolls and snacks, it also offers quick lunchtime meals for blue and white collar workers, and of course for cyclists. With garden.

UFFICIO DEL TURISMO (TOURIST BOARD) 1 Rathausplatz, 39057 Eppan an der Weinstrasse Tel. 0471 662206 www.eppan.net

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APPIANO, SAN PAOLO AND SAN MICHELE 2 The localities of San

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FOR WINE LOVERS A large part of Caldaro/Kaltern’s economy is based on its wine, which is officially described as “light, uncomplicated, convivial”. Describing wine is like describing music – a hopeless task. But what can we do but try? So here goes! According to its charter, Kalterersee wine has a shiny bright to powerfully ruby red colour, a fresh, fruity bouquet with a hint of cherries, raspberries, bitter almonds and violets, and a harmonious mild, dry, velvety structure with soft tanning and pleasant acidity. It is inspiring, digestible and inviting – a wine for light, uncomplicated, socially enjoyable engagements,

for any time of day and any occasion. For more information on wine making and events such as tastings, wine fairs and wine tours: Tel. 0471 965410 or www.wein.kaltern.com Small snacks are served in the Weinhaus Punkt wine bar, which stands in a corner of the market square between the parish church and the historic houses of the town’s merchants. The different wines of the area obviously take pride of place in the wine bar. 3 Marktplatz, Kaltern, Tel. 0471 964965

CALDARO 4 This village has given its name to South Tyrol red

wine. It lies south-west of Bolzano on the wine route and is the main locality of the fertile Oltradige district. Not only is it the most famous wine-growing village of the region but certainly also one of the prettiest in Europe. The WINE MUSEUM in one of Tyrol’s most impressive cellars, in the heart of the village, takes you on an entertaining trip through the 2,000-year history of wine making from the time of the Romans up to the present. 1 Goldgasse, Tel. 0471 963168 1 April–11 November Tuesdays–Saturdays 10 am–6 pm, Sundays 10am–12pm, € 3 www.weinmuseum.it

SOUTH OF CALDARO/KALTERN 5 the lake known as Kalterer See fans out into the valley. It is one of the warmest lakes for swimming in the Alps, and the biggest in South Tyrol (summer water temperature is about 28 degrees). The broad reed bed skirting its southern shore is a nature reserve for aquatic birds. A nature study path runs through part of the sanctuary, while an 8-kilometre hiking path borders the shore and goes right round the lake. The popular and lively north-eastern shore has open air swimming pools, boats for hire, sailing and windsurf schools and lakeside restaurants and cafés.

EATING AND DRINKING CAFÈ TRUDE 9 Bahnhofstrasse, Tel. 0471963392, closed Mondays, www.cafetrude.com The terraced café with an ice-cream parlour is right at the entry of the village.

The ice-cream and cakes are handmade, and milk and yoghurt shakes and freshly pressed juices are also available. If you need to build up your strength, you can also go with wine and light snacks.

UFFICIO DEL TURISMO (TOURIST BOARD) 8 Marktplatz, 39052 Kaltern an der Weinstraße Tel. 0471 963169, www.kaltern.com

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UNTERLAND The section of the Adige valley between Bolzano

and Salorno/Salurn on the border of the province of Trentino is known as the Unterland, which is German for “lowland”. In the upper part of the valley the rocky, thickly wooded Mitterberg ridge forms a natural dividing line from Oltradige with its main localities of Appiano/Eppan and Caldaro/Kaltern. The silvery ribbon of the Adige winds through the wide valley. Orderly rows of fruit trees cover the bottom of the valley and the villages of Ora/Auer and Egna/Neumarkt are located on the eastern terraces. A wide, very busy road branches off from Egna into the Trentino Dolomite area of the Fiemme and Fassa valleys. The best red Blauburgunder grapes are cultivated further up, in the area around Montan and Mazzon.

PORPHYRY The red porphyry distinguishes the landscape around Bolzano and parts of the Trentino area. It was formed about 270 million years ago when huge volcanic eruptions spewed lava and ash over large parts of the Bolzano valley basin. These were the greatest volcanic events the Alps had ever experienced and eventually formed a rock cover that is up to 2,000 metres thick in some places. Entrapped iron is responsible for the rock’s reddish colour, and, ultimately,

its name (“porphyry” derives from the Greek word for “purple”). The extremely hard, abrasion-resistant rock was quarried on a large scale in the area of Bolzano, Bronzolo/ Branzoll and Laives/Leifers and made into paving stones and lining plates (the scars in the landscape can be seen to this day). In South Tyrol, most of the quarries have closed or work only on a small scale but the enormous porphyry quarries of the Cembra valley are marketed throughout the world.

TERMENO 6 This famous wine centre – which gives its name to the white Gewürztraminer grape – is located south of the Caldaro lake and looks down on the Adige valley. The fifteenthcentury Gothic parish church of Hl. Julitta and Quiricus is the village’s symbol. The 93-metre campanile is the tallest brick church tower in South Tyrol. However, the greatest art treasure lies on a hill above the village in the hamlet of Kastelaz. A steep path leads up to the church of Sankt Jakob, whose interior is completely decorated with frescoes and includes a bestiary, a fascinating picture cycle with mysterious, fabulous

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beasts. Ask the neighbour for the key to the church. The climb is also worth the effort for the magnificent view it affords over the valley of the Adige. In Termeno/Tramin, the VILLAGE MUSEUM’s collection of winegrowing and agricultural implements provides a comprehensive overview of wine growing from the early twentieth century to the 1960s. Part of the museum is dedicated to the famous local carnival procession which takes place just before Lent and to the “Egetmann” mask, who is given his own statue in the village square. 9 Rathausplatz, Tramin, Tel. 328 5603645, 0471 860695 Easter–1 November Tuesdays, Fridays 10am–12pm Wednesdays 10am–11am, 4pm–6pm Entry: voluntary contribution

The South Tyrol wine route goes past the new, architecturally striking winery cooperative. The green metal struts are meant to symbolise the grapes and the supports on which the vines climb, the so-called pergolas. In addition to winery tours, the winery cooperative also offers wine tastings. 144 Weinstrasse Tramin, Tel. 0471 096633

UFFICIO DEL TURISMO (TOURIST BOARD) 1 Julius-v.-Payerstr, 39040 Tramin, Tel. 0471 860131, www.tramin.com

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ORA 7 Ora/Auer is a fine village in the middle of the Unterland, in the eastern section of the valley. Although the inhabitants no longer live exclusively off the land, Ora has nonetheless maintained its rural charm: stately homes and farms built in a Mediterranean style and narrow streets bordered by natural stone walls. The walls not only protect against prying eyes but also from the water of the dangerous â&#x20AC;&#x153;black streamâ&#x20AC;? (Schwarzenbach) that often burst its banks here in the past. The church of Sankt Peter on the southern edge of the village is several metres below the land around it, which clearly shows how much soil and rocks the stream washed up. The church also contains one of the largest and oldest organs in the Alps.

VAL DI FIEMME Ora has two railway stations: one for the line that goes to the Brenner Pass and another for the narrow-gauge railway into the Fiemme /Fleimstal valley. This railway has had an eventful past. In 1915, during World War I, the armies of Austria-Hungary and Italy faced each other. In order to ensure that they had reinforcements on the Dolomite front, the Austro-Hungarian army decided to build the railway, which they did in record time. To do so, they kept up

to 6,000 workers busy, most of whom were prisoners of war. After the war, the railway gradually lost its importance and was finally closed in 1963. The route ascends in hairpin bends, over bridges, through lighted tunnels and over viaducts and is now a fine cycle track into the Trentino Dolomites. There is a nice pub in the old station with snacks and a beer garden. Aurora, 45 Bahnhofstrasse, Auer, Tel. 0471 811534

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CASTELFEDER 8 South of Ora, on a sparsely-wooded hillside, there is the magical location of Castelfeder. Here you will find the fascinating remains of ancient Roman walls, early Middle Age arched window openings, the so-called Kuchele, and, on the crest of the hill, the foundations of the tenth-century chapel of Sankt Barbara. The hill with its downy oaks provides a magnificent view to the south over the Adige valley. Castelfeder can also be reached by bike from the cycle track that follows the route of the old Val di Fiemme railway. PARCO NATURALE MONTE CORNO 9 Most of the mountains that

stretch out behind the villages of Ora/Auer and Egna/Neumarkt towards Trentino are in the Monte Corno/Trudner Horn park. The great differences in altitude and the geological structure have enabled a wide range of flora and fauna to develop. A network of beautiful hiking paths criss-crosses this varied landscape. The park’s visitor centre is in an old restored mill in the village of Trodena/Truden, which is 1,200 metres above sea level. Naturparkhaus, 2 Am Kofl, Truden, Tel. 0471 869247 Beginning of April–Beginning of November Tuesdays–Saturdays 9am–12pm, 3pm–6.30pm Also open Sundays July–September, entry free

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EGNA 10 Egna/Neumarkt is on the left bank of the Adige and is the Unterland’s main shopping, school and administrative district. This beautiful market town is full of medieval porticoes and rambling portly houses with large inner courtyards, arched doorways and bay windows. The old centre of the village really lends itself to strolling around and just chilling out. At the northern edge of town, the remains of the Roman street station Endidae were uncovered (the way there is clearly signposted). South of Egna, at the foot of the Madrutt mountain, there is a hostelry called the Hospiz Sankt Florian which is over 700 years old and known locally as the “little monastery”. It is now partially hidden between a gravel pit and a power substation, but it was once on the Brenner road, an important route linking Italy with Austria and Germany to the north. Pilgrims, princes, merchants, messengers, soldiers of fortune and adventurers rested in the Hospiz (from the Latin hospes,, “guest”); horses were watered and rested there, and goods loaded and unloaded. The atmosphere must have been like that of an oriental caravanserai. The Romanesque church of Sankt Florian nearby undoubtedly tended to the travellers’ spiritual wellbeing.

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VIKTORS IMBISS 11 Pfatten, Gmunden district Tel. 0471 811383, open every day 10am–11pm Between the bridge over the Adige and the state road there is a large,

modern, very efficient café with car park, a sizeable panoramic terrace and comprehensive service: drinks, hamburgers, schnitzels, salads, cakes. Manager: Viktor Merler.

UFFICIO DEL TURISMO (TOURIST BOARD) 5 Hauptplatz, 39040 Auer Tel. 0471 810231 www.castelfeder.info

CORTACCIA, MAGRÈ AND CORTINA 11 South of Egna, on the opposite bank of the river, the wine-growing village of Cortaccia /Kurtatsch tempts the traveller with its inns, a wine cellar and a small museum that make it worth the climb up the short slope to the natural terrace on which the village lies. Further south in the hamlet of Entiklar, Tiefenbrunner castle offers snacks as well as excellent wines in the courtyard. You can also visit its park. Schlosskellerei Tiefenbrunner, Schlossweg 4, Entiklar Tel. 0471 880122, www.tiefenbrunner.com

Back in the valley again, the wine-growing village of Magrè/ Margreid that was built up against the steep cliff, welcomes the visitor with its fine old houses. The Grafengasse also boasts the world’s oldest vine, which dates back to 1601. The Ansitz Löwengang and Cason Hirschprun estates belonging to the ALOIS LAGEDER winery are also famous, as is, thanks to the exquisite quality of his wines, this pioneering vintner. His wine bar offers not only excellent wines but also light dishes. 9 Grafengasse, Margreid Tel. 0471 809500 www.aloislageder.eu

Further south, there is the small wine-growing village of Cortina/Kurtinig with its church dedicated to Saint Martin on a

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low rock ridge that barely peeps out of the valley floor. The cycle path runs through the middle of the village, which is another reason to take a break in the beer garden of the Teutschhaus inn on the idyllic village square. 7 Martinsplatz, Tel. 0471 817139 www.teutschhaus.it

EATING AND DRINKING TEUTSCHHAUS 7 Martinsplatz, Kurtinig an der Südtiroler Weinstrasse Tel. 0471 817139, www.teutschhaus.it

This restaurant in the square of the little village of Kurtinig also has outdoor tables and a garden. Bar service and fine rooms are also available, and it welcomes cyclists.

SALURNER KLAUSE 12 South of Salorno/Salurn, the Adige valley narrows and forms the linguistic and provincial border to the neighbouring province of Trentino. The village of Salorno already has a typical Italian feel to it with its narrow alleys and fine historical centre. Perched on an apparently impregnable rock spur, Haderburg Castle watches over the village. The castle once belonged to the Nobles of Salorno, but subsequently became the property of the Counts of Tyrol and the Habsburgs, who in a moment of financial need sold it on to Venetian nobles, to whom it still belongs. An easy twenty-minute walk along a footpath and you are at the castle ruins and the tavern in the grounds.

UFFICIO DEL TURISMO (TOURIST BOARD) 8 H.-Schweiggl-Pl., 39040 Kurtatsch Tel. 0471 880100 www.suedtiroler-unterland.it

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, May: At the weekend around the first of May the traditional Bolzano/Bozen flower market covers the Waltherplatz in a sea of colours and scents that mark the start of the Bolzano spring. Tel. 0471 307001, www.bolzano-bolzano.it , May–June (Whitsun): Burgen und Schlösser in Bewegung: (Moving keeps and castles): the keeps and castles of Appiano/Eppan open their doors for two days for wine tastings, delicacies and music. Tel. 0471 662206, www.eppan.com , Mid May to mid June: Südtiroler Weinstrassenwochen – The wine-growing communities along the South Tyrol Wine Route offer champagne breakfasts, wine tastings, wine days and guided tours of vineyards and wine cellars. Tel. 0471 860659, www.suedtiroler-weinstrasse.it , Third weekend in May: Bozner Weinkost – A marvellous opportunity to meet Bolzano’s vintners, go wine-tasting and compare notes. Tel. 0471 860659, www.suedtiroler-weinstrasse.it , Mid to end of July: The “Tanz Bozen” Dance Festival in Bolzano really impresses spectators with the standard of its performances. Tel. 0471 053800, www.bolzanodanza.it , Mid to end of September: Transart – Contemporary culture festival with a unique programme of music, dance, theatre and art. Tel. 0471 673070, www.transart.it

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Trentino The only thing Trentino doesn’t AUSTRIA have to make it a perfect holiday destination is the sea. TRENTINO I TA L I A Otherwise, travellers will find a wealth of everything else: a mild climate, historical towns and villages, forests and mountain pastures, large lakes like Lake Garda with a Mediterranean climate and unspoilt nature with majestic Dolomite peaks, glaciers, rivers and rushing streams. Trentino, along with the South Tyrol, was for centuries part of the Austrian Habsburg empire, and traces of this shared past can be found everywhere.

TRENTINO IN FIGURES AREA: 6,200 square kilometres INHABITANTS: 530,000 THE SIX LARGEST TOWNS (IN TERMS OF POPULATION) ARE: Trento: 114,240, Rovereto: 37,500, Pergine: 19,700, Arco: 16,400, Riva: 15,800, Mori: 9,300

A potted history 11000–9000 BCE Stone-age hunters and fishermen leave flint flakes and tools in the Adige River and in the mountains (Colbricon). 7000 BCE The “Nonna di Mezzocorona” (Mezzocorona Gandmother), the well preserved skeleton of an older woman that was found in a grave near Mezzocorona, dates from this period. 1300–400 BCE Walled fortifications and Rhaetian settlements established in strategic points. 100–40 BCE Vast expanses of Trentino under Roman control. Trento becomes the Municipium Tridentum. The Emperor Claudius (41–54 CE) has the Via Claudia Augusta built; the road runs from the Po plain up the valley of the Adige to Augsburg.

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Trent, dies circa 400 CE and is canonised. 568 CE The Longobards found a dukedom in Trent. 744 CE Trentino becomes part of the Frankish kingdom under Charlemagne. 951 CE Otto II of Arles (France) becomes Prince-Bishop of Trent and Verona under the Dukedom of Bavaria. 1027 CE The Bishop of Trent is also a worldly ruler 1300 The Counts of Tyrol limit the powers of the Prince-Bishop. 1418–1509 Venetia expands to the north, and Rovereto becomes part of the Serenissima Republic. 1508–1512 In the wars of the League of Cambrai and later Holy League, Rovereto and Riva taken from the Republic of Venice and made part of Tyrol or Trentino. 1514–1538 In keeping with the style of Renaissance princes, the Prince-Bishop Cardinal Bernardo Clesio extends the bishopric’s influence by organising the Council of Trent. 1545–1563 The Council of Trent can do nothing to prevent Protestants from founding their own church. 1803 During the Napoleonic wars, Napoleon assigns Trentino to Bavaria until 1810 and to the Kingdom of Italy from 1810– 1813. The Prince-Bishopric abolished. 1815 Congress of Vienna: Trentino loses its autonomy and is subsumed into the Tyrol, whose capital is Innsbruck. 1915 World War I: Italy declares war on Austria. 1919 Treaty of Saint-Germain: Trentino and the South Tyrol become part of the Kingdom of Italy. 1922–1943 Mussolini and his fascists govern Italy and thus take control of Trentino. 1943 German troops occupy Italy and Trentino, and are eventually vanquished by the Allies in 1945. 1946 Treaty of Paris: ethnic minorities granted special rights and South Tyrol and Trentino become a region. 1972 According to new measures, the region is divided into the provinces of Trentino and South Tyrol, with the Ladins and German-speaking minorities given special 2008 Bucking the trend in the rest of Berlusconi-dominated Italy, Trentino elects a centre-left government.

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400–500 CE Christianisation completed. Vigilius, the bishop of

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The cycle route basically follows the valley of the Adige River and its leisurely course before heading over a low ridge and winding its way in towards Lake Garda. As you cycle through beautiful villages and the towns of Trento, Rovereto and Riva you are offered a first view of this magnificently varied landscape. SAN MICHELE 13 The heart of San Michele on the Adige boasts

buildings from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, all of them dominated by the magnificent Augustine monastery. Well worth a visit are the cellar of the region’s School of Viticulture (located in a wing of the old monastery) and the cathedral with its exquisite stucco decorations. MUCGT The abbreviation stands for Museo degli Usi e Costumi

della Gente Trentina (Museum of the Customs of the Trentino People), which is Trentino’s very fine anthropological museum. Part of the Augustinian monastery is dedicated to historical trades such as flax, linen, wool and silk production, as well as wine making. An agricultural school was set up in the monastery buildings when the area was still under Austrian rule. 2 Via Mach; Tel. 0461 650314 9.00–12.30, 14.30–18.00; € 6, www.museosanmichele.it The cellar can also be visited: Mondays–Fridays 8.30am–12pm, 14.30pm–5pm; Saturdays 9am–12pm Guided tours: Tel. 0461 615252, cantina@iasma.it

TRENTINO ON THE INTERNET The following Internet sites provide information about Trentino: WWW.VISITTRENTINO.IT The official tourism website in several languages.

WWW.GARDATRENTINO.IT Dedicated to holidaying in the northern part of Lake Garda (also in English).

WWW.COMUNE.TRENTO.IT An introduction to the city of Trento, in Italian and English.

WWW.APSS.TN.IT The health system in Trentino – hospitals, offices, etc. (in Italian).

WWW.TRENTOCULTURA.IT Events for the city of Trento, including music, culture, dance, exhibitions, theatre and cinema (in Italian).

WWW.CICLABILI.PROVINCIA.TN.IT Part of the regional website with a guide to cycle tracks in the province (in Italian and English).

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cle path, is a veritable work of art. Every single aspect of the building and interior were lovingly designed by the internationally famous artist Riccardo Schweizer (1925â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2004). The tiles, wooden floors, wall coverings and decorations, curtains, tables and chairs were all specially created and expressly made â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and it is now a listed building. The cuisine is just as good and there is a wonderful selection of wines. Loc. Masetto, Faedo-San Michele Tel. 0461 650324, closed Mondays www.dasilvio.com

CANTINA MEZZACORONA 14 On the plain of Mezzocorona, just

300 metres from the cycle track, there is the colossal Mezzacorona winery building. The architect wanted to use towers, a flat roof and an undulating timber construction to complement the multifaceted mountain landscape of Trentino. The building includes not only a wine and champagne cellar but also a visitor centre and seminar rooms. Guided tours can be arranged Cantina Mezzacorona, 110 Via Tonale, SS 43 Val di Non, Mezzocorona Tel. 0461 616399, www.mezzacorona.it

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RISTORANTE DA SILVIO This restaurant, which is right on the cy-

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MEZZOCORONA 15 The commanding Palazzo della Vicinia in the centre of the town was for centuries the administrative headquarters where common property and public services such as the slaughterhouse and the village bakery were administered. Today, it houses the public library and a documentation centre with an archaeological section, a historical archive and an art history section. Entry free during office hours Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 2.30pm–7pm Tuesdays, Thursdays 2pm–6pm.

ZAMBANA In 1955, parts of the village of Zambana were destroyed by an earthquake. The authorities evacuated the village and rebuilt it at a safe distance whilst a protective barrier was erected to prevent further rock falls. The inhabitants were allowed into the old area only to tend their fields. The beautiful old church now stands there alone and abandoned. Thanks to the loose alluvial sand soils of this part of the Adige

valley, Zambana has long been famous for its delicately flavoured, snowy-white asparagus, described and recorded as early as the Napoleonic occupation in 1810. The much sought-after quality certificate is granted to local asparagus growers only if they adhere to rigorously enforced rules, including soil quality, which state that the soil must have at least 70% sand content and a neutral pH value.

PALAZZO FIRMIAN on the village square of Mezzocorona makes

quite an impression. Since 1985 it has been the town hall, but it was originally the tithe barn of the Prince-Bishop until it came into the possession of the noble Firmian family and was magnificently refurbished. The former state rooms on the second floor are opulently decorated with ceiling frescoes by Paul Troger (1698–1762). Open office hours: (Mondays–Fridays). PIANA ROTALIANA South of the narrows known as Salurner Klause in German and Chiusa di Salorno in Italian, the valley of the Adige fans out into a broad plain, the Piana Rotaliana. This is where Teroldego vines are grown on the loose sand and gravel sediments. The valley bottom and the slopes of the localities

of Mezzocorona, Mezzolombardo, Grumo and San Michele are home to this formidable, ruby-red wine that has enjoyed registered designation of origin (D.O.C.) status since 1971. PAGANELLA 17 Between Zambana and Trento, the rock faces of

the Paganella massif on the right side of the valley rise vertically to 2,125 metres. South of Paganella, a narrow valley cuts through the mountain range with Mount Bondone, which rises above the valley of the Adige. From the Velo district of the town of Trento, a two-lane road winds its way through tunnels and the “Buco di Vela” fortification into the valley behind and then on to Lake Garda. DOSS TRENTO 18 On the outskirts of Trento you will notice the

Doss Trento, a 208-metre mound of rock topped by a memorial. The hill was settled as early as the New Stone Age, also contains the foundations of an early Christian church. Today, it is a memorial to the Italian hero Cesare Battisti, who was executed by the Austrians for treason during World War I.

FRANCESCO MOSER Francesco Moser is the greatest of all Italian cyclists. He was born in 1951 near Lavis and in the 1970s and 1980s his 273 victories made him the most successful Italian cyclist ever. He won all the great classics and also gave a good account of himself in the great stage events. The Olympic gold medallist and road racing champion’s speed record of 51.151 km over one hour remained unbroken for many years. He is now a vintner and fruit grower and also runs a road bike business. www.ciclimoser.com

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Trento Trento (or Trent as it was once known) is the capital of Trentino and has a population of 114,000. It is the economic, political and geographical centre of the province, and is built along the Adige. The suburbs of the new town climb up the hills in the east; in the south the Trento area spreads as far as Murazzi and Besenello. The commercial centres of Lavis and Gardolo has sprung up to the north. Here the Cembra valley, famous for its good white wines, joins the plain through which the Adige runs. The steep Bondone and Paganella ranges rise up in the west, while Monte Calisio and the Marzola and Vigolana mountains rise up in the east. Trento is a dynamic town, its industry, commerce and public administration further enlivened by a thriving university community. Carefully restored monuments such as the castle of the Prince-Bishops, the Renaissance palazzi and the cathedral in the old town bear witness to the past. Excavations under the squares and streets of the old town have revealed the Roman Tridentum. Hotels, restaurants and the vivacious student pubs have also helped

AZIENDA PER IL TURISMO TRENTO (TRENTO TOURIST BOARD) Via Manci 2, 38122 Trento Tel. 0461 216000, www.apt.trento.it

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make Trento a popular holiday destination. As the venue for the “Festival of Economics” and the International Mountain Film Festival the town attracts visitors from all over the world every year.

History of the city ROMAN PERIOD AND MIDDLE AGES When the Romans conquered

northern Italy after the devastation caused by the incursions of Cimbri in about 102 BCE, they secured the northern borders. (Tridentum, in Latin) they built a walled barrier diAt Trento (Tridentum rectly at the port on the Adige. From 500 CE, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Germanic tribes also sacked the city during their pillaging expeditions. In 515 the king of the Goths, Theodoric, once again fortified the town. In 568, Trento fell to the Longobards, who installed a duke. When they were defeated by the Franks under Charlemagne, Trento became part of the Frankish kingdom. Except for a few interruptions, the city’s connection with the Germanic area of influence lasted more than a thousand years. In about the year 1000, Trento became the capital of a small principality ruled by the Prince-Bishop of Trent. The bishops built magnificent palaces and the cathedral before they surrendered some of their power to local nobles anxious to strip them of some of his prerogatives.

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THE COUNCIL OF TRENT (1545–1563) Under the local nobleman

Bernardo Clesio, Trento’s fortunes once again revived. Clesio managed to persuade the Council to meet in the city, which may well have been a small provincial town but was nonetheless seen as a bridge between the Roman and Germanic spheres of influence, that is between the Pope and the Emperor. In addition, as it was administered relatively well by the Prince-Bishops, it was considered to be a perfect example of what the reformed Catholic church should be like. Attempts at reunification with the followers of Luther nevertheless met with failure, and Trento’s period of glory came to an end when its approximately 8000 inhabitants had had to look after 2000 illustrious guests for years. MODERN PERIOD AND PRESENT After the Council of Trent, the town quickly declined into poverty. During the Napoleonic Wars, French armies marched through Trentino on their way to do battle with the Habsburgs. The troops entering the city in 1796 brought the secular rule of the Prince-Bishops to an end. In 1814 the Habsburgs returned and the city was directly administered from Innsbruck. After World War I, Trento was reannexed to Italy, but Italy hardly had the resources to support the stagnant economy. It was only when the region was given new political autonomy and Trento became the capital of the new regional and provincial government after World War II that the economy really took off. Trento’s pro-capita income is now one of the highest in Italy and it has the best quality of life of anywhere in Italy.

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The best in brief

feast on a host of historical façades and important buildings: first of all the cathedral of course, followed by Palazzo Pretorio and its diocesan museum. In the centre of the square there is the bronze Neptune Fountain with the god of water and the sea holding a trident: a play on the Tridentum, the Latin name and the symbol of Trento. The town’s finest streets extend around the cathedral square, one of the finest in Northern Italy. CATHEDRAL 2 Most of the commanding construction in northern Romanesque style was commissioned by Bishop Friedrich von Wangen in 1212–1250. The cupola and campanile were constructed for the Council of Trent. An early Christian church had stood on the site, which was the fifth-century grave of Saint Vigilius, the third bishop of Trent. In the right nave, near the altar, there is a red marble relief dedicated to the famous Venetian commander Roberto da Sanseverino, who died fighting against the Habsburgs in the Battle of Calliano. The northern façade, which is much more complex than the southern façade, contains a rosette depicting the allegory of Fortune. VIA BELENZANI 3 Via Belenzani (formerly known as “Contrada

Larga”) is the most colourful road in the town, flanked by harmonious and imposing Renaissance palazzi with beautiful façades. Palazzo Thun (number 20) was for four centuries the town house of the Thun family, one of most influential families in Trentino’s Non valley. The frescoes show the Emperor Maximilian, who was said to have stayed here in about 1508. The magnificent late sixteenth-century Palazzo Geremia, is on the opposite side of the road at number 19. Palazzo Alberti Colico (number 32) also boasts a magnificent frescoed façade. No less fascinating are the frescoes decorating the two Case Cazuffi-Rella a sort of “Morality Tale” that opens onto the cathedral square and the Neptune fountain. VIA MANCI 4 Via Antonio Manci (formerly Via Lunga) was built at the time of the Council of Trent as a boulevard connecting the churches in the centre of the town to Castello del Buonconsiglio, the Prince-Bishop’s residence. On both sides there are

TRENTO

PIAZZA DEL DUOMO 1 From the cathedral square your eyes can

TRENTO

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many patrician Renaissance palazzi, including Palazzo Salvadori, which was built on the site of the former Jewish synagogue. It is a reminder of the medieval persecution of local Jews following the murder of a child named Simonino, for which the Jews were wrongly accused. The Catholic Church did not admit any miscarriage of justice or responsibility in the case until only a few decades ago, when it finally put an end to the veneration of the canonised Simonino. Palazzo Saracini is remarkable for its two stone balconies and round arch doorway, and Palazzo Trentini for its impressive façade. SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE 5 The church, built in white and red stone in 1520 in typically Lombard Renaissance style, contains a striking organ and organ loft, frescoes and paintings that are well worth the visit. The tower was originally part of a medieval fortress. SASS 6 The SASS abbreviation stands for Spazio Archeologico

Sotterraneo del Sas (Subterranean Archaeological SAS Space). An amazing 1,700 square metres of the Roman Tridentum have been made accessible right underneath the piazza itself. Some of the remarkable features include ancient roads, houses, heating systems, workshops, parts of the original city walls and a town gate. Piazza Cesare Battisti Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–12pm, 2.30pm–6pm

PALAZZO ROCCABRUNA 7 This per-

fectly restored building is administered by the Chamber of Commerce and includes not only exhibition rooms (Tuesdays–Fridays 10am–12pm, 3pm–6pm) but also a display of Trentino cuisine and a wine bar (Thursdays and Saturdays 5pm–10pm). Entrance is free. www.palazzoroccabruna.it Via Santissima Trinità 24 Tel. 0461 887101

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MUSEUMS 8 CASTELLO DEL BUONCONSIGLIO www.buonconsiglio.it 5 Via Bernardo Clesio, Tel. 0461 233770 Summer: 10am–4pm, Winter: 9.30am–5pm; € 8 The Prince-Bishops spared no expense in creating a splendid residence by refurbishing the original medieval complex in the hills and adding further extensions between 1528 and 1536. Romanino, Dossi, Fogolino and Zacchi, some of the finest artists of the time, were called in to decorated the palace. Round towers, battlements, gables, Gothic and Venetian windows and loggias provide an architecturally encyclopaedic work of art. The medieval frescoes in the Torre dell’Aquila are quite rightly famous. Castello del Buonconsiglio also houses the province’s art and history museum. 9 PALAZZO PRETORIO www.museodiocesanotridentino.it 18 Piazza Duomo, Tel.

0461 234419, Wednesdays–Mondays 9.30am–12.30pm, 2.30pm– 5.30pm, ticket also valid for the crypt of the cathedral; € 4 The former Bishop’s Palace houses the diocesan museum and the cathedral’s most precious treasures, which include portraits, sculpted statues and altars as well as the tapestry by the Flemish artist Pieter van Aelst. 10 PALAZZO DELLE ALBERE 45 Via R. da Sanseverino, Tel. 0424 600435, Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–6pm; € 6 In the south of the town a magnificent residence rises up over the bank of the Adige. It was built for the mighty Madruzzo family, who from 1539 to 1698 were the undisputed masters of the town and provided three Prince-Bishops. The frescoed palace has four corner towers and originally boasted its own moat. As part of the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, MART, it hosts temporary exhibitions.

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EATING AND DRINKING

11 BIRRERIA PEDAVENA 13 Piazza della Fiera, Tel. 0461 986255, closed Tuesdays, www.birreriapedavena.com An efficient pub and restaurant downtown with lots of rooms and an attractive garden, it is always busy and often boisterously full. Regional cuisine, draught beer. 12 LA CANTINOTA This traditional downtown restaurant with a small garden and inner courtyard offers a cosy atmosphere and typical local cuisine. Live music is available in the evenings in the cellar. All the sightseeing attractions are nearby. 22â&#x20AC;&#x201C;24 Via San Marco, Tel. 0461 238 27, closed Thursdays, www.cantinota.editarea.com

13 IL LIBERTINO 4/6 Piazza Piedicastello, Tel. 0461 260085, closed Tuesdays, www.ristoranteillibertino.com This restaurant is on the western edge of town near the cycle track along the Adige, at the foot of the Doss Trento. Not only is their typical Trentino food and Italian cuisine top notch, but they also take their wine very seriously. The tortel di patate, which is a sort of potato pancake, is exceptional. 14 ROSA Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ORO 21 Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore, Tel. 0461 261792, closed Sundays, www.ristoranterosadoro.com This restaurant and pizzeria is just a few metres from the cathedral square and boasts a garden for patrons and a series of pleasantly unadorned rooms. The cheap, quick lunchtime menu is very popular with factory and office workers. Good selection of draught beers.

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Eating and Drinking draws on the traditions of farmhouse cooking. In the late autumn, the family pig is killed and smoked, and cured meat and sausages are served up. The typical menu also includes dumplings known locally as Knödel and Nocken, and small spinach gnocchi that go by the curious name of strozzapreti (literally “priest stranglers”, apparently so called because the dish was so appreciated by the clergy at the time of the Council of Trent that they would wolf it down). Polenta, a yellow maize semolina, is a popular accompaniment that tastes best if it has been cooked in a copper cauldron. In summer and autumn there is no shortage of mushroom dishes either. A shot of grappa from one of the many traditional distilleries is just the thing to finish off a tasty meal. You can, of course, find Mediterranean cuisine in all its diversity on the menu as well.

TRENTO AT A GLANCE It is a good job that the best part of Trento is in the old town. Leave the cycle track along the Adige at the large car park, take the underpass, walk along Via Verdi and you’re at the cathedral in an instant. The Romanesque cathedral is a must. Then walk through the cathedral square with the Bishop’s Palace, past Neptune’s fountain, along Via Belenzani, the city’s showpiece street, and at the northern end (parts of the university are on your left) turn right onto Via Roma. At the town’s tourist office, Via Manci starts with Palazzo del Diavolo (literally “the devil’s palace”), so called because legend has it that the builder signed a pact with the devil so that he could build the house in just one night. It actually took a year to build, but that was still incredibly quick at the time. Continue along Via San Marco to

the Castello del Buonconsiglio, then back through Via Suffragio and its medieval porticoes, which was once the German merchants’ and artisans’ quarter. You should definitely pop into one of the many cafés, such as the Bar Caffè Città in Piazza Battisti. From there you can visit the subterranean Roman Tridentum. The route includes the neo-Gothic San Pietro church (Tel. 0461 982232; 8am–12pm and 2.30pm–6pm), then past the splendid Palazzo Bortolazzi at the junction of Largo Carducci and Via Oriola. At 65 Via Oss Mazzurana you can admire Palazzo Tabarelli, one of the finest examples of Trentino Renaissance architecture, and the sixteenth-century Palazzo Cazuffi. Just a few metres more and you are back in the cathedral square.

TRENTO

POLENTA, PORCINI AND PRIEST STRANGLERS Trentino cuisine

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ROVERETO AND THE VALLAGARINA VALLEY The wide glaciated valley of the Vallagarina that rises south of Trento is home to a succession of vineyards and orchards, where some of the country’s best and strongest red wines are grown. At Rovereto, the valley fans out and the Adige flows serenely from the north through fertile countryside down to Verona. Lake Garda is just a few kilometres to the west as the crow flies. The road connecting Mori to Torbole on the lake goes over the low San Giovanni ridge. CASTEL BESENO 1 One of the largest and most imposing castles in the Alps, Castel Beseno naturally attracts enormous numbers of history buffs and castle enthusiasts. Its vast ring walls and bastions testify to the castle’s defensive clout. In the late Middle Ages the castle was the southernmost outpost of the dukedom of Tyrol and Austria. www.buonconsiglio.it Besenello, Tel. 0464 834600 Summer: Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–6pm Winter: Saturdays, Sundays 9.30am–5pm or for groups by arrangement; € 5

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From Trento to Riva

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BESENELLO 2 In the village at the foot of the hill on which the

castle stands there is the fine Baroque church of Saint Agata. The church was richly decorated by the Trapp family, Tyrolean counts and owners of Castel Beseno.

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EATING AND DRINKING HOTEL AQUILA 11 Via 3 Novembre, Calliano, Tel. 0464 834110, www.villaggiohotelaquila.it In this hotel and restaurant in a former coaching inn on the old road to the Brenner Pass and Germany, cyclists are welcome guests. BICIGRILL NOMI Managed by Marco Bertolini, Tel. 348 7927829

The Bicigrill Nomi service station for cyclists, a favourite stopover on the cycle track for years, can be found between the motorway and the access road to the bridge on the Adige, just to the left. It is open every day from March to October. Snacks, hot dishes, drinks, tables and benches, as well as a small cycle-repair shop.

CHIESA DI SAN ROCCO 3 This church was built in the middle of the fifteenth century and is dedicated to Saint Rocco, the patron saint of plague victims. This little artistic gem contains interesting frescoes of Saint George killing the dragon, the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, and the crucifixion. 13 Via Roma, Volano Guided tours can be booked at the town hall or with Professor Marco Bonifazi, Tel. 0464 410645

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Rovereto of the valley along the Leno River. The Vallagarina valley was under Venetian Republican rule for a long time, hence the Venetian coat of arms, Saint Mark’s lion, on some of the local buildings. Rovereto was the centre of silk-worm breeding and the neighbouring town of Ala was the centre of silk production. These precious commodities led to the valley’s prosperity in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and this is still reflected in the fine buildings. CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA 5 Villa Lagarina was home

to the important noble Lodron family. One of the family members, Paride Lodron, was nominated Prince-Bishop of Salzburg. In his home town he built splendid palazzi and had the church of Santa Maria Assunta refurbished and extended, transforming it into a Baroque masterpiece. Of particular interest are the San Ruperto chapel, Benedetti di Castione’s marble altars and the portraits and stucco work. www.museodiocesanotridentino.it Via Garibaldi, Villa Lagarina Visits by arrangement, Tel. 0464 412072

PALAZZO LIBERA 6 a fine seventeenth-century noble house, is

home to a branch of Trento’s diocesan museum. Alongside fine religious items, the section dedicated to the famous architect from Villa Lagarina, Adalberto Libera (1903–1963), is well worth a visit. Perhaps his most famous work is Curzio Malaparte’s villa on Capri. www.comune.villalagarina.tn.it 10 Via Garibaldi, Villa Lagarina, Tel. 0464 490374 Tuesdays–Fridays 2pm–6pm, Saturdays, Sundays 10am–12.30pm 2pm–6pm, entrance free

1 At 14 Via Mercerie, a seventeenth-century plaque on Palazzo Todeschi reminds us that young Mozart gave his first concerts in Italy here to the town’s worthies. The Casa di Mozart is also the headquarters of the Mozart Society, which organises an annual Mozart festival.

PALAZZO TODESCHI-MICHELI

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ROVERETO 4 This lively little town lies in the eastern stretches

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PIAZZA ROSMINI 2 The square with its round fountain and the large loggia of Palazzo del Ben or of the Conti d’Arco was built in the mid nineteenth century, when a boulevard leading to the recently opened railway station on the Brenner line was built. The square is the focal point of town life and there are cafés, restaurants and shops along the boulevard where people take their strolls; the boulevard and square are named after the philosopher Antonio Rosmini, one of the town’s most important citizens. MUSEO STORICO ITALIANO DELLA GUERRA 3 The splendid imposing castle on the hill is a perfect setting for this museum dedicated to Italian history and recent wars. It contains weapons, equipment, photographs, documents and memorabilia. The World War I front was just a few metres away. An old cannon opposite the town hall points to the museum. www.museodellaguerra.it 7 Via Castelbarco, Tel. 0464 438100 January–December Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–6pm, € 7

MART 4 Museum of modern and contemporary art in Trentino. The Mario Botta building alone, with its semicircular dome, is worth seeing in its own right. It offers major themed exhibitions and a selection of over 30,000 paintings, drawings and sculptures, including works by Depero, De Chirico, Balla, Morandi and Fontana, as well as international artists such as Jasper Johns, Warhol and Kiefer. www.mart.trento.it 43 Corso Bettini, Tel. 0464 438887 Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–6pm, € 11

CASA D’ARTE FUTURISTA DEPERO 5 This museum was founded by the artist Fortunato Depero (1892–1960) himself in the old part of town and is Italy’s only Futurist museum founded and created by a Futurist himself. Depero was a pioneer in contemporary design, and about 3,000 works he bequeathed to the town are on display. www.mart.tn.it 38 Via Portici, Tel. 0464 431813 Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–6pm; € 7

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EATING AND DRINKING

OSTERIA DEL PETTIROSSO 24 Corso Bettini, Tel. 0464 422463, closed Sundays www.osteriadelpettirosso.com Only a short walk from the MART-Museum, the restaurant with

APT ROVERETO E VALLAGARINA 6 Corso Rosmini, 38068 Rovereto Tel. 0464 430363 www.visitrovereto.it

the romantic name of Pettirosso (literally “robin redbreast”) provides fast, simple lunches in an old wine cellar. The ground-level wine bar serves good wines by the glass to wash down snacks and tasty rolls.

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SANTUARIO DI MONTALBANO 7 You don’t know what the time is? A quick glance at the campanile with the gigantic clock on the hill above the village of Mori will set you right. The clock face has a 4-metre radius! The shrine of Montalbano dedicated to the Virgin Mary is on the cliff (Tel. 0464 918527). A 15-minute walk up a relatively steep footpath and you’re there!

EATING AND DRINKING TRE PINI 14 Via Alla Stazione, Mori, Tel. 0464 480833, closed Tuesdays Restaurant and pizzeria in the long-closed Mori railway station, a little to the south of Rovereto, at the bridge over the Adige. Spacious, and very popular, garden terrace.

GELATERIA PASTICCERIA BOLOGNA 14 Via Garibaldi, Mori, Tel. 0464 918475, closed Thursday www.gelateriabologna.it Fantastic ice-cream and cakes; the little patisserie pastries are really tempting. The patisserie–café in a beautiful Art Nouveau villa with tables in the garden is on Mori’s old village street. Simple, fresh dishes such as salads, pasta, sandwiches and rolls, are also served at midday

LAGO DI LOPPIO 8 Between Mori and Nago-Torbole the cycle track goes past a c. 100-hectare wetland area, which is all that is left of a large lake that eventually became marshland. When a tunnel for an underground canal was bored, the lake drained away and the hollow ground now fills up only after very heavy

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EATING AND DRINKING BICI-GRILL LOPPIO Mori, Loppio district, Tel. 348 7927829 Just before the traffic-light controlled junction with the road that turns off into the Val di Gresta valley, to the left of the road, just before the large fruit stall, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the

Bicigrill Loppio service station for cyclists run by Matteo Bertolini. Open every day from March to October, it offers cyclists snacks, hot dishes, drinks, tables and benches, as well as a small cycle repair shop

CASTEL PENEDE 9 On the road from Passo San Giovanni to

Nago you can make out the ruins of Penede Castle on a rock spur in the south-eastern outskirts of the village. The castle is thought to date back to Roman times and was fought over fiercely due to its strategically important position. From the rock spur you are offered a splendid view of the lake that looks remarkably like the Mediterranean itself. Information: Torbole town hall, Tel. 0464 505158 www.comune.nago-torbole.tn.it

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rainfall. The little green plastic paths enable the frogs to make use of special tunnels to move safely from their biotope to the woods, thus avoiding the heavy traffic on the road. On Isola S.Â Andrea in the marsh, remnants of a Late Roman settlement and graves, coins, pottery shards and remains of walls were found.

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F R O M T R E N T O T O R I VA

EATING AND DRINKING OSTERIA TERRAZZE DELLA LUNA Nago, Viale Europa, Coe no 2, Tel. 0464 505301, www.osteriaterrazzedellaluna.it In Nago, at the start of the country road to Torbole, a fantastic trattoria has been established in the old Austrian fortress. There is plenty of room to sit on the viewing terrace and inside there is a rustic ambience with exposed masonry, wood, wrought iron and riding gear. Everything from snacks, starters and pasta dishes to gourmet meals at reasonable prices.

MECKI’S BIKE & COFFEE Torbole, 5 Via Matteotti, Tel. 0464 548051, www.mecki.com This place has cult status amongst cyclists around Lake Garda. It is at the western end of the village, at the bridge over the Sarca River, on the cycle track. The bike shop has everything a cyclist could ever need. Cyclists meet in the café next door for cappuccino, beer, prosecco and the scrumptious toasted sandwiches made by Mary, who defines herself as a “mother to all cyclists”!

VALLETTA DI SANTA LUCIA TORBOLE In 1439 the Venetians devised a clever stratagem to defeat the Milanese, who had gained control of Lake Garda and were besieging Brescia. They towed a fleet of six galleys and twenty-five other vessels up the Adige to Rovereto

and then, using thousands of oxen and rollers, they dragged them along the road to Torbole and Lake Garda. The Venetians then defeated the Milanese fleet at the second attempt and brought the lake back under Venetian control.

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F R O M T R E N T O T O R I VA

EVENTS IN THE PROVINCE OF TRENTO

, End of June: Feste Vigiliane – the city of Trento celebrates its patron saint, Saint Vigilius, with lively street parties and costumed processions. Tel. 0461 917111, www.festevigiliane.it , Second half of August: International Mozart Festival – in honour of Mozart, who gave his first Italian concert in Rovereto when he was a boy. Tel. 0464 439988, www.festivalmozartrovereto.com , Mid September: Oriente Occidente in Rovereto and Trento – one of Europe’s most important contemporary music festivals that takes in both East and West. Tel. 0464 431660, www.orienteoccidente.it , Mid September: Palio della Quercia in Rovereto – the oldest international athletics meeting in Italy. Tel. 0464 461500, www.usquercia.it/palio , Farmers’ market: Every Saturday in Trento, Piazza Dante, in front of the railway station. , Flea and antiques market: Every second Saturday in the month (except for August) in Trento, Mercatino Dei Gaudenti in Piazza Garzetti, in the eastern part of the town centre behind the old city walls. Tel. 0461 1983880 Every first Saturday in the month (except for August) in Rovereto, Mercatino d’altri tempi, town centre, Tel. 0464 452111 , Grocery, cheese and vegetable market: Every Thursday in Trento in the cathedral square. Every Tuesday in Rovereto in Via Roma, in the town centre.

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Lake Garda If you come from the Adige River valley to the east and cross over the low San Giovanni pass, you will be amazed by the view of Lake Garda, just like other famous travellers in Italy who stopped in awe at this point. Your gaze will be met by silvery olive trees, cypresses, palm trees and steep white chalk cliffs, and in the middle a deep-blue lake so large it could almost be mistaken for a sea, whose distant shores merge with the light and haze. Idyllic little hamlets and brightly painted houses border the lake and, at almost any time of year, visitors are offered an abundance of luxuriant little gardens and a swarm of white sails. Lake Garda is the largest lake south of the Alps, and, at 346 metres, it is also the deepest. Its vast amounts of water store the heat in summer and slowly releases it in winter, which is why the area has such an exceptionally mild climate. The lake was also always a waterway used by the northern Italian city states to get from the low-lying Po Valley up to the Al-

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pine valleys. For the peoples from the north, the lake provided access to the riches of the south. In fact, it was from Lake Garda that highly prized citrus fruits were brought to the tables of the rich and powerful in Germany; and for the last hundred years tourism to the area has brought wealth and prosperity to the formerly poor fishing villages. Lake Garda is shared by three regions: the northern shore belongs to Trentinoâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Alto Adige; the eastern shore belongs to the Veneto; and the western shore to Lombardy. The 148-kilometer Gardesana road that rings the lake is full of tunnels and galleries and provides breathtaking views. Passenger boats chug up and down the lake, criss-crossing their way to the individual villages. Some of these, of course, are more beautiful than others but each and every one of them has something special to offer the visitor: fabulous castles, picturesque harbours, distinguished old hotels, magnificent villas and gardens.

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TORBOLE 10 Torbole is tucked away in the north-eastern reach-

es of the lake and is home to wind surfers who set the tone in the village, on the beach and in the marina. The frequent stiff breeze was once considered a nuisance, but now yachters and wind surfers wouldn’t have it any other way. Torbole hosts high-level boating competitions throughout the year.

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RIVA DEL GARDA 11 This little town is the focal point and jewel

in the crown of the northern reaches of Lake Garda. Owing to the frequent wind, known as the Ora, sailing and windsurfing are the favourite pastimes, with mountain biking a close third. The climate favours typically subtropical vegetation, and the lemon, olive and laurel trees and palms make it a truly Mediterranean oasis at the foot of the Brenta Dolomites. Riva del Garda’s downtown has fascinating old buildings that bear witness to a rich historical heritage. These include the Apponale tower (34 metres high, 165 steps, € 1), Palazzo Pretorio, and the Inviolata and Santa Maria Assunta churches, which are significant examples of local Baroque architecture. It should come as no surprise that Riva del Garda was visited by such famous intellectuals as Nietzsche, Kafka and the Mann brothers.

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MUSEO CIVICO LA ROCCA La Rocca, the wonderful lakeside castle, has had a varied history. Built in 1124, it was endlessly extended and reinforced and was converted by the Prince-Bishops of Trent into their own private residence in the sixteenth century. The Austrians then used it as a barracks, and for some years the completely renovated castle has been home to the town’s museum, with its archaeological section, and art gallery. The upper deck of the castle provides an awesome view over Riva.

EATING AND DRINKING RISTORANTE BELLAVISTA 4 Lungo Lago Brescia, Tel. 0464 521900, closed Tuesdays The name, which in Italian literally means “beautiful sight”, says it all: here visitors are guaranteed a breathtaking view of the lake and

harbour. The restaurant, run by the Hotel Bellavista (under different management), is on the ground level and just by the landing stage, its tables neatly arrayed outside. Signora Rosi will spoil you with delicious Italian cuisine, pizza and ice cream.

L A K E G A R DA

www.comune.rivadelgarda.tn.it 3/A Piazza Cesare Battisti; Tel. 0464 573869 Daily 8.30am–12.30pm, 2pm–5pm; € 2

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the lake, which lasts either about 4 or 5 hours depending on whether you’re heading for Peschiera or Desenzano, will treat you to a glorious lake-side pageant. The ferry zigzags between picturesque locations that are all worth a visit, and our aim is to provide brief descriptions of these little towns and Monte Baldo, the massif on the eastern shore. The further south the boat sails, the wider the lake becomes; it’s almost like sailing out of a fiord into the open sea! The mountains fade into the distance and become gently rolling hills as the lake grows broader and the villages stretch out into the surrounding countryside. Evergreen Mediterranean vegetation, slender cypresses and silver-grey olive trees create a distinctly southern atmosphere – welcome to Italy.

MONTE BALDO

Monte Baldo 1 on the eastern shore is a mountain chain that is about 30 km long and separates the Adige River valley from Lake Garda, tapering off in the south into the Verona lowlands. Several of its peaks are over 2,000 metres high (Cima del Longino, Cima delle Pozzette, Cima Valdritta, Monte Telegrafo and Altissimo di Nago). Monte Baldo is also known for its

rare and varied vegetation, several specimens of which are native and exclusive to the area. During the Ice Age, the peaks of this mountain chain rose up out of the ice, so many plants actually survived here while other mountain regions had to attract entirely new flora. There are protected areas as well as a botanical garden along the eastern slope.

LIMONE 2 This delightfully picturesque village on the western shore does not get its name from the Italian for “lemon”, as some people think, but from the Latin limes, which means “border”. In fact, there was a provincial border here in Roman times which, under the Habsburgs, became an international border and is now the border between Lombardy and the Veneto. MALCESINE 3 This village on the eastern shore nestles magically against the medieval castle that was built by Verona’s

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THE FERRY TRIP The trip from Riva to the southern shores of

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ruling Scala family in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Malcesine left a lasting impression on Goethe when he travelled through Italy. A cable car takes you to the top of Monte Baldo for magnificent views of the lake, the Brenta and the Adamello mountain ranges on the horizon. BRENZONE 4 This municipality includes several little villages

that, thanks to the steady influx of tourists, have developed along the lake shore and adjacent hillside. ASSENZA 5 ISOLOTTO DI TRIMELONE 6 , a small island just off-

shore from Assenza, contains the remains of a tenth-century fort that was destroyed by the troops of the Emperor Barbarossa and later rebuilt by Verona’s ruling Scala family. CASTELLETTO DI BRENZONE 7 This village with its picturesque

little harbour also boasts a beautiful church dedicated to Saint Zeno. GARGNANO 8 Formerly an important fishing and farming village, Gargnano is now a popular tourist location, and not only because of its attractive meadows, olive groves and the mountain backdrop. Villa Feltrinelli, alongside the old village by the lake with its imposing town hall, is also well worth a visit. And it was here that Mussolini, under Hitler’s strict control, moved his puppet government (1943–1945) when he was forced to relinquish power in Rome.

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MADERNO 9 Neighbouring Toscolano and Maderno form the

administrative district of Toscolano-Maderno. The Romanic church of Sant’Andrea is well worth a visit, as is the museum trail through the valley of the paper mills. There were a string of paper mills on the bank of the river as early as the fifteenth century. You can catch a car ferry from Maderno to Torri del Benaco on the opposite shore.

of Monte Baldo in the background, this pretty little harbour town is dominated by the mighty castle of the Scala family with its battlements and that now houses a museum dedicated to local customs and traditions. www.museodelcastelloditorridelbenaco.it 2 Viale Fratelli Lavanda, Tel. 045 6296111 April–October 9.30am–12.30pm, 2.30pm–6pm mid June to mid September 9.30am–1pm and 4.30pm–7.30pm

PUNTA SAN VIGILIO 11 On the romantic strip of land that the

town of Garda forms with its bay there is a little old church dedicated to Saint Vigilius, a hotel and restaurant and a magnificent sixteenth-century villa which is said to have been designed by Michele Sanmicheli, the most famous fortress architect of his time.

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TORRI DEL BENACO 10 Whilst olive groves extend up the slopes

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D’ANNUNZIO IN GARDONE In the 1920s the extravagant Italian poet and patriot Gabriele D’Annunzio settled in Gardone and built a museum-like home which, in honour of the altar dedicated to Victory in Rome and in keeping with Fascist sentiment, he named the “Vittoriale degli Italiani”. The Vittoriale is now state-owned and has become popular with those Italians who are nostalgic for Italy’s

fascist-era Imperialist past. You can view private rooms, items from the World War I, a speed boat, the hull of a boat protruding from the mountain, an empty mausoleum and, best of all, an immense, beautiful park. 12 Via Vittoriale, Tel. 0365 296511, daily 9.30am–7pm, € 8, www.vittoriale.it

GARDONE 12 Gardone is tucked away in a bay protected by mountains and boasts hotels, villas and parks immersed in luxuriant evergreen vegetation. Tourism flourished here from as early as the eighteenth century, promoted by the German Luis Wemmer. SALÒ 13 The little town of Salò lies in a protected gulf that was

once the focal point of the western shore. Historical houses cluster around the late Gothic cathedral. The elegant lakeside promenade, Lungolago Zanardelli, dates from 1901–1906, when the houses were rebuilt following a major earthquake.

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PORTESE 14 This small port near Salò was once an important fishing harbour and is now used by holidaymakers for their boats and yachts. Isola del Garda, a truly mystical place where Francis of Assisi founded a small religious community, is just in front of San Felice del Garda. This little island is now the home and holiday residence of the Cavazza counts, whose fable-like villa (an excellent example of Venetian neo-Gothic) is immersed in a magnificent park. Guided tours can be booked by phone (328 3849226) www.isoladelgarda.com

name. The Palazzo dei Capitani del Lago (Palace of the Captains of the Lake) dates back to the period of Venetian domination. The inner courtyard and garden of this opulently decorated building in Gothic–Venetian style are open to the public. BARDOLINO 16 The Bardolino wine that comes from the sur-

rounding hills is famous; light, palatable and clear, it is ideal with starters and pasta dishes. The eleventh-century Romanesque church dedicated to Saint Severus stands in the centre of the town. LAZISE 17 The ancient Roman Lasitum on the hilly eastern

shore was fortified in the Middle Ages by Verona’s ruling Scala family with massive city walls and a castle. The city walls, the towers of the castle, the church dedicated to Saint Nicholas near the harbour and the old medieval town are still the high points of this lively little centre. The lake becomes wider here and the western shore is guarded by the remains of the old fortress of Manerba and the Sirmione peninsula lies to the south.

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GARDA 15 This locality on the eastern shore gave the lake its

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F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

L A K E G A R DA

DESENZANO 18 on the southern shore came under Venetian

influence as early as the fifteenth century; it was the Venetians who extended the harbour and fortified the town. At that time, the enemies, the Viscontis from Milan, occupied the area to the west. Desenzano’s 27,300 inhabitants make it the biggest town on the lake and it has far fewer tourists than neighbouring places. Carefully restored merchants’ houses, elegant boutiques, the lakeside promenade, beaches, a yachting harbour, restaurants and hotels reflect the town’s prosperity. Desenzano also has its own bishop and high school, and is one of the lake’s must-go-to places for shopping. Its many pubs and clubs also give it a lively night life. The town is strategically placed on the Milan–Venice railway line and motorway, making it an important centre for travellers and tourists alike. At Desenzano’s heart lies the picturesque PIAZZA MALVEZZI 1 near the Old Harbour. The square is embellished by a traditional arcade and is a popular subject for photographs. The new harbour is on the PROMENADE 2 and ferries travel across Lake Garda from here. A recently restored castle topped by battlements can be seen on a small hill in the background. In VIA SCAVI ROMANI 3 , just a few steps from Piazza Malvezzi, you can visit the remains of one of the finest examples in northern Italy of a large villa from the late Roman period. It dates from the second–third century CE and has exquisite mosaics and underfloor heating ((hypocaustum). Desenzano’s tall brick LIGHTHOUSE 4 can be seen at the end of the jetty. MUSEO CIVICO ARCHEOLOGICO GIOVANNI RAMBOTTI 5 Numerous

remains of Bronze Age settlements on stilts were found in the peat digs about 4 km away in Polada. They have been collected and put on display in this museum together with other finds from Gabbiano di Manerba, Corno di Sotto, Porto Galeazzi, Lugana Vecchia and Maraschina, and include the world’s oldest fully preserved plough. Museo Civico Archeologico Giovanni Rambotti Chiostro di Santa Maria de Senioribus, 7/c Via T. Dal Molin Tuesdays–Fridays 3pm–7pm, Saturdays and Sundays 2.30pm–7pm free entry, Tel. 0309 144529

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

the east, amidst the gentle flat meadows of the southern shore, in a delightful lake and river setting. Its strategic position on the Mincio – the only river to flow out of Lake Garda – made this little town, whose current population is 9,000, very important early on in its history. The Venetians started their campaign against the Milanese from here in the sixteenth century, and the Austrians set out from here in the early nineteenth century to wage war on the nascent giovine Italia (“Young Italy”) movement. Under the Habsburgs, Peschiera was one of the four fortress towns (the others being Verona, Mantua and Legnano) that were designed to protect the valley of the Adige River against their enemies to the south. This network of forts had been built in response to skirmishes with Napoleon, whose armies had moved up the Adige River without encountering great resistance and had thus penetrated into the Austrian heartlands. The old town’s shops, restaurants and bars are enclosed by city walls and gates and criss-crossed by a series of canals. Barracks, casemates and other now completely useless and partially overgrown defensive structures can be seen throughout the town. PONTE DEI VOLTONI 1 , a multi-span sixteenthcentury bridge over the Mincio, is truly impressive. In PIAZZA FERDINANDO DI SAVOIA 2 , the parish church of San Martino and the Roman excavations (0–300 CE) are well worth your visit. Like Desenzano, Peschiera is on the Venice–Milan line and is one of the few places on Lake Garda that can be reached by rail.

L A K E G A R DA

PESCHIERA DEL GARDA 19 Bustling Peschiera del Garda lies to

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

The Mincio flows slowly and peacefully south towards Mantua. The river’s clean, clear waters attract hordes of anglers to the riverside walk. The very popular excellent cycle track runs along the river bank, crossing meadows and affording cyclists a magnificent view of historical houses all the way to Mantua. Outside Peschiera there is the CHURCH OF MADONNA DEL FRASSINO 3 , which was built as a place of pilgrimage in the sixteenth century. It stands at the end of an avenue lined with cypresses and still attracts many pilgrims. The frescoes in its entrance porch, the cloisters, decorated niches and chapels record the apparition of the Virgin Mary in an ash tree.

As Lake Garda belongs to different provinces and regions there is, unfortunately, no single tourist board. Here is a list of the different service points divided by area: IN GARDA TRENTINO for the northern shore 5 Largo Medaglie d’Oro al Valor Militare, 38066 Riva del Garda Tel. 0464 554444 www.gardatrentino.it

RIVIERA DEL GARDA E COLLINE MORENICHE for the southern hills and plains 5 Piazzale Europa, 25019 Sirmione Tel. 0309 904279 www.visitgarda.com

RIVIERA DEI LIMONI E DEI CASTELLI for the western shore 32 Via Oliva, 25084 Gargnano Tel. 0365 791172 www.visitgarda.com

LAGO DI GARDA È for the eastern shore 3 Lungolago Regina Adelaide, 37016 Garda, Tel. 045 7255279 www.lagodigarda-e.it

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

, Mid July: Riva Craft Bike Transalp – This exhausting mountain bike race for couples starts in Oberammergau, Bavaria and the nearly 1,200 competitors who have survived the rigours of crossing the Alps enjoy a swim in Lake Garda after crossing the finishing line in Riva del Garda. , August, at weekends and on public holidays: In San Martino della Battaglia, near Desenzano, there is a wine fair waiting for you with wine tastings, food stands and a programme of entertainments. , End of August: “Notte di Fiaba” fairy tale festival in Riva del Garda. This giant event comprises four days of theatre, concerts, music, games and fun, theme parties, dramatised fairy tales, children’s theatre, acrobatic or circus shows and also exhibitions, readings, workshops, lots to eat and drink and culminates in fireworks on Saturday evening. Tel. 0464 560113, www.nottedifiaba.it , September, first weekend: In Desenzano the “Festa dell’Anitra”, the oldest civic festival in Piazza Garibaldi, harks back to the time when the bishop imposed a duck levy on the populace. With music, entertainments, eating and drinking. , September, second weekend: Centomiglia, Centomiglia, the largest and most traditional 100-mile free-class regatta on Lake Garda traditionally starts from the Gargnano shore. Teams from all over the world take part in this top event. , Weekly markets: Monday in Peschiera del Garda, Tuesday in Desenzano del Garda, on the Cesare Battisti shore promenade, Wednesday in Riva del Garda (second and fourth Wednesday in the month) , Flea and antiques market Every first Sunday in the month (not in August) in Desenzano del Garda and in Peschiera.

L A K E G A R DA

EVENTS ON LAKE GARDA

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

VENETO

The Veneto Region Veneto, also historically known as Venetia, is an administrative region in north-eastern Italy. The region includes part of the Alps and the Po Valley and is bounded by the Adriatic Sea in the east. Veneto is the official name for the region, and it consists of seven provinces: Belluno, Padua (Padova in Italian), Rovigo, Treviso, Venice (Venezia in Italian), Verona and Vicenza. It has a population of about 5 million. Until about 50 years ago it was a poor agricultural area which provided emigrant labourers, but now, thanks to the hard work of its inhabitants and the solidity of its small and medium-sized enterprises, it has become one of Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s richest regions. Its beautiful scenery and art treasures from many different periods also make it the Italian region with the most dynamic tourist industry, with 14 million visitors and 60 million overnight stays per annum. Without a doubt, the biggest tourist attractions are Venice, the lagoon city, Verona with its Roman past, the Adriatic beach resorts of Jesolo, Bibione and Eraclea and the celebrated skiing areas in the Dolomites, the most famous of which is Cortina dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ampezzo.

A potted history Origins Precise origin of the Adriatic Veneti uncertain but towns

like Padua, Treviso, Belluno and Vicenza ultimately developed from their settlements. 200 BCE When the region is peacefully taken over by the Romans, the Veneti ally themselves with Romans to fight against the Gauls.

VENETO IN FIGURES AREA: 18,390 square kilometres INHABITANTS: 4,938,000 THE SIX LARGEST TOWNS (IN TERMS OF POPULATION) ARE: Venice: 270,880, Verona: 264,000, Padova: 214,099, Vicenza: 115,930, Treviso: 82,800, Rovigo: 52,800.

89 BCE Inhabitants enjoy benefits of Roman law and declared fully fledged Roman citizens in 49 BCE. Province given the name Regio X Venetia et Histria and Aquilea made its capital. Adda River, near modern Milan, constitutes region’s western border. Christianity expands to rest of region from Aquileia in the first centuries CE. 169 CE After attacks by Germanic tribes from east, Oderzo (50 km north-east of Venice) is sacked by the Marcomanni. Fifth century After the Huns, Theodoric and his Ostrogoths occupy area and rule Venetia from 493. Mainland inhabitants take refuge in inaccessible islands of the lagoon. Following skirmishes between Longobards and Byzantium (Eastern Roman Empire), the region is partitioned. Coastal strip brought under Byzantine domination and forms Venetia Marittima, Marittima whereas mainland subsumed into Kingdom of the Longobards. Late eighth century Franks under Charlemagne enter Lombardy and gain control of mainland. The lagoon and its capital Venice initially a dukedom (821) loosely allied with Byzantium until its independence (c. 1000). Dukedom ruled by elected Doge (from the Latin dux,, “leader”).

VENETO

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

VENETO

962 Emperor Otto I assigns mainland to the Duchy of Bavaria

and Earldom of Görz. For 200 years, power exercised from beyond the Alps and German feudal lords and bishops become local rulers. The Este, da Romano, Caminesi, Carrara, and Scala families become increasingly powerful; Ferrara, Padua, Treviso and Verona become city states. Thirteenth century Venice extends power to entire upper Adriatic and further west. Individual city states conquered or granted special rights to persuade them to spontaneously join the Venetian Republic. 1404–1405 City states of Vicenza, Belluno, Bassano, Feltre, Verona and Padua join Venetian Republic. 1428 Brescia, Bergamo and Crema become part of Venetian Republic, which at the height of its power rules the Adriatic and large parts of the Eastern Mediterranean. Silk and spice trade firmly in the hands of Venetian Republic, now styled Serenissima Repubblica di Venezia (Most Serene Republic of Venice). After fall of Constantinople (Byzantium) and Eastern Roman Empire, Ottomans increasingly make inroads into Venice’s sea power; the Italian mainland now considered more important. Venice’s winged-lion standard flown over large parts of northern Italy, as far as southern Trentino and the very gates of Milan. Early sixteenth century Republic at war with Papal State under Pope Julian II, the French Kings Louis XII and Francis I and the Habsburg Emperor Maximilian I; forms alliance with England and Spain. Venice loses large parts of mainland only to win them back. Wealthy Venetian patricians invest wealth in vast estates and build sumptuous villas, the celebrated “Ville Venete”. Eighteenth century Venice is one of the most refined cities in the world at that time, exerting influence on art, architecture and literature. After more than 1,000 years of independence, Napoleon forces last Doge, Ludovico Manin, to abdicate in 1797. January 1798 Austrians occupy Venice; the Serenissima is no more. 1815 Following Congress of Vienna, Venetia becomes part of the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia and is governed by a viceroy of the Austrian Empire. 1866 After last Italian War of Independence, referendum held in Venetia resulting in decision to join newly created Kingdom of Italy.

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

The cycle route goes from Desenzano or Peschiera to Verona. After taking the Lake Garda ferry to Desenzano you ride through the hilly landscape of the southern shore to the next large town, Peschiera. If you take the boat to Peschiera you will not have quite as far to cycle to Verona, the next staging point. Peschiera is already in the province of Verona, which is in itself part of the Veneto Region. The fertile landscape at the foot of the Alps is heavily populated and developed. The cycle route first skirts the southern part of Lake Garda, which has flat pebble beaches and no spectacular steep cliffs. The route then swings away from the lake to the east and runs through vinecovered hills until it reaches the Adige River, which it follows right into the heart of Verona. SAN MARTINO DELLA BATTAGLIA 1 On one of the highest of the gentle hills on the southern shore of Lake Garda, in the little village of San Martino della Battaglia, there is a 74-metre high crenellated tower on which the green, white and red Italian flag flies. It is a memorial to one of the bloodiest and fiercest battles in the Italian War of Independence that took place on June 24 1859. At San Martino and neighbouring Solferino,

F RO M L A K E G A R DA TO V E RO NA

From Lake Garda to Verona

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

about 235,000 soldiers faced one another; the French–Piedmontese army on the one side and the Austrian army on the other. The armies were led by their rulers in person, so the French Emperor Napoleon III and his ally, King Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont-Savoy, battled against the Austrian Emperor, Franz Joseph I, who, though barely nineteen at the time, commanded an army of 120,000 men. The victory of the combined French and Piedmontese armies led to the reunification of Italy. After the battle, 40,000 were left dead, dying or wounded, and this carnage motivated Henry Dunant, a Swiss citizen who just happened to be there, to found the International Red Cross. From the viewing platform on the roof you are afforded a magnificent view over the countryside, the lake and the Po Valley, and on a clear day you can see the Apennines in the south and the Alps in the north. MUSEO RISORGIMENTALE DI SOLFERINO 2 6 Via Ossario, Solferino, March–September Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–12.30pm, 2.30pm–7pm, € 2.50 Tel. 0376 854019

SIRMIONE 3 The 5-km excursion to Sirmione is well worth the effort. A channel of water separates the peninsula from the mainland and a castle with battlements and fortified towers guards the entrance to this little medieval town that has become a tourist attraction with its boutiques, hotels and restaurants. The sulphur-rich spa waters were used by the ancient Romans, and the remains of spas and luxurious villas are open to visitors. Modern baths and hotels with spa facilities still use the healing powers of the warm springs.

EATING AND DRINKING AGRIGELATERIA SULL’AIA 1 Loc. Fenilazzo, Desenzano del Garda, Tel. 0309 110639, www.cortefenilazzo.it The homemade ice-cream alone makes it worth making a stop here.

But the shop also stocks a wide range of homemade products such as cheese, yoghurt, wine and different types of sausage. The restaurant serves good, unadorned cooking.

F RO M L A K E G A R DA TO V E RO NA

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

COLÀ DI LAZISE 4 Villa dei Cedri in Colà Lazise has a 13-hec-

tare park with fine old trees. In 1989, while drilling for irrigation water, hot springs were discovered and diverted into two small bathing lakes, grottoes, pools and a whirlpool. The facility and its restaurant are open in winter and summer on Fridays and Saturdays 9am–2pm, Sundays 9am–11pm Mondays–Thursdays 9am–9pm, € 24 Colà di Lazise, 4 Piazza di Sopra, Tel. 045 7590988, www.villadeicedri.it

Castelnuovo del Garda can be found a short way from the lake and east of Peschiera, while SANDRÀ 6 a little further to the north-east, lies in the middle of gentle, fertile morainal hills covered in vineyards and olive groves. The castle, built in 1387 by the Viscontis after their victory over the Lords of Verona, still keeps a watchful eye over the little town. On the nearby hill of San Lorenzo you can find Madonna degli Angeli, a church dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels, once a very popular place of pilgrimage where the faithful would venerate a fifteenth-century painting of Maria Lactans, or the Virgin Mary nursing the Baby Jesus. In 1848 Charles Albert of Sardinia, King of Piedmont-Sardinia, used the church as an observation tower in the war against the Austrians, who had occupied Peschiera. The cycle route runs right past GARDALAND 7 , one of Europe’s largest theme parks. Since it was opened in 1975, it has been an irresistible summer magnet for the young and the young at heart.

F RO M L A K E G A R DA TO V E RO NA

CASTELNUOVO DEL GARDA

Gardaland Park, 4 Via Derna, Tel. 045 6449777, www.gardaland.it

EATING AND DRINKING MOD 05 5 Via Modigliani, Sandrà di Castelnuovo del Garda, Tel. 045 7596378, www.modfive.it It is well worth making the tiny detour and heading to Hotel modfive (or Mod 05) in Sandrà. The building’s architecture is an unusual

blend of concrete and wood, making it one of the few “organic” hotels in the area. The wood-clad box-shaped structure houses a fantastic restaurant, with garden, bar and a magnificent view. All at very reasonable prices.

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

PALAZZOLO

When the Scaliger family ruled Verona, the neighbouring localities were all fortified. This explains why the tower with battlements was built in Palazzolo, which is part of the municipality of Sona. The stylised tower has been included in

the town’s coat of arms. The cycle path runs past one of the treasures of Palazzolo, the Romanesque church of Santa Giustina, which is surrounded by cypresses and has a stout campanile and the vestiges of frescoes in both apses.

AZIENDA AGRICOLA MANZATI 9 Via Barbarago, Sona, Tel. 045 6080478 Yet another ice-cream parlour. This farm is directly on the cycle route as

you come into Palazzolo and produces milk, cheese and a wide range of ice-creams that you can eat at little tables in front of the building.

BUSSOLENGO 9 has a population of 17,000 and is now one of

Verona’s satellite towns. It lies on a bank of the Adige, which here meanders through a broad valley nestled in among the hills. The cycle route follows a canal that intersects several of these loops and bends in the river. Next to the cemetery there is a completely frescoed twelfth-century church dedicated to Saint Rocco, who was believed to protect the faithful against the plague. Apart from the parish church of Santa Maria Maggiore, the best known church is the one dedicated to Saint Valentine, the local patron saint. In the fourth century, Saint Valentine of Rhaetia was the bishop of Passau and was highly revered by the Longobards. During their domination and in the following centuries, when the Bavarian Dukes and the monastery of Passau (whose patron saint, curiously enough, is also Saint Valentine) extended their influence as far as Verona, many churches in the area were dedicated to this saint. Valentine was also considered the patron saint of epileptics, which explains why the frescoes in the church depict him healing a child lying on the ground. When foot and mouth disease killed the town’s animals in 1711, votive offerings to Saint Valentine

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EATING AND DRINKING

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

EATING AND DRINKING CAFFÉ RISTÓ CARACE 63 Via Roma, Bussolengo, Tel. 045 7151703 This café with its pavement tables is in the centre of Bussolengo, where the cycle route from Via

Marconi crosses Via Roma. It has a good selection of filled rolls, tramezzini (Italian-style sandwiches) and snacks. At midday it offers cheap, quick, one-course dishes.

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ASPARAGUS TIME AROUND VERONA

In early summer, the asparagus is ready to be harvested again: at the start of the asparagus season, growers invite the fans of this king of vegetables to a culinary event where they can convivially enjoy the asparagus, which grows best in the light, sandy, alluvial soil near the Adige, and especially in Cavaion and Rivoli Veronese. Both the white and purple varieties are cultivated in the area, and the local “Asparago di

Verona” brand of asparagus has a blue-yellow ribbon displaying a picture of the Arena of Verona. This variety can be found in local inns and at various asparagus festivals. It is normally boiled and then served with a drizzle of olive oil and lemon juice, browned butter and breadcrumbs, or as an accompaniment for fried eggs. Another very popular dish is risotto with asparagus tips.

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

were said to have stopped the epidemic, and he therefore became the patron saint of animals, even replacing Saint Anthony the Abbot as their protector. For over 300 years, an annual fourday cattle and goods market with accompanying programme of events has been held in his honour in early February. HOTEL BORGHETTI 10 The hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s restaurant is renowned for its

typical local dishes and an exceptional selection of wines. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find it just outside the city, in the Parona district, near Chievo, on the way to Verona about 2 km from the cycle route.

CHIEVO 12 This district of Verona was once an important river port on a bend of the Adige River. Chievo is famous for its football team, which galvanised football-crazy Italy a few years ago when it valiantly fought its way into the premier league and then went on to play in top-level games, including Uefa Cup matches. Another curiosity: the massive campanile contains eight melodious bells, and Chievo has had a team of church bell peelers for over 200 years now. You can sample them by clicking on www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y1OEFKlHdY

THE VERONA PLAIN The area south of Verona is known as the Bassa Veronese, or the Verona plain. This expanse of rivers and canals was formerly marshland where only a few pieces of higher ground, the so-called Isole (islands), were inhabited. The Adige River, which is now boxed in by levees, flows through the plain and makes the region rich in water. The entire area is crisscrossed by irrigation channels and is intensively cultivated. Typical products include Radicchio Rosso, (especially the

Rosso di Verona variety), asparagus, tobacco, apples, pears, peaches, strawberries and, of course, rice. The area around Isola della Scala is the home of the rice varieties Vialone Nano and Carnaroli. Farmhouses are dotted amongst the intensively cultivated fields. Exceptionally well-preserved castles bear witness to the past. In Bovolone, Cerea and Nogara thousands of businesses are specialized in antique furniture reproduction.

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47 Via Valpolicella, Frazione di Parona Tel. 045 941045, closed Sundays www.hotelborghetti.com, also in English

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F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

VERONA

Verona After Venice, Verona is the city that most fires the enthusiasm of travellers to Italy. The wealth of artistic monuments, the perfectly preserved medieval city centre with its magnificent churches in different architectural styles, monumental bridges over the Adige River, which winds its way in broad loops through the city, the little streets and squares paved in marble, the palaces and monuments, the mighty Roman Arena and the Roman Theatre on the slopes of a hill and the ring of city walls leave an indelible mark on any visitor. Not only are the individual monuments impressive, but it is the city as a whole that impresses, as the embodiment of a city republic, which gathers around churches and squares and, protected by powerful battlemented walls, nestles up against the foothills.

THE PROVINCE OF VERONA IN FIGURES AREA: 3,121 square kilometres INHABITANTS: 923,000 THE SIX LARGEST TOWNS (IN TERMS OF POPULATION) ARE: Verona: 264,000 Villafranca: 37,500 Legnago: 25,500 San Giovanni Lupatoto: 24,400 San Bonifacio: 21,000 Bussolengo: 19,760

AUSTRIA

I TA L I A

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

PRE-ROMAN AND ROMAN TIMES Verona’s history begins in antiquity, when settlers occupied the area at the foot of the hills where the Adige River forms a deep bend, flows more slowly and thus becomes easier to cross. The first settlement developed between the river and the hill of San Pietro, along the salt and amber route running north to south. Contacts with the Romans were peaceful. The Via Postumia, Postumia which has connected the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian Sea since 148 BCE, runs through the area. In 49 BCE, the inhabitants became Roman citizens and Verona a Municipium or Roman municipality. City walls, gates, roads and canals were then built and, later still, the city was further enhanced with the addition of an arena, theatre, triumphal arches and sturdy stone bridges. AFTER THE BARBARIAN INVASIONS After the fall of the Roman

Empire and invasions by various Barbarian tribes, Verona stood centre stage for a short time when it became the capital of the kingdom of Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths. In 774 the city was subsumed into Charlemagne’s Carolingian empire. His son, Pippin, made Verona the capital of an Italian kingdom (887–962). For a short time Verona was considered part of the Duchy of Bavaria and came under the influence of the German emperors. Pope Lucius III resided in Verona for four years until his death in 1185, and is buried in the cathedral. In 1136, Verona became a city state with an elected government of consuls.

VERONA

History of the city

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VERONA

FROM THE SCALIGER FAMILY TO WORLD WAR II The Ezzelino fam-

ily ruled Verona from 1200 to 1259. They were followed by the Signori della Scala,, the Scaliger family, whose coat of arms displays a ladder, scala in Italian. Verona flowered under the Scaligers, who erected imposing buildings and extended their rule to Vicenza, Padua, Treviso, Belluno and Feltre. Their court attracted artists and poets such as Giotto, Altichiero, Dante and Petrarch. The world-famous story of Romeo and Juliet, immortalised by Shakespeare, is set in this period. The Scaliger family ruled until 1380, when Verona was conquered by the Visconti family of Milan. The Milan intermezzo was already over by 1405, however, when Verona asked to be placed under the protection of the Venetian Republic. What followed was a fourhundred-year period of peace and wellbeing, interrupted only in 1630 when an outbreak of plague decimated the population (of 53,000 inhabitants, barely 20,000 survived). In the Napoleonic Wars, the city fell to Austriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Habsburgs in 1797, who turned Verona into a fortress. In 1866, after losing wars against Italy and Prussia, the Habsburgs left the city, and five days later Verona and all of Veneto voted in a plebiscite to join the fledgling Kingdom of Italy. During World War II, the city was heavily bombarded by the Allies and the occupying German forces blew up the historic bridges over the Adige River as they retreated.

TOURIST INFORMATION 9 Via degli Alpini (in the city walls on the south side of Piazza BrĂ ) 37100 Verona, Tel. 045 8068680 www.tourism.verona.it

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

The best in brief The VeronaCard (€ 15) provides free entry to all museums and free use of city buses for two days; a five-day VeronaCard is also available for € 20. The card can be bought at all museum ticket offices, at the tourism office and in many tobacconists. For further information: Info: www.veronacard.it

in a court between their castle and the church. These Arche (tombs) must be the world’s most unusual burial monument. The tombs and the wrought iron railings display the family coat of arms, with its ladder, at every opportunity. The elegant mausoleums are surrounded by marble balustrades and wrought iron railings. Above the portal of the Romanesque church of Santa Maria Antica, which is the Scaliger family church, you can admire the statue of a laughing Cangrande I (d. 1329) astride his horse over the tomb. The original is held at the Castelvecchio Museum. The most magnificent tomb in High Gothic style is decorated with an equestrian statue of Cansignorio, who died in 1375. Via Arche Scaligere Site always accessible. Open June–September Ticket also valid for entrance to Torre Lamberti

On the left bank of the Adige, Verona’s finest park, which originally belonged to the estate of the Giusti family and was laid out in 1570, seems to hug the surrounding hills. An avenue of cypresses leads to the Belvedere, which affords a magnificent view over the city. GIARDINO GIUSTI

2 Via Giardino Giusti Tel. 045 8034029 daily 9am–8pm (April–September) 9am–7pm (October–March), € 6

VERONA

ARCHE SCALIGERE 1 The Scaliger family had their tombs built

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

VERONA

ARENA (ROMAN AMPHITHEATRE) 3 This elliptical Roman am-

phitheatre, generally known as the Arena, is the largest in Italy after Rome’s Coliseum, and measures an impressive 140 metres by 110 metres. Its forty-four stone tiers provide seating for up to 22,000 people, and its amazing acoustics make it one of the world’s finest classical opera venues. No wonder about 600,000 spectators attend the Arena’s open-air concerts and operas every year. Piazza Brà, Tel. 045 8003204 Mondays 1.30pm–7.30pm, Tuesdays–Sundays 8.30am–7.30pm no admittance after 6.30pm. Earlier closing when there are performances € 6, Information and tickets: Tel. 045 8005151

JULIET’S HOUSE 4 Juliet (Giulietta in Italian) is supposed to

have lived in this house. See separate article on page 99. 23 Via Cappello, Tel. 045 8034303 Mondays 1.30pm–7.30pm, Tuesdays–Sundays 8.30am–7.30pm; € 6

MUSEO DI CASTELVECCHIO 5 This commanding yet neverthe-

less elegant and imposing brick castle was built by the Scaliger family in 1350 as a fortified city palace and government headquarters. The architect Carlo Scarpa converted it into a modern museum, where sculpted art pieces are now flanked by some of the greatest Veneto painters (Pisanello, Stefano da Verona, Bellini, Mantegna, Tintoretto, Tiepolo and Guardi). The statue of Cangrande I, in full armour and grinning from ear to ear, can now be seen on a pedestal suspended over a little courtyard. 2 Corso Castelvecchio, Tel. 045 8062611 Mondays 1.30pm–7.30pm, Tuesdays–Sundays 8.30am–7.30pm No admittance after 6.30pm

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ROMEO AND JULIET graffiti and notes stuck on the walls. The torso of the bronze statue of Juliet in the inner courtyard has become shiny from being touched so many times, as touching is supposed to strengthen love and bring good luck. Letters arrive every day from all the world from people who are unhappy in love, and a voluntary association (Il club di Giulietta/The Juliet Club) has been set up to answer all these letters and emails personally (info@ julietclub.com; www.julietclub.com, also in English).

You will need an entry ticket (currently € 6) for the most important churches in Verona (the cathedral, Sant’Anastasia, San Zeno, San Fermo). For further information: www.chieseverona.it, also in English. CATHEDRAL OF SANTA MARIA MATRICOLARE 6 The cathedral of

the bishops of Verona was built in 1138 over the remains of earlier, much older churches in one of the oldest settlement areas on a bend of the river Adige. It is a mixture of different styles: the portal, cloister, church of Sant’Elena and apse are all Romanesque, the interior with its three naves is Gothic, while the campanile and presbytery are Renaissance. The cathedral complex also includes a capitular library, a diocesan museum and the Bishop’s Palace. www.chieseverona.it, Piazza Duomo, Tel. 045 592813

VERONA

Verona is the setting for the world famous tragedy about the forbidden and impossible love of two young people from the enemy Capuleti and Montecchi families, who are more familiar to English speakers as the Capulets and the Montagues. The tragedy is set in the year 1302, when there were fierce struggles between the Guelfs, who supported the Pope, and the Ghibellines, who supported the Holy Roman Emperor. The popular theme gave the young William Shakespeare the inspiration for his play Romeo and Juliet. The events probably unfolded elsewhere, in two castles near Vicenza, if at all (it is by no means certain that the events actually took place). The house at 23 Via Cappello is supposed to be Juliet’s home, with the famous balcony. The walls of the entrance to the house are covered in declarations of love in the form of

100

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BASILICA DI SAN ZENO 7 This mighty Romanesque basilica with a banded façade was once outside the city limits but was subsequently swallowed up by encroaching urbanisation. It is a masterpiece of early Medieval architecture. The bronze reliefs on the heavy doors are famous, as is Andrea Mantegna’s altar triptych. A flea market enlivens the square in front of the church every third Saturday (for information, tel. 045 8078579). www.chieseverona.it Piazza San Zeno, Tel. 045 592813

SANT’ANASTASIA 8 which is a short walk from the cathedral, is the city’s largest church, and also the only one that is coherently Gothic in style. It contains an array of masterpieces of Veronese art, including Pisanello’s famous frescoes of Saint George the dragon slayer and the Princess.

VERONA

www.chieseverona.it Corso Santa Anastasia, Tel. 045 592813

SAN FERMO 9 In the south-eastern quarter of the old town, over the spot where Saint Firmus and Saint Rusticus (respectively Fermo and Rustico in Italian) were martyred in 361, the Benedictines built their first church in 1019. In 1260 it was taken over by the Franciscans, who built a new temple over the original Romanesque church that had subsided. This upper church contains important frescoes by Pisanello. www.chieseverona.it Via San Fermo, Tel. 045 592813

SAN LORENZO 10 This atmospheric Romanesque church (dedicated to Saint Lawrence), with banded walls of red-brown brick and light-coloured stone, is located on Corso Cavour (see city tour). The façade is flanked by two round towers and the baldachin (canopy-shaped) entrance is to the side. The matroneum is certainly interesting: as women were not permitted access to the main nave below, they had to witness religious ceremonies from this gallery. www.chieseverona.it Corso Cavour, Tel. 045 592813

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PIAZZA DELLE ERBE 11 This square was the centre of the city even in Roman times (when it was the city forum). The column of Saint Mark with the lion from the period of Venetian domination rises up above the white canopies of the market stalls. The fountain is embellished by the Madonna Verona, a Roman statue to which head and arms were added in the fourteenth century. On the north-western side there is the magnificent Palazzo Maffei with the six gods Hercules, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Apollo and Minerva. Alongside this palazzo you can admire Verona’s oldest tower clock, on the 1370 brick Gardello tower. The square is especially impressive in the evening, when locals meet at the tables of the cafés and in the street to chat as they sip their aperitifs. PIAZZA DEI SIGNORI AND LAMBERTI TOWER 12 This elegant, digni-

fied square, which is just a few minutes’ walk away from Piazza delle Erbe, is surrounded by the palazzi housing the authorities: the City Hall, the residences of the Scaliger family, the Law Courts and the Seat of the City Council. The square thus seems more like the inner courtyard of a large palace complex. In the middle there is a monument to Dante, author of the Divine Comedy, who was a guest at the court of the Scaliger family for several years. In the façade of the Palazzo del Comune, which is also known as Palazzo della Ragione, there is a stone letterbox where anonymous denunciations of usurers could be dropped.

VERONA

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

102

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The 84-metre high Lamberti tower (396 steps or lift for a small fee) provides one of the finest views of Verona. Cortile Mercato Vecchio, Tel. 045 9273027 October–May daily 8.30am–7.30pm; June–September: Mondays–Sundays 8.30am–8.30pm, Fridays 8.30am–11pm; € 6

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TEATRO ROMANO AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM 13 The Roman

theatre on the left bank of the Adige was built at about the same time as the Roman Arena. In the Middle Ages, this Roman theatre and the Arena were turned into quarries and were left to deteriorate. The small church of San Siro and Libera in the area still bears witness to the partial redevelopment of the theatre. Only twenty-five stone seat rows of the lower tier are still extant and a small loggia is all that remains of the upper tiers and the multi-storeyed front wall decorated with figures. Nevertheless, the Roman theatre is still used for events and Verona’s summer festival attracts thousands of visitors to the performances and concerts. Calendar and tickets: www.estateteatraleveronese.it, only in Italian. There is an archaeological museum within the old church walls which contains beautiful floor mosaics, Etruscan and Roman bronzes and sculptures, gravestones and ancient inscriptions. The museum’s large terrace affords a magnificent view over Verona. 2 Via Rigaste Redentore, Tel. 045 8000360 Daily 8.30am–7.30pm, Mondays 1.30pm–7.30pm. No admittance after 6.30pm. Opening hours are modified when there are performances € 4.50

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MUSEUMS Etruscan urns and a Roman sarcophagus are all particularly worthy of note. 15 GALLERIA D’ARTE MODERNA PALAZZO FORTI www.palazzoforti.it Corso Sant’Anastasia, Tel. 045 8001903 Opening times vary, depending on the exhibition programme, but are normally Tuesdays–Sundays 10.30am–7pm; € 6 Important historical and contemporary artists of the last two hundred years have been on permanent display since 1982 in this modern art gallery run by the local council at Palazzo Forti, which was built between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. The collection includes Giulio Paolini, Felice Casorati, Vanessa Beecroft, Guido Trentini and Francesco Hayez.

Eating and Drinking RISOTTO, RECIOTO AND OTHER SPECIALITIES Veneto is also a re-

gion for gourmets. The cuisine is a great mix of tasty local fare and various Mediterranean influences. Pasta dishes are not always the most popular first courses, mainly because rice has been grown in the Verona paddy fields for centuries. Typical dishes include risotto all’isolana with sausage meat and herbs and the gnocchi di patate made of potatoes. Further east, in Vicenza and Padua, you will find horse and donkey stew on the menu (pastissada de cavallo e musso), which is popular with the locals. Don’t be too alarmed to try it – it actually tastes very good! Another speciality is bollito con la pearà, a simple peasant dish made with boiled meat and a sauce of breadcrumbs, horse radish and bone marrow. The meal should be rounded

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14 MUSEO LAPIDARIO MAFFEIANO 28 Piazza Brà, Tel. 045 590087, Tuesdays–Sundays 8.30am–2pm, € 4.50 The Museo Lapidario Maffeiano on the central Piazza Brà was founded by Francesco Scipione Maffei (1675–1755), a passionate collector of antique art. Parts of the collection were plundered by Napoleonic troops and taken to Paris. Most of the collection found its way back to Verona but some valuable items were kept by the Louvre. Inscriptions, reliefs, sarcophaguses and sculptures can be admired in the courtyard and colonnade of the museum. The first floor houses Italy’s greatest collection of Greek burial inscriptions from the fourth to the fifth century CE. On the second floor, finds dating back to the early Venetian period, a collection of

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off with a slice of pandoro a northern Italian cake, that you should wash down with a glass of Recioto, a strong sweet red wine from Valpolicella.

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THE WINES OF VERONA The south-facing hills that stretch from the mountains to the plain are one of Italy’s finest wine-growing areas. The south-eastern shore of Lake Garda with its gentle landscape is the terroir of the white Trebbiano grapes that give us Lugana, an elegant, crisp, light white wine, which makes an excellent aperitif and is often served with Italian antipasti (starters) and fish dishes. On the eastern shore of the lake, the light, clear, fruity, garnet-red Bardolino flourishes. Even if it is a common wine, it is of very high quality in its “classico” version. Dry and sometimes faintly sparkling, it is best drunk young and cool, and goes well with first courses such as rice and pasta dishes. Valpolicella comes from the valley of the same name behind Verona and

is made of the same grapes as Bardolino (Corvina, Rondinella, Malinara and Negrara), even though it has somewhat more colour and body than Bardolino. East of Verona the town of Soave has given its name to a dry, barely acidic white wine made from Garganega grapes. Soave is one of Italy’s most famous wines and is exported in vast quantities throughout the world. Soave Classico comes from the hills of the main winegrowing area; the name itself is a guarantee of excellent quality, and it is the perfect accompaniment to fish and egg dishes. The Recioto di Soave from this area is considered to be one of the finest Italian dessert wines. The king of Verona’s wines, however, is without a doubt Amarone, one of Italy’s most esteemed and costly wines. The harvested grapes are partially dried on wooden racks and the concentrated must is promptly made into wine in spring. The grapes used are once again the Rondinella, Corvina Veronese and Molinara, even though some Sangiovese, Cabernet Franc, Negrara, Croatina and Oseleta are also permitted. In order to qualify for the “Reserve” appellation, the finished wine must be left to mature several years in special wooden barrels. This causes virtually all the sugar to ferment, leading to a particularly elevated alcohol content of 15–16%.

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EATING AND DRINKING

17 RISTORANTE AL CALMIERE 10 Piazza San Zeno, Tel. 045 8030765, closed Sunday evenings and all day Monday, www.calmiere.com This restaurant, which is in the main square with the famous San Zeno cathedral, has been serving typically Veronese food for almost a hundred years. The menu includes tagliolini (thin noodles) in broth with chicken livers, grilled polenta with sausage, roast and grilled meats with spicy pearà sauce. Al fresco during the warmer months. 18 ANTICA BOTTEGA DEL VINO 3 Via Scudo di Francia, Tel. 045 8004535, closed Sunday evenings, www.anticabottegadelvino.net, also in English Located in the old town, in the pedestrian zone, this is one of Italy’s great historical restaurants with a fantastic wine list and typical Veneto

dishes. Their Amarone wine is a must (the restaurant belongs to the association of the best Amarone producers). 19 OSTERIA AL CARROARMATO 2 Vicolo Gatto, Tel. 045 8030175, closed Mondays, www.carroarmato.it This unconventional osteria is tucked away in a fourteenth-century palazzo and is ideal for informal, relaxed meals washed down with good wines. 20 DAL MASO 13 Via 4 Novembre, Tel. 045 8343003, closed Sundays A mix of stand-up bar, delicatessen and snack bar. On display in the large shop window you’ll see an impressive selection of local dishes, cheeses and sausages which can be eaten at stand-up tables or at the few tables outside. Books and magazines available for perusal. 21 TRATTORIA AL BERSAGLIERE 1 Via Dietro Pallone, Tel. 045 8004824, closed Sundays and Mondays, www.trattoriaalbersagliere.it The bersaglieri are light infantry, an elite unit in the Italian army, and one of the trattoria’s former owners may well have been one. The menu includes classics of local cuisine such as white speck (a kind of raw smoked bacon) from the Valpolicella valley, homemade sopressa (local salami), smoked breast of duck, bigoli (thick spaghetti), goose, pastissada de caval (horse stew), and dried salted cod. Three rooms, wine cellar and garden.

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16 LOCANDA DI CASTELVECCHIO 21/a Corso Castelvecchio, Tel. 045 8030097, closed all day Tuesdays and for lunch on Wednesdays. www.ristorantecastelvecchio.com Verona’s first delicatessen cum restaurant was opened in 1831 opposite Castelvecchio and was renowned for its feted sausages. The restaurant is still famous for its typical local cuisine, which includes various boiled and roast products that can be chosen directly from a serving trolley, as well as an excellent selection of local wines.

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EATING AND DRINKING

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22 CAFFÉ DANTE 2 Piazza dei Signori, Tel. 045 8000083, closed Sunday evenings and all day Monday, www.caffedante.it This café in the heart of the old town has deftly blended tradition and ambiance for over a hundred years. The name may be deceptive: coffee and aperitifs are certainly available, but they also offer typical local dishes. There is a good choice of fine wines, and al fresco dining is available during the warmer months. 23 IL BANCO 7 Via Ponte Nuovo, Tel. 045 592718, closed Tuesdays, www.ilbancoristorante.it

Modern but warmly welcoming bar within the old city walls: bare masonry, brickwork, simple wooden tables, a long counter (Banco), modern accessories. Specialities include Parma ham (which they serve in thin slices on a board), delicious Tortelloni, vegetable soups, meat dishes and gorgeous desserts. 24 RETROBAR 6/a Piazza Duomo, closed Mondays, Tel. 338 8054365 This osteria, in a historical building next to the cathedral, has a good selection of simple, tasty, local dishes, including bean soup or polenta with sopressa (local salami).

PANDORO Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without pandoro. Christmas in and around Verona is, in fact, synonymous with this sweet cake that has the attractive name of pandoro (literally, “golden bread”),

which probably comes from the warm golden colour of the dough. Some people think that the origins and recipe of the cake are to be sought in Vienna, others in France and others still in the Verona area, where poor people used to prepare a simple Christmas cake, the nadalin. What is certain, however, is that a certain Signor Domenico Melegatti had a cake patented in 1894: it was star-shaped, conical, had eight vertical ridges and no candied fruit or sultanas, was very light, soft and airy, and had an intense vanilla aroma. The shape was developed by the Verona artist Angelo Dall’Oca Bianca.

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VERONA AT A GLANCE The starting point is Piazza Brà, a spacious square with a wide marble-paved Corso, the so-called Liston (literally, “large road” in Venetian), where in the early evening the Veronese stroll against a backdrop of the fine façades of the palazzi, the representative public buildings, the oval of the Roman Arena, the remains of the old city walls and the street cafés. The Via Roma leads to the Adige with Castelvecchio, the city castle of the Scaliger family and the battlemented Scaliger bridge. You can then turn right into Corso Cavour, go past Arco dei Gavi (the Roman triumphal arch) to the church of San Lorenzo before walking through the arches of Porta dei Borsari, the ancient city gate, to reach the heart of the old town, the former Roman

forum and now Piazza delle Erbe. The most important things to see are in the immediate vicinity: Piazza dei Signori with its medieval government buildings and the monumental tombs of the Scaliger family (Arche Scaligere). Via Cappello leads to Juliet’s house (casa di Giulietta) and then on to the Porta dei Leoni, an ancient city gate in white stone on the Cardus, one of the most important roads of old Verona. If you then turn right into Via San Fermo, you will walk past the medieval two-storied monastic church of San Fermo and then along Via San Cosimo and Via Scala to Via Mazzini, Verona’s shopping street with the best shops. This, in turn, will take you back to where you started – Piazza Brà.

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VERONA ON THE INTERNET The following Internet pages provide information about Verona:

WWW.EVENTIVERONA.IT Advance ticket sales for major events.

WWW.ARENA.IT Programme and tickets for the Arena’s opera, Roman Theatre and Verona Philharmonic, also in English.

WWW.CITTADIVERONA.IT Private portal with lots of useful information on the city and events with lively online-editing, also in English.

WWW.LARENA.IT Verona’s daily newspaper on the Internet.

WWW.COMUNE.VERONA.IT Official local government website for the municipality Verona with comprehensive information on the things to see in the city, in Italian.

WWW.OSPEDALIVERONA.IT The hospitals of Borgo Roma and Borgo Trento, with phone numbers for the Guardia medica (medical service replacing GPs outside normal consulting hours). WWW.FARMACIEVERONA.IT Pharmacies.

WWW.PROVINCIA.VERONA.IT Official website of the province of Verona with a lot of information, lists of museums and all tourist offices in the province, in Italian.

WWW.TOURISM.VERONA.IT WWW.VERONALIVE.IT Official tourism website of the city and Cultural programme online: theatre, province of Verona, also in English. music, films, dance, festivals and cultural events.

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, Late March: Vinitaly in Verona has more than 150,000 visitors and more than 4,000 international exhibitors, which makes it the largest wine fair in Italy and one of the biggest worldwide. www.vinitaly.it , Late June to early September: the most famous opera festival in the world in the Arena. Information on programme and tickets: Tel. 045 8005151, www.geticket.it (also in English). , July and August: Shakespeare & Jazz in Verona – the “Verona Theatre Summer” opens the municipal open-air stages for Shakespeare and the International Jazz Festival. The main venue is the ancient Roman Arena. , Late September: “Tocatì”, the international festival of street games in Verona with eating, drinking and music, eight hours daily in the old town, plus boat trips on the Adige, children’s programmes, wet weather programmes. Tel. 045 8077082, www.tocati.it , Weekly markets: Bussolengo:: Thursdays in Piazzetta San Gaetano/via Mazzini/Piazza XXVI Aprile. Castelnuovo del Garda: Tuesdays in Via Marconi/Via Cavour/Via Umberto I° Verona:: every Saturday in Via Leonardo da Vinci and Via Frà Giocondo. , Flea and antiques market: Every third Saturday of the month in Piazza San Zeno, Verona. Tel. 045 8078579.

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EVENTS IN THE PROVINCE OF VERONA

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This section of the cycle route runs through the suburbs of Verona and along the unsurfaced raised bank of the Adige for a short distance as far as the plain and then continues through rolling countryside covered in fields, olive groves and vineyards at the foot of the Monti Lessini before running on to the Berici hills behind Vicenza. This stretch is just over 70 kilometres long and connects the two provincial capitals of Verona and Vicenza. The path crosses railways, motorways and main roads several times, but guarantees quiet, scenically attractive routes. This is one of Venetoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most economically advanced areas, and over the last twenty years the landscape has changed quite radically â&#x20AC;&#x201C; urban facilities and industrial and commercial zones have been expanded, and now supermarkets, shopping malls and large housing developments are rapidly transforming this region, which was once characterised by its villages. Whilst the smallest strip of land on the lowlands is exploited for fruit, grape, maize, vegetable and soya bean cultivation, the Berici and Euganei hills are still covered in deciduous woodland and are a natural oasis for the cities of Vicenza and Padua.

THE CROCODILE IN THE CHURCH In the domed church of Madonna di Campagna 1 , in the suburb of San Michele Extra, a five-metre stuffed crocodile has been hanging from the ceiling for hundreds of years. As the faithful were too distracted by it, it was moved from the nave to its current location in the refectory. There are lots of gruesome tales about the crocodile: according to one, it was said to have lived in the murky waters of the castle moat and was allegedly fed with inmates from the dungeons; it is also said to have

swum over from Africa and up the Adige, sustaining itself on its journey by preying on children, washerwomen on the river banks, sheep and peasants until the Virgin Mary interceded and brought about its capture. It was probably a gift, one of the curios in the sixteenthcentury Wunderkammer (or collection of curiosities) belonging to a rich family that ended up in the church. The church is in Via dei Sogari, just half a kilometre away from the cycle route on Via Campagnole.

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From Verona to Vicenza

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SAN MARTINO BUON ALBERGO 2 The town of San Martino (on the state road running through the plain) is surrounded by a seemingly endless succession of manufacturing companies. The place was once a famous holiday resort frequented by Verona’s well-to-do classes, and in past centuries Verona’s patricians built their villas (including Villa Musella and Villa Orti– Manara, which is not open to the public) in the north of the town, at the foot of the hills.

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THE ARTIFICIAL LAKE AND THE FIBBIO South of San Martino Buon Albergo the cycle route goes past a large artificial lake and then crosses a small river, the Fibbio. The river’s catchment area is much higher, in the Monti Lessini. Underground watercourses resurface nearby in Montorio in the form of powerful springs. The water of the Fibbio was once deployed to drive flour, paper and fulling mills before it flowed on into the Adige further south. 2 The cycle route heads north, crosses the railway and motorway and then turns east again. Caldiero is on the railway line and, as its name implies (Caldiero contains the word “caldo”, hot), boasts a hot-water spa. Even the Romans used these warm, healing waters, which were again much in vogue in the sixteenth century for their curative powers. A bathing complex has now been developed around

HOT SPRINGS OF CALDIERO

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PEAS FROM COLOGNOLA AI COLLI

gastronomic events and also a “pea walk” through the hills and fields. White Soave wine is of course a vital part of the celebrations – we are in the middle of the Soave area, after all. Information provided by the municipality of Colognola: Tel. 045 6159611, www.comunecolognola.it

the Cavalla and Brentella springs consisting of five pools that range in size from a children’s paddling pool to Olympic-sized pools. Tip: try out the antique round pool sheltered by the high walls. The large park, where you are free to lie on the grass, is also very nice. There is a restaurant and bar. 1 Via delle Terme, Caldiero, Tel. 045 7650933 Sundays and weekdays Pizzeria: Tel. 045 6151351, www.termedigiunone.it

COLOGNOLA AI COLLI 4 Pandoro, panettone and ice-cream are

produced in large plants in this area. The brands include names like Dal Colle, Sammontana and Sanson. If you feel like indulging your sweet tooth the Dal Colle factory outlet is a must: here they sell off panettone, pastries, gift-wrapped products, biscuits, pandoro and other sweetmeats that are slightly faulty in their packaging or shape for next to nothing! Dal Colle, 13 Via Strà, Colognola ai Colli, Tel. 045 6134511 Mondays–Saturdays 8.30pm–12.30pm, 3pm–7pm closed Tuesday afternoons, www.dalcolle.it

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The hills of Colognola provide ideal growing conditions for a special type of vegetable, the verdone nano pea, which is particularly sweet and incredibly soft here. Peas (piselli in Italian, and bisi in Venetian) are still given pride of place in local cuisine, where they are an essential ingredient in many dishes, including risotto (known as risi e bisi), pea soup (crema di bisi), guinea fowl with peas, calf stew or lasagne with peas, and even pea ice-cream! The four-day pea fair that has been held at the end of May for over fifty years is an indication of the importance attached to these little green pods. Alongside producers’ displays, there are tastings, musical and

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SANTA MARIA DELLA PIEVE 5 This simple Romanesque church in Colognola is said to have been built on the remains of a Roman temple, but the only thing we are certain of is that it dates back to the eleventh century. There are interesting vestigial frescoes inside: to the right of a Madonna with Child sitting on a throne there is a crucified Christ with golden crown and the opulent garments of a ruler (Volto di Lucca). Pilgrims on their way to Venice to board the boat to Jerusalem would stop and venerate this picture.

EATING AND DRINKING BAR TRATTORIA AL GALO 9 Via Cavour, Colognola Ai Colli, Tel. 045 6151631, closed Wednesdays

In the immediate vicinity of the church of Santa Maria della Pieve the Trattoria Al Galo (â&#x20AC;&#x153;cockerelâ&#x20AC;? in the local dialect) is a great place to stop. The grilled dishes are popular.

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SOAVE 6 About half way between Verona and Vicenza the little town of Soave lies on the old Roman road Postumia (now state road SS 11) in the foothills of the Monti Lessini. Soave is an intact medieval town with crenellated walls topped by a turreted castle, and its numerous art treasures and stone relics have brought the past alive. The origins of the settlement are lost in the mists of time. A fortress, first mentioned around the year 1000 CE, was extended by Verona’s Scaliger family in the fourteenth century. Cansignorio della Scala, the last of the Scaliger rulers, added the city walls and further palazzi. After the decline of the dynasty, Soave and its castle fell to the Viscontis from Milan, and then to the Carraras, the lords who ruled Padua. In 1405 the townspeople rose up under Galeazzo Gonzaga and joined the Venetian Republic, who declared that “Rocha Suapis utilissima nostro dominio”” (the castle of Soave is very useful for our dominion). After lengthy tussles between the Viscontis, the Venetians and the Habsburgs under the Emperor Maximilian, in 1517 Soave and its castle went to the Venetian ruler Andrea Gritti. Centuries of peace followed, its history now intimately intertwined with that of the Venetian Republic. The castle rapidly lost its importance and steadily declined until it was finally restored in the late nineteenth century. From the battlements of the tower you can enjoy an extensive view over the roofs and countryside. Soave is also the name for the famous wine grape that is grown in the area, covering the hills in a moving sea of carefully planted rows of vines. SOAVE’S PALAZZI Palazzo Scaligero was built by Cansignorio della Scala next to the city gate Porta Aquila in the fourteenth century. It was the residence of the ruler and became the seat of the Governor under the Venetians. Today, it houses the town council offices. The thirteenth-century Palazzo dei Conti Sambonifacio in via Adolfo Mattielli, the seventeenth-century Palazzo Moscardo, the headquarters today of the tax authorities in Via Camuzzoni and the fifteenth-century Palazzo Pullici in the same street also deserve mention. Palazzo Cavalli (1411) in Piazza dell’Antenna is a fine example of Venetian Gothic. Piazza dell’Antenna also lays claim to another gem, the Palazzo di Giustizia (1375), with its staircase and Gothic Loggia. It currently houses the law courts.

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CHURCHES AND DUOMO This little town has no fewer than six churches, including the unadorned Romanesque church, the eleventh-century Franciscan church of San Giorgio with its squat tower, and the sumptuous and recently restored duomo in via Chiesa (this latter has been rebuilt and extended several times). The large organ in the duomo, built by the Englishman George Trice in 1889, has also been restored: its powerful sound can be appreciated thanks to the regular organ recitals.

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EATING AND DRINKING ENOTECA IL DRAGO 1 Piazza dell’Antenna, Tel. 045 7680670 This wine bar is not only in a perfect setting in the heart of the town, in Piazza dell’Antenna under the loggias of the Palazzo del Capitano on the way to the castle, but it is also to be recommended for its good wines, light meals, pasta dishes and bruschetta. Ideal for a short break! Tables under the porticoes. PIEROPAN Leonildo Pieropan, 3 Via Camuzzoni, Tel. 045 6190171, www.pieropan.it The name itself is enough to get wine enthusiasts all excited, since the Pieropans have been quality vintners for generations. Leonildo has won many prestigious awards and has fought successful battles to get Soave’s quality recognised. His Recioto di Soave, which is made from hand-picked grapes, is exceptional. The vineyard is directly on the climb to the castle, in a prime position on the hill.

COFFELE 5 Via Roma, Tel. 045 7680007, Mondays–Fridays Giuseppe Coffele is a vintner with every fibre of his being. Not only does he make excellent wines (his Recioto di Soave was awarded 3 glasses, the wine industry’s highest honour), but he also transmits his great enthusiasm for Soave wines to his guests. A visit to his wine cellar in the centre of Soave, in an historic house with inner courtyard and showroom is a special experience.

UFFICIO IAT – EST VERONESE (TOURIST BOARD) 1 Piazza Foro Boario, 37038 Soave Tel. 045 6190773, iat@estveronese.it

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SAN BONIFACIO 7 The lively trading and industrial centre of

ABBAZIA DI VILLANOVA On the borders of Vicenza the Benedictines founded the monastery of Villanova in the sixth and seventh centuries, and in the eighth century they built a church dedicated to Saint Peter. After a colourful history and a thousand years of monastic life, the Venetian Republic finally closed the monastery in 1771. Alongside the church, the large complex, with its welter of architectural styles, comprises spacious living quarters and workshops built around an inner courtyard. The foundations, crypt and tower are Romanesque, whereas the rose window and main façade, the belfry, famous frescoes

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San Bonifacio was developed as early as pre-Roman times around the small Motta hill, on which a castle of the ruling Sambonifacio family once stood. The castle was destroyed in 1243 by Ezzelino da Romano and only a few remains of the walls can be seen in the Parco della Rimembranza. The Sambonifacio family also gave their name to the place. Nearby Locara has for centuries constituted the border with the neighbouring province of Vicenza. In the 1850s, the Austrians built a railway, the Ferdinandea, connecting the two capitals of the Kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia, and a train station was built in San Bonifacio. This led to an economic boom that was to change local inhabitants’ tranquil life forever. San Bonifacio was one of the few places in the area to get a theatre, the Teatro Adelfico.

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of the Giotto school depicting the life of Saint Benedict in the right nave and many other paintings are Gothic. The presbytery contains a fifteenth-century Baroque altar with a stone statue of the grieving Virgin Mary by an artist from Wiener Neustadt. Near Villanova Napoleon suffered a rare defeat on 11 November 1796. A few pockmarks from cannon balls in the monastery wall and the wall of the campanile bear witness to this war. The monastery and its art treasures are certainly one of the high points of San Bonifacio and its surroundings. Two floors are also devoted to geological history and house a large collection of fossils and minerals.

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www.abbaziavillanova.org 1 Piazza San Benedetto; Tel. 045 7610253 Sundays 10am–11.30am, subject to telephone booking: Tuesdays–Saturdays 9.30am–11.30am Sundays 3pm–5pm (September–March), 4pm–6pm (April–August) Guided visits on request: Tel. 045 7612385, free entry

EATING AND DRINKING TRATTORIA AL CHIOSTRO 3 Piazza San Benedetto, Tel. 045 6103469, closed Saturdays lunch time and all day Sundays, www.trattoriaalchiostro.it The name is best rendered as “Cloister Inn”, and the trattoria’s

garden tables certainly provide an impressive view of the façade of the Villanova abbey’s church. This is a place for relaxing and, naturally, eating well – this is ensured by fine meat and fish dishes, a host of homemade products and an extensive wine list.

MONTEFORTE D’ALPONE 8 The area around Monteforte d’Alpone

is almost exclusively given over to intensive wine production, with about 1,500 of the 1,900 hectares dedicated to vines. By way of comparison, just think that the Caldaro/Kaltern South Tyrol area has only 760 hectares. Monteforte d’Alpone is thus Veneto’s greatest wine-growing area. The place once protected the important Roman Postumia road with a fort on the hill (hence its name, which literally means “strong mount”). Its distinctive feature is the church of Santa Maria Maggiore next to the town hall on Piazza Silvio Venturi with its classicist façade and an unusually tall campanile. The inside is also interesting

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VAL D’ALPONE AND BOLCA 9 Monteforte d’Alpone is at the mouth

of the Alpone valley which connects the Monti Lessini and the plain. Bolca, a unique fossil site, lies in this valley: the limestone, in fact, contains petrified forty-million-year-old sea creatures, and hitherto unknown species are constantly being discovered. All the museums of the area have finds from Bolca, but one of the finest displays can be found at Museo dei Fossili Bolca. 50 Via San Giovanni Battista, Bolca di Vestenanova March–October Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–1pm, 2pm–6.30pm November–February Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–noon, 2pm–5pm Tel. 045 6565088, www.bolca.it

EATING AND DRINKING IL CONVIVIO Via Vittorio Veneto 18, Tel. 045 4541262, closed Sunday evenings and all day Mondays, www.ilconviviotrattoria.com In Monteforte, where via Dante on

the main square turns into Via Vittorio Veneto, tucked away in a courtyard you will find this attractive eating place, a true Italian trattoria, where Luca spoils his guests with typical local dishes at very reasonable prices.

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thanks to the Corinthian columns. The church has two impressive buildings on either side: the Bishop’s Palace with its open staircase, inner courtyard with garden and cloisters, and the town hall in new Renaissance style.

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MONTEBELLO 10 As the cycle route winds its way through the level countryside, soft hills rise up immediately to the north that are dominated by church campaniles and the towers of once mighty castles that kept a watchful eye over roads and borders. The territorial claims of the Scaligeri family from Verona clashed here with those of the Carraresi from Padua, of the Venetian Republic and of the Visconti from Milan. The eleventh to fifteenth centuries really were exciting times, and it was only under the Venetian Republic that a period of peace finally began. At Montebello the Agno and Chiampo rivers that rise in the Monti Lessini flow down to the plain, and the hillside vineyards produce a good white DOC (Controlled Designation of Origin) wine, the Gambellara.

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ARZIGNANO AND THE TANNERIES The area around the Chiampo valley comprising the towns of Montebello, Arzignano and Chiampo is Italyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tanneries district. About 800 businesses employ a total of 9,000 workers and have set up shop in a relatively small area. The tannerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work has always been associated with toil, dirt and foul smells. A lot of water is required for tanning and draining, and the waste water and chromium compounds have in the

past caused major water and chemical pollution. Modern processing methods and waste water treatment systems, however, have enabled the environment and rivers to recover slowly. An exceptionally large number of immigrant workers are employed in the tanneries, which explains the remarkably large number of foreigners in this area.

MONTECCHIO MAGGIORE 12 On the horizon of the hills above

Montecchio Maggiore (350 metres above sea level) the two castles Castello della Villa and Bella Guardia stand opposite one another. The tragic story of two young lovers who are supposed to have lived here was related by contemporary poets and was subsequently reworked by Shakespeare in his play Romeo and Juliet, which he set in Verona. After Montebello Vicentino, the cycle route crosses the state road, motorway and railway and then runs through the plain towards the Berici hills and the neighbourhood of Brendola.

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The place is dominated by the ruins of the old bishopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s castle. At BRENDOLA 13 the cycle route splits into two: a straight, even route on slightly busy roads runs parallel to or within site of the motorway for about 17 km as far as Vicenza; and, for those who are not frightened of a little hard work, an alternative route over the northern edge of the Berici hills. This latter cycle route follows quiet roads through a beautiful country landscape, little villages, fields, deciduous and mixed woodland and vineyards before entering Vicenza on a delightful, slightly downhill stretch.

EATING AND DRINKING PASTICCERIA GELATERIA SWEET MEETING 13 Via Benedetto Croce, Brendola, Tel. 0444 400889, closed Mondays.

Another quick sugar boost before tackling the hills: in the town centre, on the main road, you can enjoy homemade ice-cream and cakes with a good cappuccino at little open-air tables.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: PRO LOCO BRENDOLA Piazza del Donatore, Tel. 0444 601098

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ALTAVILLA VICENTINA 14 On the level route to Vicenza you will cycle past busy industrial estates to the nearest large town, Altavilla Vicentina, whose significant population of 11,600 has turned it into one of Vicenza’s satellite towns. Its origins go back to Roman times, when it developed around a hill fort ("Rocca" or "Roccaforte" in Italian) of which only a few rock caves and vestigial walls remain. On the hill there is a 4-hectare park with safe paths up to the peak and the church of Saints Felice and Urbano. There are steps and railings for the steeper sections.

FROM VERONA TO VICENZA

Entry is free and the park is best accessed from Via Morosini or Via Fontanelle, 8.30am–7pm (summer months until 9 pm)

COLLI BERICI, THE HILLS AT ARCUGNANO AND VICENZA 15 The route from Brendola over the Berici hills takes us out of the heavily populated and intensively farmed plain and we suddenly find ourselves back in a remote, quiet area where time seems to pass more slowly. The hills run north-east to southwest for about 24 kilometres and extend over an area of about 165 square kilometres. This undulating plateau is crossed by numerous valleys, with Monte Alto its highest point at 444 metres above sea level. The hills are mainly limestone, which was formed many millions of years ago from the deposits of algae and small living creatures in the shallow sea beds (subsequent volcanic eruptions were responsible for the strata of basalt and tufa). The white and golden yellow limestone known as “Pietra di Nanto” in particular was used as building material in the larger towns of the Veneto such as Vicenza, Padua and Venice. The extensive quarries, some of which date from Roman times, form large underground chambers and caves. The

EATING AND DRINKING PIZZERIA MILLENNIUM Now that you’ve reached the top you deserve a treat. In the evening the Millennium serves pizza, while at midday it serves good local cuisine. One speciality is polenta with thick slices of sopressa salami and mush-

rooms, but there are also homemade pasta and grilled dishes. 75 Via San Bernardino, Perarolo, Arcugnano, Tel. 0444 550220, closed Mondays, www.millenniumpizzeria.it

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stone is now excavated in open-air quarries and is exported throughout the world. To the right of the route between Perarolo and Arcugnano there is the hollow of Fimon, and between trees and reeds you will come across LAKE FIMON 16 a natural oasis just a stone’s throw from Vicenza. The lake is a very popular destination for excursions, and boasts footpaths and themed nature and archaeology walks along the shore. BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA DI MONTE BERICO 1 We’ve decided to add the church at this point because it lies directly on the cycle route just before it goes down towards Vicenza along a monumental road, and we wouldn’t expect cyclists to make their way back up to see it. This imposing structure, topped by a cupola and flanked by a tall brick campanile, dominates the city’s skyline. The large terrace nearby guarantees an extraordinary view of Vicenza and the surrounding countryside stretching out below you, and you can see as far as the Dolomites in the north. The Basilica was erected to celebrate apparitions of the Virgin Mary reported to have taken place in 1426 and 1428. As the plague was ravaging the city at that time, citizens vowed to build a church if the plague ended, which is what happened. The church is still visited by many pilgrims, and the collection of votive offerings made by the faithful as thanks for their prayers being answered is fascinating. The basilica contains many important works of art, including Paolo Veronese’s enormous masterpiece The Supper of Saint Gregory. Tel. 0444 559411, www.monteberico.it

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VICENZA

Vicenza Vicenza is, first and foremost, the city of Palladio, the great Renaissance architect whose studies and revolutionary achievements have had a lasting influence on world architecture. It is no wonder that this city with a population of 116,000 has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1994. It is just 39 metres above sea level and lies between the Berici hills to the south and the foothills of the Alps (2,340 metres above sea level) to the north. The Brenta river valley is the gateway to the neighbouring province of Trento and the Dolomites. The territory to the east and west is flat, heavily populated and intensively

THE PROVINCE OF VICENZA IN FIGURES AREA: 2,722 square kilometres INHABITANTS: 872,000 THE SIX LARGEST TOWNS (IN TERMS OF POPULATION) ARE: Vicenza: 116,000 Bassano del Grappa: 43,000 Schio: 38,600 Valdagno: 30,900 Arzignano: 25,800 Montecchio Maggiore: 23,900

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cultivated, with an increasing amount of industrial areas being developed between the fields and vineyards. Alongside the works of Palladio, Vicenza has a host of further treasures from the Middle Ages and the Gothic period. The old city centre with its thriving business life, elegant shops and popular cafés is a real gem. Its streets and squares have greatly benefited from traffic calming measures and are enclosed by thirteenth-century city walls, forming a backdrop that nestles attractively against the green Berici hills. The province of Vicenza is one of Italy’s most important industrial areas and home to many small and medium-sized firms and companies from the engineering, textile, tanning, ceramics and jewellery sectors. Vicenza accounts for a third of Italian goldsmithing and is thus Italy’s undisputed gold capital. The international Gold Fair, Vicenzaoro (www.vicenzafiera.it, Tel. 0444 969111), which takes place three times a year (the biggest of the three is in January), is one of the industry’s most important and attracts exhibitors and visitors from all over the world.

SERVICE VICENZA 12 Piazza Matteotti, 36100 Vicenza Tel. 0444 320854, www.visitvicenza.org

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History of the city THE BEGINNINGS Vicenza is one of northern Italy’s oldest cities.

It is thought to have been founded by the Euganeans between 1100 BCE and 700 BCE. In 700 BCE the Veneti settled in the area, and in the following centuries they joined forces with the Romans, who called the place Vicetia. In 49 BCE Vicetia became a Roman municipium, which automatically granted its inhabitants Roman civil rights. After the fall of Rome the Longobards established a dukedom here. As Vicenza flourished, the Benedictines moved in and settled in the city, building monasteries and draining the plains. In 773 CE the Franks under Charlemagne conquered the area. After the assault by the Magyars in 899 and the destruction of the town, the first wall was built around what is now the city centre.

VICENZA

FROM CITY STATE TO THE SCALIGERI 1001 is considered the year

when the independent city state of Vicenza was founded. Vicenza was besieged and captured by neighbouring towns and their rulers several times, for example by the Paduan Lords of Carrara, the Veronese Scala family, and Ezzelino III da Romano in the thirteenth century. After the death of Ezzelino in 1259, Padua extended its rule over part of the territory until it submitted to the Scaliger lords of Verona in 1311. LATE MIDDLE AGES TO THE PRESENT Towards the end of the

fourteenth century Vicenza fell under the influence of Milan’s ruling family, the Viscontis, for a short time. In 1404 Vicenza was annexed to the Venetian Republic, where it remained until the Napoleonic conquest of 1797. It shared its subsequent history with the Venetian Republic, and thus became part of the Habsburg satellite kingdom of Lombardy–Venetia. In 1848 the struggle for unification with the Kingdom of Piedmont was ferociously crushed by the Austrian field marshal Radetzky. In 1866 Vicenza was finally incorporated into the new Italian state. During World War II the city was heavily bombarded by the Allies (there were over 100 casualties on 18 November 1944 alone). After the war, the historical buildings were rapidly rebuilt and Vicenza grew into a flourishing city.

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VICENZA ON THE INTERNET WWW.TEATROLIMPICOVICENZA.IT A very attractive website on the Teatro Olimpico, Palladio and his other significant WWW.ILGIORNALEDIVICENZA.IT works, with video clips; Vicenza’s daily newspaper on the Internet. also in English. The following Internet pages provide all sorts of information about Vicenza:

WWW.ULSSVICENZA.IT Hospital and health system, with the numbers of the guardia medica (medical service replacing GPs outside normal consulting hours).

WWW.SAPORIVICENTINI.IT This site tells gourmets all they need to know about wine, cheese and other local specialities with recipes, addresses, and dates of exhibitions, wine tastings and fairs; only in Italian.

WWW.VISITVICENZA.ORG Official tourist guide, with links to the individual areas of the whole Province; only in Italian.

WWW.CONSORZIOVINICOLLIBERICI.IT Detailed information about the wines of the Berici hills; also in English.

WWW.VICENZA-UNESCO.COM Everything about Vicenza’s world heritage monuments. Detailed description of all important monuments and Palladian villas; only in Italian.

WWW.VICENZAE.ORG Platform of the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism with a great deal of information and links to the town and province; also in English.

TEATRO OLIMPICO 2 In the sixteenth century, a group of cul-

tural enthusiasts built a theatre along the walls of a prison and parts of the site of the San Pietro castle belonging to the Carrara family. The theatre, called the Teatro Olimpico and the only work built by Palladio in his latter years, was the Renaissance interpretation of a Roman theatre. It is the first permanent theatre in the modern period, and was intended for the performance of classical plays. Work on the theatre began in 1580 (the year of Palladio’s death), and were carried on by his son Silla. The theatre was eventually opened when Vincenzo Scamozzi completed the famous perspective wooden backdrops, which are the only surviving Renaissance stage sets. Today, the theatre pre-eminently hosts classical performances and concerts. Piazza Matteotti, Tel. 0444 222800 Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–5pm, www.teatrolimpicovicenza.it entry with Vicenza Museum Card (see under Museums)

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VILLA VALMARANA AI NANI 3 This villa is in the

south of the town, very near the villa La Rotonda. It is called “Ai Nani” (nano is Italian for “dwarf”) because of the seventeen dwarf statues decorating its outer wall. According to one moving legend, the daughter of the house was of restricted growth, and in order to console her her parents surrounded her with a household of dwarves and commissioned dwarf statues for the garden. When the daughter secretly left the house one day, she came across people of normal size, realised her deformity and in desperation threw herself from the wall. The main house and the guest house are decorated with wonderful frescoes by Gian Battista Tiepolo and his son Gian Domenico, and are some of the finest examples of eighteenth-century Venetian painting. www.villavalmarana.com 8 Stradella dei Nani, Tel. 0444 321803 Reservation recommended, open 10 March–4 November Tuesdays–Sundays 10am–12.30pm, 3pm–6pm; € 9

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VILLA LA ROTONDA 4 On the south-eastern edge of the town on

a gentle rise there is the famous Villa La Rotonda, the epitome of the Renaissance villa and one of Palladio’s masterpieces.

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Building started in 1566, but the roof with cupola was only completed by Vincenzo Scamozzi after Palladio’s death. The villa’s uniqueness lies in its symmetrical shape. The four pronaos supported by Ionian columns and the staircase in front of the hall open the villa to the town and to the landscape. When Goethe travelled through Italy he was impressed by Palladio’s works, and by La Rotonda in particular. He was so rapt by the villa, in fact, that, after describing it in some detail, he stated that it was by far the most magnificent architectural construction ever erected.

PIAZZA DEI SIGNORI 5 The commanding Basilica on the Piazza dei Signori and surrounding squares (Piazza delle Biade, delle Erbe and the little Piazzetta Palladio) constitute Vicenza’s monumental centre. Historically, the Roman forum was almost certainly here, and in the Middle Ages this was undoubtedly the political and social heart of the town, containing the most important public buildings. Palladio gave the late Gothic Palazzo della Ragione (known as the Basilica) a two-storey colonnade, reminiscent of ancient temples and gathering places. The enormous copper roof is truly impressive and resembles the upturned hull of a ship.

Around the Basilica 6 Rising up next to the basilica, the city tower, known as the, "Torre civica“ or "Torre Bissara“ is, at 82 metres, one of the highest buildings in the town. The tower and the vast basilica are a demonstration of worldly power. The clock in the tower was installed in 1378 and is a masterpiece of engineering and astronomy that also shows the phases of the moon. Opposite the Basilica there is the Loggia del Capitaniato, which Palladio designed in 1565 as the official residence of the military head in charge of Vicenza on behalf of the Venetian Republic. The building is incomplete: only three of the originally intended five or seven arches were built. The size of the four gigantic half pillars indicates that the intended building would most probably have occupied the entire block of houses.

VICENZA

www.villalarotonda.it 45 Via della Rotonda Open 15 March–5 November, 10am–12pm, 3pm–6pm Gardens and exterior: Tuesdays–Sundays, € 5 Interior: Wednesdays and Saturdays, € 10

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CORSO ANDREA PALLADIO 7 You cannot visit Vicenza without strolling down the Corso Palladio A popular shopping avenue, it is also the main axis along which the town developed over the centuries. This pedestrian zone is thus a kind of open-air museum that is first and foremost dedicated to Palladio and his time, with monuments, palazzi and churches at every turn. Coming from Piazza Castello in the west, on the left in the Stradella dei Filippini there is the church of Santa Maria e San Cristoforo. At number 47 of the Corso you can admire the Gothic façade of the fifteenth-century Palazzo Thiene and its loggia. At the corner of Contrà Cavour you will find Palazzo Trissino-Baston (sixteenth–seventeenth century), one of Vincenzo Scamozzi’s masterpieces and now the town hall, which is built around a square inner courtyard. At number 147 of Corso Palladio there is Palazzo Dal Toso-Franceschini-Da Schio (1477) better known as Ca’ d’Oro (literally “golden house”), the portal of which is embellished with fine plant motifs. Just before the road turns into Piazza Matteotti you will find the wonderful church of Santa Corona, which houses the natural history and archaeological museum in its cloister.

VICENZA

DUOMO (CATHEDRAL) 8 The Duomo di Santa Maria Annunciata

is Vicenza’s episcopal church. The earliest traces of a basilica date back to the fifth century. Its brick structure and marble façade were built in 1267; the churched was subsequently refurbished in the late Gothic style in 1444–80. The Romanesque campanile to the right is eleventh century, whereas the cupola of the apse was designed by Palladio (1574). The cathedral’s single nave was richly decorated by important Venetian artists of different periods (fourteenth to eighteenth century), though sadly the frescoes were lost when the church was seriously damaged in World War II. The Bishop’s Palace with the diocesan museum is a plain neoclassical building that was built in the first half of the nineteenth century, replacing a medieval Palazzo. The fifteenth-century Loggia Zeno survives in the interior. Next to the Palazzetto Roma (1599) there is the entrance to the Roman cryptoportico, or covered passageway, below a house from the first century BCE.

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MUSEUMS

9 MUSEO DI SANTA CORONA www.museicivicivicenza.it 4 Contrà Santa Corona, Tel. 0444 320440, Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–5pm This museum was opened only in 1991 in the cloister of the church dedicated to the Santa Corona, or of the Holy Crown of Thorns, and is divided into two sections: a natural history section displaying fossils, flora and fauna that are typical of the Berici Hills, and an archaeological section tracing the history of the area from the Stone Age to the Longobards which focuses particu-

larly on Roman Vicenza. Owing to its important holy relic (a thorn allegedly from Christ’s crown of thorns), the church once attracted a great number of faithful. It now contains remarkable works by Bellini, Veronese, Montagna and others. 10 MUSEO CIVICO-PINACOTECA www.museicivicivicenza.it 37 Piazza Matteotti, Tel. 0444 222811, Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–5pm At the eastern end of Corso Palladio you will find Piazza Matteotti with its imposing Palazzo Chiericati,This palazzo, designed in 1550 by Palladio and intended as a nobleman’s residence, was not completed until more than a hundred years later. It has been the city’s museum since the mid nineteenth century and houses a picture gallery and collection of documents, engravings, coins and sculptures by important eighteenth- and nineteenth-century artists, including Montagna, Veronese, Tintoretto, Bassano, Maffei, Carpioni, Pittoni, Piazzetta and Tiepolo.

VICENZA

MUSEUM CARD VICENZA This combined ticket is valid for three days and gives admission to the following important museums: Teatro Olimpico, the Art gallery in Palazzo Chiericati, Museo di Santa Corona, Museo del Risorgimento e della Resistenza, Museo Diocesano and the Art gallery in Palazzo Leoni Montanari: € 8.50, The card can be bought at the museums, can be ordered by telephoning 0412 719044 or via http://olimpicovicenza.it.

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VICENZA

ANDREA PALLADIO Andrea di Pietro della Gondola, known as Palladio, was born in 1508 in Padua and died in 1580 in Maser, near Treviso. The son of a miller, Pietro della Gondola, Andrea moved to Vicenza as a young man in 1523, where he worked for more than ten years as a mason and sculptor. In about 1537 he met the humanist Giangiorgio Trissino and collaborated on building his villa on the outskirts of the city. Andrea also accompanied Trissino on journeys to Padua and Verona, which made a deep impression on the young artist and introduced him to local humanist circles. In 1541 he travelled with Trissino to Rome, where he discovered classical architecture. He thus completed his education in the space of just a few years and was transformed from a craftsman to an architect named Palladio. It was Trissino who gave him this name as an allusion to the Greek goddess of wisdom, Pallas Athena. Palladio’s first works already reflected the intelligence and facility with which he assimilated and enhanced the teachings of the Venetian architects with his passionate and analytical study of antiquity and his knowledge of the most interesting contemporary architecture, which he had gleaned during his stay in Rome. Fame arrived in 1549, when he was commissioned by Vicenza’s Council of One Hundred to rebuild the loggias of Palazzo della Ragione, which would become known as the Basilica. Palladio brilliant solution was to give the existing structure a magnificent outer shell of classical forms that were brought to life by the play of light and shade provided by the

Serliana, or Venetian window. From that moment on Palladio became the favourite architect of Vicenza’s aristocracy. After Trissino’s death in 1550 he found a new mentor in the Venetian Daniele Barbaro, the Patriarch of Aquileia. Palladio’s greatest works in Venice include the churches of San Giorgio Maggiore and Il Redentore. In 1570 he was appointed first architect of the Venetian Republic. In the same year he published The Four Books of Architecture, the treatise on which he had worked since his youth and in which he described most of his works. Palladio’s late works in Vicenza reflect his restless quest, the most emblematic of which is arguably his unfinished Loggia del Capitaniato with its noticeable disproportion between the façade and the sides, which refuse to conform to classical models. His last work, the Teatro Olimpico,also reflects the enduring expressive force and unwavering exploratory drive that inform Palladio’s architecture. Many of his works remained incomplete on his death. Some were brought to completion by Vincenzo Scamozzi whilst other projects, including Palazzo Chiericati were not finished until many years later (using plans contained in The Four Books of Architecture).

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Eating and drinking VICENZA CUISINE The most famous local dish is baccalà alla Vicentina, which is steamed salt cod with polenta. But there is also the speciality bigoli co’ l’arna, thick homemade spaghetti with a sauce made of duck meat, or pasta e fasoi alla vicentina which is fresh pasta made from soft wheat and eggs and brown borlotti beans, risi e bisi, locally grown rice and peas, risotto coi bruscandoli, made from tender hop shoots, risotto with white asparagus from Bassano and torresani, doves from a dovecote roasted on a spit, a Breganze speciality. The Berici hills produce excellent DOC wines and boast black truffles that are used in pasta sauces and in stuffing for poultry dishes. The fruit of the olive groves of these sunny hills is used to make highly priced olive oil.

BACCALÀ

Gourmets claim that the worldwide reputation of baccalà alla vicentina, vicentina a local recipe with an Italian variety of salt cod, can compete with the fame of Palladio. There is a “salt cod fraternity” that defends the honour of baccalà, organises tastings and festivals and has its own website (www.baccalaallavicentina.it). Sandrigo, a little town to the north of Vicenza considered to be the home of this recipe, has a partnership with the Norwegian Lofoten Islands, which is where the fish comes from. On the last weekend of September each year a “Festa del Baccalà” is held in Sandrigo with events in the squares and stands with baccalà and polenta. Fifteen thousand portions of salt code are eaten over the weekend. For more information: Tel. 0444 658148

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VICENZA

RADICCHIO TREVIGIANO

According to a popular saying, red radicchio is a gift from autumn to winter to brighten up the dull dark fields with its colour. There are many legends regarding the origins of this speciality and the old farmers still enjoy passing them on today. According to the most reliable of these stories, this delicacy was discovered quite by chance. One winter evening a farmer is supposed to have taken a load of radicchio home from the fields in his wheelbarrow, which he left in a corner and forgot. Several days later, inside one of the plants, whose rotten outer leaves he had removed, he found a healthy red heart. These crunchy and bitter little radicchio hearts are eaten raw as a salad green, but are also steamed and even grilled. Their versatility has led to a host of recipes. Radicchio is also used in medicine, where its roots and leaves have a purifying and digestive effect. There are

above all two types of radicchio di Treviso. The “early” radicchio Treviso precoce is harvested in September after it has grown for two months with the outer leaves tied together so that the heart of the vegetable sprouts new red leaves in the dark. The “late” radicchio, called radicchio tardivo, is harvested in November and has to have been exposed to frost. The harvested, layered plants are covered and watered, which is what gives the radicchio its soft, crunchy consistency and the unmistakable, slightly bitter taste that has earned it the IGP (or Protected Geographical Status). Other types of radicchio are grown and harvested in other areas: the Verona district has a round radicchio, Chioggia a round-headed and slightly white-veined one, and Castelfranco Veneto a yellow, red-speckled variety.

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EATING AND DRINKING

12 RISTORANTE SETTE SANTI 7 Piazzale della Vittoria, Tel. 0444 235470, closed Mondays This restaurant-pizzeria on a wonderful hill in the middle of Vicenza enjoys unique status. It is distinguished by its atmosphere and the quality of the service. 13 RISTORANTE ANTICA CASA DELLA MALVASIA 5 Contrà delle Morette, Tel. 0444 543704, closed Mondays This is probably Vicenza’s oldest hostelry. It is first mentioned as early as the fourteenth century and is just a stone’s throw away from Piazza dei Signori. It is not just the atmosphere but also the regional cuisine with typical sausages, and

cheeses, and local and international wines (over 70) and excellent Grappa that make this a must. 14 RISTORANTE AL PESTELLO 3 Contrà S. Stefano, Tel. 0444 323721, closed Sundays, www.ristorantealpestello.it A cosy, simple trattoria in the heart of the city, with local cuisine and a menu in the local dialect (but your hosts are only too happy to translate and explain it). As the restaurant is not very big, you are well advised to book. 15 OSTERIA IL CURSORE 10 Stradella Pozzetto, Tel. 0444 323504, closed Tuesdays Just a hop, skip and jump away from Piazza delle Erbe you will find this pleasant little osteria, which is especially popular with young people. The typical regional menu is good value for money and can be washed down with a rich selection of excellent wines. Outdoor seating also available in summer.

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11 ENOTECA BEREALTO 55 Contrà Pedemuro S. Biagio, Tel. 0444 322144, closed Sunday evenings and all day Mondays. One of the best wine bars in the province, with an excellent and carefully chosen selection of wines.

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16 AL BERSAGLIERE 11 Contrà Pescaria, Tel. 0444 323507, closed Sundays In the city centre, just a few steps away from the Palladian Basilica, there is this small, excellent restaurant with just a few tables, homemade bread and marvellous desserts. The owners really do believe that food is a labour of love.

VICENZA

17 SELF RESTAURANT RIGHETTI 3 Piazza Duomo, Tel. 0444 543135, closed Saturdays and Sundays, www.selfrighetti.it This self-service restaurant on the cathedral square, near Piazza dei Signori, is housed in an old palazzo

and therefore has an atmosphere all its own. It is very popular at lunch time and offers a good selection of house wines. Open-air tables also available. Good value indeed. 18 AGLI SCHIOPPI 24 Contrà Piazza Castello, Tel. 0444 543701, closed Sundays and Mondays, www.ristoranteaglischioppi.com This historical restaurant is right in the city centre, on the corner of Piazza Castello. All dishes are homemade, including the pasta and, of course, the local specialities, such as baccalà alla vicentina and fegato alla veneziana (calf liver with steamed onions). Quick dishes for workers at midday.

HOMAGE TO TULLIO CAMPAGNOLO If you cycle to Vicenza you should spare a thought for Tullio Campagnolo, one of the pioneers of bicycle construction. The founder of the Vicenza company of the same name still plays a leading role in developing components for cycling. Campagnolo gears for road bikes are amongst the best in the world. Campagnolo invented not only the derailleur but also quick releases for racing wheels. He has patented more than 135 inventions, and many cycling champions rode to victory on Compagnolo bikes, including Merckx, Hinault, LeMond, Indurain, Ullrich and Pantani. www.campagnolo.com

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From the station the wide Viale Roma goes north, past Campo Marzo on the right to Piazzale De Gasperi. On the right-hand side you will see Porta Castello, the old town gate and all that is left of the old town walls. Opposite, behind a stone gateway, there is the large Giardino Salvi park, a small river and two decorated loggias with columns. If you can walk through the city gate to Piazza Castello you will find yourself in the exclusive bank district, right at the start of the old city centre. Corso Palladio goes straight through the centre but you should turn right into Stradella Loschi, which takes you to the cathedral square. Here you will find the cathedral, the bishop’s palace, and the underground excavations of the cryptoportico (supporting semi-subterranean passageway) under the Roman house in the same place. You can then take Via Cesare

Battisti back onto Corso Andrea Palladio and then turn into Via Cavour at the magnificent Palazzo Trissino, the official seat of the town council. Via Cavour brings you to Piazza dei Signori, the town’s magnificent civic square. You are now surrounded by palazzi and colonnades, jewellers’ shops display gold and jewellery... You should treat yourself to an aperitif in one of the fine cafés (we recommend Pasticceria Sorarù) at one of the tables on the piazza. Contrà Santa Barbara brings you back to Corso Palladio. Just a few more steps and you are in front of the stone door of the Teatro Olimpico. Opposite, in Piazza Matteotti, you will see Palazzo Chiericati and the town’s museum. The return route takes you back via Corso Palladio again; you just need to cross the street. With all the fine shops and historical façades you will not be bored!

VICENZA

VICENZA AT A GLANCE

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EVENTS IN THE PROVINCE OF VICENZA

VICENZA

, May: In Arcole, just a few kilometres south of San Bonifacio, the asparagus festival has been held for over fifty years on the weekend nearest 1 May. Tel. 045 7639611, www.comunediarcole.it (in Italian). , May: New Conversation Vicenza Jazz – Jazz Festival in gorgeous settings, including the Teatro Olimpico. Tel. 0444 221541, www.vicenzajazz.org (in Italian) , June: Settimane Musicali al Teatro Olimpico – Chamber Music Festival in Vicenza in the historical Palladio theatre. Information and ticket office: Tel. 0444 324442, www.olimpico.vicenza.it (also in English) , September, first Saturday of the month: Giro della Rua in Vicenza – Procession with a wooden tower decorated with statues. Shops, restaurants and museums stay open till midnight. Tel. 0444 320854, www.visitvicenza.org (in Italian) September, third weekend of the month: Soave celebrates the wine festival,, one of the oldest in Italy. Culture and folklore in honour of the Garganega grape, the object of the district’s pride. The water in the village fountain is replaced by wine! For more information: Pro Loco Soave, Tel. 045 7680648, www.comunesoave.it/uva.php (in Italian) September, last Monday of the month: Luci e suoni sotto le mura – Son et lumière under the town walls, street party into the wee small hours.. Tel. 0444 320854, www.visitvicenza.org (in Italian) October: Culture & Music by Night – Hot nights in Vicenza with music, culture and shopping until late at night, in the streets, squares and in many bars and restaurants. For further information: cultural affairs department of the town hall. Tel. 0444 222169, www.comune.vicenza.it (also in English) Flea and antiques markets: Every fourth Sunday of the month in San Martino Buon Albergo, Piazza Del Popolo Every third Sunday of the month in Soave Every second Sunday of the month in Vicenza, Piazza Signori - Via Cavour - Piazzetta Palladio Weekly markets: Colognola ai Colli, Thursdays, Piazzale Trento - Via G. Marconi Monteforte d’Alpone, Saturdays, Piazza Venturi San Martino Buon Albergo, Saturdays, Via Adamello Loc. Borgo Della Vittoria San Bonifacio, Wednesdays, Corso Italia - Viale Trieste - Via Camporosolo Montebello Vicentino, Wednesdays, Via IV Novembre, Via Gen. Vaccari, P.zza Italia

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From Vicenza to Padua thermal district The 50-kilometre stretch from Vicenza to Padua thermal district follows the Bacchiglione River in a south-easterly direction. On the right you have the Berici hills with their sometimes rather steep cliffs; on the left fertile arable land. The higher ground is sometimes home to small villages, but the best views are enjoyed from the magnificent country villas of the rich Vicenza patricians. The very popular, excellent cycle route follows the course of a disused railway line as far as Longare. The Bacchiglione meanders through reed beds and water meadows until it is joined just before Longare by the Tesina from the north. Our route is on good but quiet country roads, and crosses the river several times. Then, past the hamlet of Montegalda, you will head towards the Euganean Hills, where you will have the chance to relax in a 4* spa resort in the largest European thermal district.

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Pedocchio

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San Germano dei Berici

Barbarano Vicentino

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Rovolon

Bastia

Fossona

Montegalda

Montegaldella

Ponte di Barbarano

Nanto

Castegnero

Costozza

Grisignano di Zocco

Grumolo delle Abbadesso

Torri di Quartesolo

Longare

Lago di Fimon

Arcugnano

Pederiva

Perarolo

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Brendola

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Treponti

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Valsanzibio Terme

Battaglia

Galzignano

Montegrotto Terme

Abano Terme

Selvazzano Dentro

Rubano

Saccolongo

Mestrino

3 A1

Due Carrare

Albignasego

Padova

A 13

A 31

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tozza lie at the foot of the hills just a few kilometres away from Vicenza. In the sixteenth century the city put in a series of ventidotti or underground ventilation shafts that brought fresh air into the village from the labyrinth of caves in the hills. This simple but ingenious idea soon made the village a destination for explorers and pleasure seekers and was described by Galileo Galilei, Torquato Tasso and Andrea Palladio. Villa Aeolia was built in the sixteenth century for Count Francesco Trenta but was only partially finished; it is now a restaurant and its owner will be happy to show you the cobbled vault of the cellar (which is also called the “dungeon of the winds”) from which the ventilation shafts fan out. In the seventeenth century Villa Trento–Carli, located on a hill, the Turm Torre della Specola (an astronomical observatory) stands in the shadow of an ancient cypress. Tradition has it that Galileo Galilei, when he was living in Padua, observed the heavens and celestial bodies with a telescope from this spot. On the village square of Costozza, near the arch that is a remnant of the old town wall, you will see the village fountain with the sloping stone washing trough. This is where the washerwomen used to meet.

THE “FUNGAIE”, OR MUSHROOM FARMS IN THE CAVES Mushrooms have been grown in the dark caves of the limestone cliffs behind Costozza for a hundred years, the constant temperature and humidity providing ideal conditions. Since the 1950s, the so-called pioppino mushroom (Agrocybe cylindracea), has been cultivated on a large scale, and grows best naturally in little clumps on the wood of dead poplars, or pioppo in Italian. It is related to the sheathed woodtuft and has a

brown cap and white gills (the fleshy part underneath the cap). The cultivated variety is grown on a mixture of straw, earth and chopped maize stalks. This excellent mushroom has firm white flesh and a pleasant taste. It is always on sale in Padua’s markets and is especially suitable as an accompaniment to meat or as an ingredient in vegetarian dishes. It also tastes really good preserved in oil or vinegar.

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COSTOZZA 1 The houses and villas of Cos-

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THE FERTILE BERICI HILLS

The Berici hills produce a range of typical regional products such as the peas that grow at the foot of the steep slopes of Lumignano in terraces called masiere. The pea harvest in May is celebrated with a popular town festival. It is said that the Benedictine monks particularly appreciated this crop and promoted it. Prosciutto Berico, a DOC (registered designation of origin) ham that is exceptionally mild and has been matured for at least ten months, is another product of the area. Then there are the black truffles that can transform a simple plate of tagliatelle into a feast. Cherries are grown all over this area, and the Festa dea Siaresa, or cherry festival, takes place in Castegnero, on the last Sunday in May and the first Sunday in June (see www.festadeasiaresadecastegnero.com). A very important local cherry variety is the Mora di Castegnero.

The olive oil produced on the south-east slopes, especially in the Barbarano area, is also a special, DOP (protected designation or origin) product. Wine is experiencing something of a renaissance in the area. Vines have been grown here for centuries producing blue grapes that give a bright red wine, which the local vintners called Tocai. However, since the 2007 EU edict that made it illegal to use this name (now reserved for Hungarian Tokaji), the locals came up with the new name of Tai rosso, rosso or Red Tai. All of a sudden the previously simple country wine has become an elegant, much-appreciated accompaniment to light Italian starters. Genetic analysis of the grape has revealed that it is related to the Sardinian Cannonau, French Grenache and Spanish Garnacha grapes. For more information on the wine of the Berici hills: www.bevidoc.it

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VILLE DA SCHIO There are three villas in the green surroundings

of a large park. The park itself is very interesting architecturally and botanically as it ascends via high, broad terraces to the old Benedictine church of San Mauro. The use of perspective in this eighteenth-century garden is a significant representation of the Enlightenment design canons. Reason controls nature and remoulds it: slopes become terraces, stone becomes statues and steps, plants become decorative topiary and everything together creates harmony and rational elegance. 4 Piazza G. Da Schio, Costozza di Longare Park: Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–12.30pm, 3.30pm–7.30pm Tel. 0444 555099, www.costozza-villadaschio.it

LA BOTTE DEL COVOLO 2 Piazza G. da Schio, Costozza, Tel. 0444 555128, closed Mondays When there were no home refrigerators, this chamber cut into the rocks with a circular vault that earned it the name of covolo was used by villagers to store snow and ice. It was filled in winter through the opening in the dome and the

ice would be used in summer for cooling foodstuffs. The enormous ice box is now used as a pub and rural wine bar. If you stand in the middle of the room you will experience a curious and entertaining acoustic phenomenon – noises are unnaturally amplified! Garden tables on the roof terrace offer fine views.

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EATING AND DRINKING

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THE “LITTORINA“ The cycle path follows the route of a disused railway with the Berici hills on the right and the silhouette of the volcanic sugar loaf of the Euganean hills to the south of Padua. This narrow-gauge railway known as the Ferrotramvia Vicenza-Noventa-Montagnana was opened in 1911 and linked the area to the Bassa Veronese, the low-lying flat area south of Verona. The Montagnana–Noventa section was closed after World War II because of the severe damage it had suffered. The smoking diesel-powered Littorina trains still travelled on the Vicenza–Noventa

section until 1978. They took their name from the Roman lictor, which was used as the symbol of Fascism. There has been a very popular cycle path on the Vicenza– Longare section for the past few years and the connecting stretch as far as Noventa was completed in 2012.

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HARD STUFF 2 Just before Montegalda, near the road there is a

large farmhouse nicknamed the “Palazzone”. The Brunello family offer farm holidays and in addition to wine, cheese and sausage they also sell an excellent grappa. One of the oldest distilleries in the province of Vicenza has been selling the “hard stuff” here for over a hundred years. Accommodation is also available. Il Palazzone, 51 Via G. Roi, Montegalda Tel. 0444 737253, www.brunello.it

MONTEGALDA AND MONTEGALDELLA 3 In these two places, one

of which is north and the other south of the Bacchiglione, two small hillocks rise up from the otherwise flat plain that was first settled as early as ancient times. At the time of the Longobards there was a castle on each hillock, which they called warte. According to one theory, the word gradually evolved into “galda”, and later Montegalda and Montegaldella. This border area between Vicenza and Padua was always hotly contested and splendid villas now stand on the little hills there were once stout fortresses.

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VILLA FOGAZZARO-ROI-COLBACHINI This seventeenth-century villa, which was rebuilt and extended in the first half of the nineteenth century, is a rare pearl framed against the backdrop of an Italian and English garden. It was the passion of the famous Vicenza writer Antonio Fogazzaro, who set a large part of his novel Piccolo mondo moderno (translated into English as The Little World of the Past) here. Since the villa was renovated it has housed an original and modern bell museum that deserves a visit as it contains exhibits from all over the world. Visitors to the museum can relax in the fine large park at tables and benches, and can also bring along their picnic lunches.

CASTELLO GRIMANI MARCELLO Montegalda castle was probably built in 1176 and was seized over the centuries by the different rulers of the area until it fell to the Venetian Republic in the fifteenth century. In the first half of the sixteenth century it again fell into the hands of the Spaniards; in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries it was finally transformed into a stately home. Underneath the eighteenth-century façade the building has retained almost all its original features. The inner courtyard contains interesting statues from the eighteenth century and the surrounding rooms are decorated with frescoes by famous local artists. The park and the belvedere garden are enchanting. 21 Via Castello, Montegalda Visits can be booked beforehand over the telephone Tel. 0444 636442

EATING AND DRINKING TRATTORIA TRE SCALINI 1 Via Castello, Montegalda, Tel. 0444 636385, closed Monday evenings and Tuesdays. This restaurant on the cycle route is

dedicated to local tradition. Needless to say, the baccalà, or dried salt cod, with polenta is highly recommended, but there are also fresh homemade pasta dishes. Fantastic wine list.

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3 Via Fogazzaro, Montegalda Tuesdays–Saturdays 3pm–6.30pm, Thursdays and Fridays also 9am–12.30pm. Tel. 0444 737526, www.muvec.it

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VILLA CONTI, KNOWN AS LA DELIZIOSA The villa stands on the site of the castle in Montegaldella. It was built in the seventeenth century and extended in the nineteenth. The romantic park is enclosed by an extensive wall, the barns (barchesse), ( and different outbuildings. The wrought iron-barred gate is one of Veneto’s finest. The garden contains several statures of figures from the Italian Commedia dell’Arte and behind the building there is the “wheel”, a colossal group of eighteenthcentury sculptures that symbolically represent the four continents. The chapel outside the walls of the park dates back to 1741. The building is used privately and can be viewed only in special circumstances. 4 MUSEO DEL BACCHIGLIONE After Montegaldella you are suddenly in the province of Padua, and after Cervarese Santa Croce on the south bank of the Bacchiglione you can clearly make out the castle of San Martino della Vanezza with its high keep and protruding machicolations down which pitch was poured onto besieging armies. The castle was built in a loop of the river around the year 1000 and changed hands several times during the conflicts between the comuni or munipalities of Padua, Verona and Vicenza until the area became part of the Venetian Republic in 1405, the borders were abolished, the

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castle lost its importance and was converted into a river port. Today it houses the Museo del Bacchiglione, which illustrates the importance of the river through its exhibits. The oak dugouts are interesting. Via Castello di San Martino, Cervarese Santa Croce September–October Fridays 9am–1pm, Saturdays 2.30pm–7pm Sundays 10am–1pm, 2.30pm–7pm Tel. 049 9915425, www.musei.padova.it

The Bacchiglione was the old waterway between Vicenza and Padua. It rises in the foothills of the Alps and is fed by underground springs as well as its tributaries the Retrone, Tesina and Ceresone. It flows through the city of Vicenza and, at the gates of Padua, receives the water of the Brentella canal. At Padua part of its waters are taken in a canal to the city and underneath the town walls. After Padua a northern arm joins the much larger Brenta so that barges can reach Venice via a canal. The Bacchiglione

itself turns south-east at Padua and, just before Chioggia, it joins the Brenta, so that the waters of the Brenta and Bacchiglione flow together into the Adriatic. Today, the navigable stretch of the river, from Creola to Bassanello near Padua, is an atmospheric waterway in natural surroundings. The bank is lined with the boathouses, open-air lidos and indoor swimming pools of the swimming and rowing clubs. Bathing facility: 9.30am–7pm, Tel. 049 681300, www.padovanuoto.it

VILLA EMO CAPODILISTA 5 This villa was built by the Veronese

architect and painter Dario Varotari the Elder (1539–1596) in Selvazzano Dentro. This villa is considered to be one of the most unusual of the Venetian villas. Standing on a hill in the middle of a tree-lined Italian garden, it is square in shape with large frescoed loggias and unusual fanciful gabling. From the top of the hill the visitor enjoys a prospect that we may find impressive today but was once deployed for mainly defensive purposes; near the villa on Montecchia hill there are the suggestive remains castle walls (the castle foundations date from the eleventh century). The villa today houses a quality wine cellar and an expensive hotel. 16 Via Montecchia, Feriole di Selvazzano Dentro, € 6, groups only Tel. 049 637294, www.lamontecchia.it

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THE BACCHIGLIONE RIVER

Monte Rosso

Monte Bello

Treponti

La Croce

SP 60

Monterosso

SP 25 Monte BoscalbĂ˛

Monteortone

Monte Lonzina

Monte Ortone

Tramonte

SP 98 Monte Campana

SP 25d Leonardo da Vinci

Cocchio

Monte Solone

BernardiPedron San Daniele

Monte Sengiari

SP 25

Luvigliano

SP 43

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CĂ Zorzi

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SP 25

Villa Immacolata

Parco Regionale dei Colli Euganei

Monte Zogo

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Padua thermal district

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1 Praglia Abbey 2 Villa dei Vescovi

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Padua thermal district

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

The heart of the Terme Euganee consists of the communes of Abano and Montegrotto: together with Galzignano, Teolo and Battaglia, they form the largest thermal basin in Europe. The therapeutic properties of these waters have been acknowledged for centuries and are prized to this day.

Euganean Hills Tucked in the Venice Lands (or Veneto), the Euganean Hills Regional Park rises from the plains of the River Po, an ancient outcrop of hills covering 19,000 hectares within a perimeter of 65 km. The 100 or so hills reach an average height of 300/400 m, Monte Venda being the highest at 601 m. Geologically, the formation of the Colli (colle is Italian for hill) dates back some 135 million years, as sedimentary deposits settling at the bottom of the sea that once washed these lands calcified into rock. A hundred million years later, a series of volcanic eruptions shaped the hills with their classic contours of volcanic structures. The Euganean Hillsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rocks have been exploited by man since time immemorial, namely chalk and marl for limestone fertilizer; and volcanic rock for paving, by virtue of its resistance and grip in slippery conditions. Many of the Venetoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets and piazzas are decked with this stone.

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

Unsurprisingly, from the Middle Ages onwards, canals were dug to reach the Euganean Hills and supply communities with construction material (timber, rock, limestone), as well as foodstuff (oil, wine, fruit). Numerous mills lined these waterways. 1971 brought the first â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Environmental Protectionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; legislation to safeguard the natural beauty and ecology of the Euganean Hills. This led to the progressive closure of the 70 or so quarries, which had blotted the landscape over time, and to a number of projects aimed at restoring the sites to their natural state. Very few areas are now actively quarried. A natural oasis of biodiversity, the Euganean Hills provide a home to a remarkable range of species. Quite unusually, they enable vegetation thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more typical of hot and arid areas (Mediterranean maquis, including a variety of dwarf prickly pear) to thrive alongside greenery typical of mountainous regions (such as chestnut woodland). Viticulture has also prospered since ancient times, flourishing in particular during the Middle Ages and beyond; the Venetian nobility in particular, in former times, provided a fine palate for the wines of the Colli.

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THERMALISM OF THE EUGANEAN HILLS The thermal nature of the Hills, interestingly, is not directly associated with their volcanic formation: it stems from the rainwaters of the Lessini Mountains and the ‘Small Dolomites’, both located further north, within the provinces of Vicenza and Verona. These waters feed underground rivers some 2000/3000 m deep, re-emerging at the Euganean Hills 25/30 years later (and after a journey of some 100 km), rich in mineral salts, mildly radioactive and at a temperature of around 87°C (156.6°F). There are a couple of hundred wells

providing in total 24 million litres of water a day! The salty-bromidic-iodinated water is used in a range of therapies, principally: bathing, inhalation and mud. Thermal mud is created by maturing Euganean clay in pools of spring water for approximately 60 days. Its high anti-inflammatory properties are ideal in the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, osteoporosis, trauma, fractures and in helping recovery from surgery.

The best in brief

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

1 PRAGLIA ABBEY

The Benedictine abbey of Praglia (from pratalea, meaning a location surrounded by lawns) was created over the XI and XII centuries. The current complex (1460-1550 ca.) illustrates its passage from the late Gothic to the early Renaissance. Visits are guided by a monk and no booking is required. They include four cloisters, the chapterhouse, monumental refectory, panoramic loggia and the late Renaissance church dedicated to St Mary of the Assumption. Monks gather here several times a day for liturgical prayer. Located at 16 Via Abbazia di Praglia, Teolo. Tel. 049 9999300 Summertime guided tours: Sundays and public holidays: 15.30 to 17.30 every half hour. Other days: 15.00-15.40-16.20-17.00 Closed: Mondays, Good Thursday through to Easter Sunday, Pentecost, Assumption Day. Admission: free (by donation) www.praglia.it

2 VILLA DEI VESCOVI

A magnificent classically-inspired villa of the Renaissance, built as the Bishop of Padua’s country retreat. Characterised by its small loggias and harmoniously immersed in the nature

of the colli,, the villa lent itself perfectly to hosting the artists and literati of the day. It remained Church property until 1962, when it was acquired by an entrepreneur who restored it. Villa dei Vescovi was recently endowed to the Fondo Ambiente Italiano heritage organisation (similar to the British National Trust) and opened to the public. Includes a gift shop, cafeteriabistrôt and wine bar.

3 BIOTOPO DI SAN DANIELE

Wetland created out of artificial ponds, formed where clay was once quarried for bricks. Located at Via Rialto, Torreglia Open daily, Admission free 4 MONTEORTONE SANCTUARY

Dedicated to Our Lady of Health (Salute), its legends tells that in 1428 a soldier was cured of the plague after bathing in a font where there lay a picture of Mary. A church was built on the spot and decorated with frescoes (XV century). Nearby are the cave where the miracle is purported to have taken place, and a former Augustinian convent, now a Salesian institute with a generous Renaissance cloister. Located at 63 Via Santuario, Abano Terme. Tel. 049 8669447 Opening times: 9-12 am and 3.30-7pm www.monteortone.it

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

Located at 4 Via dei Vescovi, Luvigliano di Torreglia. Tel. 049 9930473 Opening times variable Admission: adults € 11, children 4-14 € 4, children 0-4 free, families (2+2 children 4-14) € 25 www.fondoambiente.it

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5 ABANO TERME

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The town centre is largely pedestrianised, with its plush hotels and well-tended gardens, shops, restaurants and bars. The two jewels in the hospitality crown are the Grand Hotel Orologio, with its neoclassical faĂ§ade (XVIII/XIX centuries); and the Hotel Trieste & Victoria, where the Italian Supreme Command was stationed during the Great War. A short walk from the centre takes us to Colle Montirone, the hill which for centuries was the focal point of the spas, with a spring that rises here naturally, and which once fed the baths and a mill. A monumental colonnaded entrance leads into the park, where a complex of XVIII-/XIX-century baths has been recreated. On the adjacent Colle di San Daniele rises the monastery that

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

157

shares its name. Founded in the XI century, it is now a cloistered convent for Benedictine nuns. It is however possible to visit the small Baroque church, the panoramic terrace and some of the halls designed and furnished in the years when the original edifice was converted into a country house.

EATING AND DRINKING 1 RISTORANTE VERBENA 21 Via Montirone, Abano Terme Tel. 049 8669505 Closed Wed International and local dishes. The pizza is light, fragrant and easy to digest. Quality ingredients.

2 RISTORANTE LA SCALA 33 Via Marzia, Abano Terme Tel. 049 863 0306 Closed Mon A refined ambience offering mainly fish and seafood.

6 MONTEGROTTO TERME

It is traditionally believed that Mons Aegrotorum – Mountain of the Sick, in Latin – was a hill where the ailing would seek solace in the thermal waters and mud. The centre of present-day Montegrotto has developed around the Oratory of Our Lady or of Saints Peter and Elisha, an ancient country church which was rebuilt in the XVIII century. On an upland a short distance away stands the Cathedral of St Peter, built in 1949. The archaeological area lies between two streets – Corso delle Terme and Via degli Scavi – and offers the ruins of a Roman thermal complex dating to the I century AD. On a hillside just out of town is Villa Draghi, a XVII-century mansion in Neogothic Venetian style, immersed in a grand park and affording magnificent views of this spa locality. Montegrotto is also renowned for its Y-40 The Deep Joy, recognised by Guiness World Records since 5 June 2014 as the deepest

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE OF ABANO Located at 18 Via Pietro d’Abano. Tel. 049 866 6262 www.visitabanomontegrotto.com (also in English) Opening times: Mon-Fri 9.30am-5.30pm. Sat, Sun closed

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pool on earth: it is also the only scuba pool filled entirely with thermal waters. It measures 21x18 m and reaches a depth of 42.15 m. Viale Stazione / Via degli Scavi Archeological Site Located at Via degli Scavi For information and to arrange visits, contact Associazione Lapis, Tel. 3890235910 www.aquaepatavinae.it Y-40 The Deep Joy Located at Hotel Terme Millepini, 42 Via Cataio. Tel. 049 891 0416 www.y-40.com 7 SAN PELAGIO

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

The central tower reveals the medieval origins of this edifice, which was restructured in the XVIII century. Its vast surrounding garden includes a maze. This was the operative base of the legendary La Serenissima air squadron in 1918, which flew a daring raid over Vienna led by the patriot and poet, Gabriele D’Annunzio. Since 1980 it has served as the Museum of Flight (or Museum of Air and Space): among the top aeronautical collections in Europe, it illustrates through its museum pieces the history of human flight – from Leonardo da Vinci’s flying machines to the conquest of space. Located at 50 Via San Pelagio, Due Carrare. Tel. 049 9125008. Mob. 338 1623019 Opening times: Thu, Fri, Sat 10am-13pm and 2.30-6.30pm. Sun and public holidays 10am-7pm. Admission to museum + park: adults € 12, children 5-14 € 8, families (2+2) € 35. Admission to park € 8 www.castellosanpelagio.it

ANCIENT WATERWAYS The navigli (navigable canals) dug into the rock around the hills draw their waters from the Bacchiglione River. This network of elevated waterways across the countryside feeds off the surrounding heights and irrigates by means of underground ducts: an extraordinary feat of hydraulic engineering begun in the Middle Ages and continued through Renaissance times with the

gradual reclamation of land. The two main canals are the Canale Battaglia, to the east of the Hills, which connects Padua and Monselice; and Canale Bisacco, to the west, which meanders like an eel – hence its name, drawn from the dialectal word for this waterine creature: bisatto.

8 BATTAGLIA TERME

A first settlement developed here in the Middle Ages around the natural spa cave of Colle Santâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Elena. But it was in the XII century, when the Paduans created a waterway, that Battaglia became a major riverine port and a crossroads for merchants and travellers.To this day the visitor can appreciate the original logic of its historic centreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s layout: it does not revolve around a classic piazza, but a canal. Connecting the two banks with all their buildings is Ponte del Scaini, a Venetian bridge unique of its kind on mainland. 1 PONTE DEI SCAINI

The bridge was rebuilt after the Second World War, the original one having been destroyed. On the left, towards the road, stands a statue of St John of Nepomuk. The Bohemian martyr

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is considered the patron saint of bridges because he was pushed off one into the River Vltva and drowned. He is widely celebrated throughout Europe on 20 March. At Battaglia the saint is also remembered by farmers, who traditionally hang loaves of bread from his hands.

EATING AND DRINKING 7 EL BARCARO 66 Via delle Terme, Battaglia Terme Mob. 331 9527404 Aperitivo and much more besides. A great place to enjoy cicchetti (pronounced ‘chicketty’: Venetian tapas), a main course or just a starter to keep you going. Friendly and informal. Good wine list.

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6 IL RISTORANTINO 75 Via Roma, Battaglia Terme Mob. 348 8581703 Closed Mon A humble half-pint restaurant, family-run, well looked after and quiet. Serves both meat and fish.

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2 CASTELLO DEL CATAJO

Constructed by mercenary warlords in the mid-XVI century, in the manner of a medieval fortress. In the XIX century it came into the hands of the Este family (not to be confused with the town of the same name) and, in turn, of the Habsburg. The imposing castle of Catajo (literally, ‘house on the canal’) preserves in its halls a notable cycle of XVI-century frescoes. It is surrounded by the Parco delle Delizie (‘Park of Wonders’), rich in botanical species including the first specimens of magnolia and sequoia imported into Europe from America. Located at 1 Via Catajo, Battaglia Terme. Tel. 349 9347190 Opening times: Sun, Tue, Thu, Fri & Public holidays. April, May, June, July, August 3-7pm. March, September, October, November 2.30-6.30pm. Admission: adults € 9, children 6-12 € 3.00, children up to 5 years free. www.castellodelcatajo.it

Located at Viale Sant’Elena, Battaglia Terme Closed to the public 4 CASTELLO DI LISPIDA

Dating to the late XVIII century, it rises upon the ruins of a monastic complex. It is now an agricultural concern surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and woodland. During the Great War these were the headquarters of the King of Italy, Victor Emanuel III. The historic cellars house a wine bar offering local wine and food tasting. Located at 4 Via IV Novembre, Monselice. Tel. 0429 780530. Mob. 349 3416009 (wine bar) Wine bar opening times: March to October on Fri, Sat, Sun 1.30-8.30pm www.lispida.com

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

3 VILLA SELVATICO SARTORI

This XVI/XVII-century stately home rises on a colle affectionately known as ‘Stove Hill’ on account of the thermal water gurgling into a natural cave. A 135-step stairway worthy of a stage set leads into a squareplanned villa with lateral loggias and a central dome. Within, a cycle of mythological frescoes tell the story of Antenor, the legendary founder of Padua. The house is surrounded by a garden with three thermal ponds.

5 RIVER NAVIGATION CIVIC MUSEUM

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

Dedicated to the lives and culture of the barcari (boatmen), highlighting different aspects of their trade. 63 Via Ortazzo, Battaglia Terme. Tel. 049 525 170. Mob. 345 6822956Opening times: March to October, Wed-Sun 9-12am and 3-6pm. Until 30 August also Thu evening 9-11pm Admission: € 5 museonavigazione.eu 9 VILLA BARBARIGO AND MONUMENTAL GARDEN OF VALSANZIBIO

The garden of Valsanzibio is one of the most celebrated and refined historic parks of the Baroque era. Created in the midXVII century after a catastrophic plague, it illustrates the spiritual Path to Purification and Salvation to be undertaken by Man – a message reinforced by a maze. It is enriched by a number of water features (fishponds, fountains and water games). Also includes hundreds of statues and some spectacular evergreen espaliers across its walls. Located at 12 Via Barbarigo, Valsanzibio. Tel. 049 9131065 Opening times park: daily March to December 10am-1pm and 2pm-sunset Admission park: adults € 11, children up to 14 € 6.50 Guided tours by reservation only www.valsanzibiogiardino.it

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10 GALZIGNANO TERME

Surrounded by hills, its magnificent setting preserves a virtually uncontaminated environment. Its lands are rich in thermal springs, which provide for the hotels as well as the nurseries and their tropical greenhouses. Rose to prominence in the Middle Ages thanks to its strategic location. Being within easy reach by water, the Venetians embarked on local land reclamation from the XVI century onwards, subsequently carving up the territory and building their own villas.

The culinary tradition of the Euganean Hills is rooted in earthy simplicity: food of a people who were often poor and would make the best of what nature might offer. Farm fowl comes to the fore, with chicken, guinea-fowl, duck and goose all providing the base for many dishes such as duck ragù with home-made pasta (tagliatelle, bigoli or gnocchi gnocchi). Another classic is risotto with chicken liver and peas, or with spring greens. Another risotto stands out: with bruscandoli, or hop shoots. Mains include grilled meats and roasts. There are no less than 13 DOC-appellated wines from the Euganean Hills, the most noteworthy being serprino, a sparkling white with a fresh and fruity aroma; the DOCG moscato fior d’arancio (orange blossom muscatel), bottled either sweet or dry; the colli red, pressed from merlot, cabernet and raboso grapes. Maraschino (distilled cherry liqueur) is a must-try, as is Brodo di giuggiole (literally, broth of jujube, or red date), which includes quince and grapes, and is typically found around Arquà Petrarca. The medieval-walled city of Montagnana (a gem), also in the shadow the colli, is famous for its prosciutto crudo dolce (‘sweet’ cured ham). Honey and olive oil also hold their own.

PA D UA T H E R M A L D I S T R I C T

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Padua

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A set phrase describes Padua as the “city of the Saint and Great Scholars”. The saint referred to is Anthony of Padua and the magnificent basilica bearing his name. Italy’s most popular saint and frequently depicted holding a lily and the Infant Jesus in his arms, he is called upon to solve all manner of problems, but is most often invoked when something precious has been lost. The second part of the phrase is a reference to the city’s distinguished scholarly tradition and the fact that Padua’s university, which was founded in 1222, is one of the oldest in the world. Of course, Padua has a lot more to offer. After Verona, it is the largest city in north-eastern Italy and boasts a proud past that is epitomised by its medieval city centre with its little squares, narrow streets and 24 kilometres of porticoes.

THE PROVINCE OF PADUA IN FIGURES AREA: 2,722 square kilometres INHABITANTS: 837,000 THE SIX LARGEST TOWNS (IN TERMS OF POPULATION) ARE: Padua: 215,000 Albignasego: 23,500 Selvazzano Dentro: 22,400 Vigonza: 22,100 Cittadella: 20,000 Abano Terme: 19,800

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Come rain or shine, Paduans stroll under these arcades in the evening and at weekends, popping into the bars, pizzerias, restaurants and elegant shops. Padua is also the city of important artists such as the Florentine Giotto, who created one of his greatest works in the Cappella degli Scrovegni and Donatello, who sculpted incomparably impressive bronze statues for the basilica and square. A lively pub scene has developed in the narrow streets of the former Jewish ghetto with its tall houses, which is no surprise considering that almost a third of Padua’s 215,000 inhabitants are students! The city is unquestionably the economic hub of north-eastern Italy and a byword for the rapid economic growth that was brought about by the hard work and commitment of the enterprising small and mediumsized businesses. The Veneto region is the indisputable driving force behind the Italian economy, and Padua is its engine room. The flat, level city lies on the extreme eastern expanse of the Po Valley, just 40 kilometres from Venice and the Adriatic. To the south there are the Euganean hills with the famous hot springs and spas of Abano and Montegrotto. As they are so close to hand, they are frequented by Paduans looking for a

IAT PADOVA (PADUA’S TOURIST BOARD) 8 Riviera dei Mugnai, 35137 Padova Tel. 049 8767911

Piazza del Santo, 35137 Padova Tel: 049 8753087 www.turismopadova.it E-Mail: info@turismopadova.it

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little relaxation, but they are also a magnet for cultural tourism. The perfectly level city is criss-crossed by watercourses and canals that are fed by the Brenta and Bacchiglione. The fact that the city is so close to the sea and is surrounded by water definitely affect the climate: summers are oppressively hot and humid, while in the winter months the city and surrounding countryside are often covered in thick fog for days on end.

History of the city THE FOUNDATION OF THE CITY Legend has it that Padua was

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founded in circa 1184 BCE by the Trojan Prince Anthenor, who had survived the destruction of Troy. He came up the Brenta from the Adriatic and drove the Euganeans back into their hills to the south. This may be the stuff of legend, but archaeological finds confirm that there was indeed a prehistoric settlement in 1100–1000 BCE. THE ROMAN PERIOD Patavium, as Padua was known to Romans, expanded along the site of the modern-day city and was granted Roman civic rights in 49 BCE. The city developed into a wool-producing and horse-trading centre and was also an important stop on the route linking the most important Roman towns of that time. Via Annia (from Aquileia), Via Postumia (the Genoa–Venice route) and Via Claudia Augusta (that ran from Altino near Venice to Germania via the Adige Valley) all converged here. At that time Padua was the third-largest city in the Roman Empire after Rome and Cadiz in southern Spain. Padua thrived during this unprecedented four-hundred-year period of peace. In the fourth century CE the city converted to Christianity and the first churches were founded. The local cults of Saint Justine, Saint Prosdecimus (the city’s patron saint) and Saint Daniel, who is supposed to have been martyred in Padua, date back to this time. In 452 and 453 Attila and his Huns attacked and pillaged the city. A little less than a hundred years later Padua was caught between two opposing sides when the Longobards and the Eastern Roman Empire of Byzantium waged war on one another. In 589 Padua was devastated by floods and a little later

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it was destroyed by the Longobards. Some measure of peace was restored only during the two centuries of Frankish domination. At the end of the eighth century Bishop Tricidio built the first cathedral; Benedictine monks then founded monasteries, and drained and improved the land. Around the year 1000 Padua became a free comune. Padua was then destroyed by an earthquake in 1117 and burnt to the ground in 1174; it also had to defend itself against the ruling Ezzelino family of Onara. The city’s university was founded in 1222, making it Italy’s oldest after Bologna (1088) and one of Europe’s oldest. In 1303–1305 Giotto frescoed the Scrovegni Chapel. THE AGE OF ARTISTS AND INTELLECTUALS In 1328 the Scaliger

family of Verona conquered the city and ruled it for a short time. The following years were Padua’s golden age for art. Masters such as Giusto de’ Menabuoi, Guariento, Altichiero and Petrarch were called to the court of the Carrara family, who came to power in 1318. Venice, however, was becoming increasingly powerful and in 1405 Padua submitted to the up and coming Venetian republic. The Carrara family spent their final days in the prisons of Venice. The next four centuries brought Padua peace and prosperity during which the university attracted intellectuals, including Galileo, from all over Europe.

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When Venice fell (1797) during the Napoleonic wars, Napoleon handed Padua to the Austrians. The Austrians were eventually defeated by the French and, after the Piedmontese and German alliance, the Veneto and thus also Padua became part of the new Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

PADUA ON THE INTERNET

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MATTINOPADOVA.GELOCAL.IT Padua’s daily paper on the Internet. WWW.APADOVA.INFO/OSPEDALEPADOVA Hospital and health system, with the numbers of the guardia medica (medical service replacing GPs outside normal consulting hours). WWW.TURISMOPADOVA.IT The Paduan Province’s official tourist guide, with diary of events, ticket service, information on public transport, timetables, descriptions of the villas and castles and information on boat trips; also in English.

WWW.STRADADELVINOCOLLIEUGANEI.IT Detailed information on the wines from the Euganean hills. This is a good site for gourmets and also contains itineraries for cycle rides in the area; only in Italian. WWW.PADOVANET.IT The city platform, a community network with lots of information about the city and its province, with useful links, things to see, events, etc; only in Italian. WWW.SANTANTONIO.ORG This website dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua contains an incredible amount of news, including an online edition of the Messaggero di San Antonio, a periodical devoted to Saint Anthony. The hard-copy version sells 570,000 copies, making it Italy’s most widely sold monthly.

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The best in brief PADOVA CARD This ticket gives entry to most of the tourist at-

tractions in and around Padua. For example, in Padua: the Capella degli Scrovegni (Scrovegni Chapel), Palazzo Zuckermann, Palazzo della Ragione, Oratorio San Rocco, Orto botanico (or botanical gardens), Musei Civici degli Eremitani, Battistero (baptistery), the cathedral, the upper storey of the Caffé Pedrocchi, the Oratorio San Michele. Two Padova Cards are available: a € 16 version, which is valid for 48 hours; a € 24 version, which is valid for 72 hours. The ticket can be bought online (promozione@turismopadova.it), at tourism offices, at the ticket desks of the Musei Civici degli Eremitani and in many large hotels. More from www.padovacard.it/ted/t_punti_vendita.php

CAPPELLA DEGLI SCROVEGNI 1 This small frescoed church in

the east of the town is perhaps Padua’s most famous attraction. It was commissioned in the early fourteenth century by Enrico Scrovegni, the son of a famous merchant and banker to atone for any sins his father may have committed (his father was reputedly a usurer, and Dante put him in one of his circles of hell in the Divine Comedy). Comedy). The chapel contains a fresco cycle by Giotto depicting scenes from the Day of Judgement and the life of Jesus and Mary. It is a seminal work in the history of art because of its innovative, previously unimaginable realism.

PIAZZA DEI SIGNORI 2 It was here that, in the fourteenth cen-

tury, the imposing palazzo of the Carrara family, the Signori or lords of the city, stood, and that the power of municipal government was subsequently concentrated. Palazzo del Capitanio (1598-1605), was the residence for one of the two representative of the Venetian Republic, the capitano, or captain, as opposed to the podestà, or chief magistrate. Its façade surrounds a triumphal arch dating from 1532 with an impressive clock. Another significant building is the historical church of San Clemente, which was the merchants’ church in the Middle Ages and was rebuilt in the late sixteenth century.

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www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it 8 Piazza Eremitani; Tel 049 2010020 The chapel can be visited only by prior arrangement and you are allowed only 20 minutes per visit: 9am–7pm, Summer 9am–10pm

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PIAZZA DELLE ERBE AND PIAZZA DELLA FRUTTA 3 The pictur-

esque, lively main marketplace hosts a daily fruit and vegetable market, as well as a flea market. In the middle is the imposing Palazzo della Ragione which divides the square into the southern Piazza delle Erbe (literally herbs or vegetables) and the northern Piazza della Frutta (literally fruit). Despite their names, fruit and vegetables are sold on the Piazza delle Erbe while the flea market is held on the Piazza della Frutta. Mondays–Fridays 7.30am–13.30pm, Saturdays 7.30am–8pm. Seventy market stalls. In the indoor market on the ground floor of the Palazzo della Ragione groceries, sausage, cheese, meat are sold along with baccalà (salt cod), an indispensable ingredient of the local cuisine. (Tourists may also find it rather unusual that the butchers sell sfilacci,, i.e. thin strips of smoked horse meat.) To the east the marketplace is bounded by the back of the Palazzo del Municipio, the old, thirteenth-century town hall. The statue of Justice (1552) between two arches on the ground floor should be seen as should the inner courtyard with the original 1539 façade and the 1526 staircase that leads up to

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the raised Doric inner courtyard from which the Palazzo della Ragione can be reached. The Piazza is where Paduans meet for an aperitif and “spritz”, an orange-red cocktail made of white wine, mineral water and a shot of Aperol. Wednesday evening is Uni evening, when the piazza belongs to the students! PALAZZO DELLA RAGIONE 4 The palazzo is also known as the

“Salone” because of its huge hall, or Salone, which is 78 metres long, 27 metres high and 27 metres wide. The building was erected in the thirteenth century as a court and chamber where trade disputes could be resolved. The dome, which looks like the overturned hull of a boat, was originally decorated with frescoes by Giotto that were destroyed in a fire in 1420 but were then immediately repainted from models. They are one of the largest astrological cycles in existence (over 200 metres). The wooden horse (1446) in the middle of the room is a copy of the equestrian statue of Gattamelata in front of the Basilica di Sant’Antonio. The pietra del Vituperio (literally, the stone of vituperations), is where those guilty of bankruptcy were made to sit in their undergarments in front of at least a hundred people while judges deliberated on their fate. Entrance from Piazza delle Erbe, Tel. 049 8205006 Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–6pm, Summer 9am–7pm; € 4

its predecessors, which date back to the fourth century, originally stood. In 1551, Michelangelo’s plans for a new cathedral were approved and construction continued to the middle of the eighteenth century, even though the façade was never completed. The sacristy contains paintings by Jacopo da Bassano and Tiepolo. The complex also includes a baptistery, which was built in the twelfth century and altered several times in the following century. It was also used by the Carrara family as a mausoleum and contains an amazing fresco cycle believed to be the masterpiece of Giusto de’ Menabuoi and was commissioned by Fina Buzzaccarini, the wife of Francesco I da Carrara. It is one of the greatest fourteenth-century works of its kind in Italy. The depiction of Paradise is at once beautiful and unusual, the saints in Heaven arranged in five circular rings. Piazza del Duomo, Tel. 049 656914 Daily 10am–6pm, € 3

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CATHEDRAL 5 The current cathedral is situated exactly where

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CAFFÈ PEDROCCHI 6 This historical café right in the heart of the city is internationally famous. Until 1916 it was open day and night and was therefore known as the “Café without doors”. For over a hundred years it was a meeting place for intellectuals, students, academics and politicians. It became historically important in 1848 when the uprising against the Austrians was proclaimed here. The Pedrocchi was originally opened in 1772 as a coffee shop, and in the early nineteenth century the architect Giuseppe Japelli built the grandiose neoclassical marble building. It is still a café and reading room and for family and graduation celebrations. PRATO DELLA VALLE 7 At 88,620 square metres, this is one of Europe’s largest squares and certainly one of its most beautiful. In Roman times the Prato della Valle contained an amphitheatre (Campo Marzio); in the Middle Ages it became a marketplace that was gradually abandoned. Its present disposition dates back to the end of the eighteenth century and consists of the elliptical tree-lined Memmia Island, which is surrounded by a small canal and a double ring of 78 statues lining the banks and depicting important Paduan locals. The area now

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houses a small daily market, a larger weekly market (Saturdays) and a flea and antiques market (every third Sunday of the month). BASILICA SANTA GIUSTINA 8 The imposing 122-metre long ba-

silica was built in the sixth century over the grave of Saint Justine of Padua and has been a Benedictine monastery since the eighth century. The current church dates back to the sixteenth century, and its façade is incomplete. The basilica contains the popular relics of several saints, including the reputed remains of the evangelists Matthew and Luke. The sacristy is worth seeing for its valuable seventeenth-century wooden fittings, as well as the sixteenth-century choir, Veronese’s altar depiction of the martyrdom of Saint Justine, remnants of the eleventhand twelfth-century Romanesque church, connected cloister and library (open to the public). Free admission.

14 MUSEI CIVICI DEGLI EREMITANI Piazza Eremitani, Tel. 049 8204551, Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–7pm; € 10, together with the Scrovegni Chapel. € 12 Padua’s civic museum is located in the halls and cloisters of the former hermits’ monastery. Alongside numerous private collections acquired over the years there is also the archaeological museum, with finds from Padua and the surrounding area, and the Museum of Medieval and Modern Art with the great civic gallery displaying major works by Giotto (Christ on the Cross from the Scrovegni Chapel), Bellini, Veronese, Jacopo da Bassano, Tintoretto, Tiepolo and others. The wonderful Cappella is also part of the complex.

15 PALAZZO ZUCKERMANN Museo di arti applicate and Museo Bottacin, http://padova-cultura. padovanet.it/musei/ 33 Corso Garibaldi, Tel. 049 665567 Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–7pm; € 10; ticket that is also valid for the Scrovegni Chapel € 12 The large neo-Renaissance building was erected in the early twentieth century and was until recently the central post office. It is on the main route to the centre near the Scrovegni Chapel and Musei Civici degli Eremitani, opposite the park with the remains of the Roman arena. Since the renovation 2,000 arts and crafts items have been on display on the ground floor: glass, ceramics, silver, ivory, jewels and jewellery, textiles and furniture. The Nicola Bottacin collection on the upper floor includes significant coins and medallions.

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EQUESTRIAN STATUE OF GATTAMELATA 9 The only item on the Piazza del Santo that has nothing to do with Saint Anthony is a bronze equestrian statue that the Venetian Republic commissioned in 1447 from Donatello. The statue was dedicated to Gattamelata, a “condottiere” or mercenary leader of mercenaries, to thank him for his military prowess in the defence of Venice in the war against the Visconti of Milan. It is considered one of the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance. BASILICA DEL SANTO 10 The basilica, known simply as “The

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Saint”, was built as a monumental tomb for Saint Anthony, a Portuguese friar who was reputed to be a miracle healer in his own lifetime. He spent the last months of his life in Padua and was canonised just a few months after his death. The basilica is a curious mix of different styles: the façade is Lombard Romanesque, the cupola Byzantine, the side façades Venetian-Gothic and the choir an exuberant Baroque, while the towers recall Islamic minarets. The basilica, besides the saint’s tomb and reliquaries from the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, contains a wealth of masterpieces: Donatello’s bronze statues on the main altar, the relief of the Deposition behind the altar, various Baroque chapels and the fourteenth-century vestigial frescoes of the crucifixion in the chapter house (attributed to Giotto). The four cloisters of the basilica can be reached from the sacristy; a staircase leads to the vast Biblioteca Antoniana (only for students). Attracting pilgrims from all over the world, the church is always full. An impressive procession is held each year on 13 June, the anniversary of the saint’s death. Free admission. CHIESA DEGLI EREMITANI 11 The church of the Hermits in Piazza

Eremitani was built in 1276 in honour of Saints Philip and James and is next to the ancient monastery, the Convento degli eremiti, which now houses the city museums. Originally, the church was magnificently decorated, but most of the decorations were completely destroyed in a 1944 air raid. The church boasts frescoes by Guariento and Giusto de’ Menabuoi, but pride of place is given to the frescoes of the Cappella Ovetari, a masterpiece of innovative realism by Andrea Mantegna. These frescoes were also destroyed during the bombardment, but were restored and have been on display since 2006. Free admission.

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the former Ox Inn – hence the name (Al Bò). It was once the Medical Faculty with the famous Teatro Anatomico, the dissecting theatre that was also a lecture hall for students, and the Aula Magna or Great Hall. Today it is used for official and graduation ceremonies. Free access to the entrance hall, which is decorated with old corporations’ and dignitaries’ coats of arms. 2 Via VIII Febbraio, Tel. 049 8273044-47 Open at different times from Mondays to Saturdays; € 3

The ORTO BOTANICO 13 in Padua is the world’s oldest botanical garden. It was laid out in 1545 by the university in an ideal circular form with walls for medicinal plants and herbs; it was then extended. This refuge of quiet and contemplation from the bustle of modern life is in the centre of the city between the Basilica del Santo and the church of Saint Justine. www.ortobotanico.unipd.it 15 Via Orto Botanico, Tel. 049 8272119 Mondays–Sundays 9am–1pm, Summer also 3pm–7pm; 4 €

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PALAZZO DEL BÒ 12 The old university building is on the site of

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Eating and drinking CULINARY SECRETS AND THE SAINT’S BREAD Padua has a great

culinary tradition, which is reflected in the use of fresh regional products and a great number of typical, traditional dishes. Typical dishes from Padua’s Jewish tradition include oca in onto padovana (boned, salted goose meat preserved in goose fat) and falso parsuto [false ham], a goose breast ham from the plain south of Padua, the secret recipes of which have been handed down since the nineteenth century. The Veneto has always been a land of horse breeders, so horse meat is part of traditional local cuisine, as can be seen in the horsemeat bresaola, donkey salami, horse and donkey stew, and horsemeat cutlets and chops. Some of the desserts are traditionally Venetian, like zaleti and pan del santo [saint’s bread]. This is a sweet ring made with almonds, amaretti and chocolate. Then there is the dolce del santo,, a puff pastry cake filled with apricot jam, candied orange peel, sponge cake and marzipan.

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EATING AND DRINKING

16 ENOTECA RISTORANTE LA CORTE DEI LEONI 1 Via Pietro D’Abano, Tel. 049 8750083, closed Sunday evenings and Mondays at lunch time This is an excellent place for rediscovering the somewhat different culinary tradition of the old inhabitants of Padua. 6 CAFFÉ PEDROCCHI 15 Via Otto Febbraio, Tel. 049 8781231 Since 1831. Central, distinguished and stylish, this is one of Italy’s historical coffee houses, honoured with the designation “locale storico d’Italia”.

OSTERIA DEI FABBRI 13 Via dei Fabbri, Tel. 049 650336, closed Sundays The restaurant is near Piazza delle Erbe, at the entrance to the old Ghetto, in a palazzo whose furnishings date from the nineteenth century. Relaxed atmosphere, traditional fare. 17

18 DONNA IRENE 1 Vicolo Pontecorvo, Tel. 049 656852, closed Mondays This place is near the Basilica of Saint Anthony and is known for its wines (over 120 wines to choose from), which can be combined with traditional Veneto dishes or classical dishes. Also open for aperitifs. The restaurant has a large garden that is open in summer. 19 LA RISORTA OSTERIA DEL RE FOSCO 5 Via Cassan, Tel. 049 8774159, closed Sundays, www.risortaosteriadelrefosco.it The restaurant is a mixture of old and new, with tables also available in the mezzanine under the old vault. Live music on some Saturdays. Young clientele, thanks to the simple meals and good wines. 20 ANFORA 13 Via dei Soncin, Tel. 049 656629, closed Sundays, www.anforaosteria.it In the narrow streets of the old Ghetto, locals young and old crowd to this little osteria. Some days the throng is such that you might only find standing room at the counter. Simple, typical dishes; good wines, also available by the glass.

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15 LA FOLPERIA Tel. 347 5701232, lafolperia@gmail.com, also on Facebook. A “folpo” (in Venetian), or “polipo” in Italian, is a squid, and a “folperia” is, therefore, just the place if this is what your culinary heart desires. At one stand in the Piazza della Frutta, at the corner of the Bar dei Osei, steaming hot boiled squid is sold that the local eat standing up, the same way as we might eat a hot dog. It might look a little strange, but it tastes delicious!

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PADUA AT A GLANCE We begin our walk round the city at the Basilica di Sant’Antonio, one of the most important centres of Christendom and also a work of art of the first order. After visiting the church observe the equestrian statue of Gattamelata on the square. North of the church you can walk along Via del Santo, which has benefited from traffic-calming measures and is full of little shops and bars. After reaching the impressive Palazzo Zabarella, turn left into Via San Francesco and you will find yourself in Via Otto Febbraio in front of the old university, Palazzo del Bò. You’re now in the thick of the old city centre: Caffè Pedrocchi, the City Hall, Piazza delle erbe and Palazzo della Ragione. Via Daniele Manin takes you to the Loggia del Consiglio (Gran Guardia), Palazzo

del Capitanio and the square with the cathedral and the baptistry (frescoes by Giusto de’ Menabuo), considered by many to be a very good alternative to the Scrovegni Chapel on the east side of the city that can only be visited if you’ve booked in advance. Opposite the cathedral square turn into the narrow, atmospheric Via dei Soncin in the old Ghetto with its little shops and pubs, and then continue along adjoining Via San Martino e Solferino. At the end of the street turn right into the central, broad Via Roma. The adjoining Via Umberto I (both are fine commercial roads) leads to the magnificent Prato della Valle square. At its eastern side Via Beato Luca Belludi runs past souvenir shops and will bring you back to the Basilica. The walk takes you about two or three hours.

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PADUA EVENTS , April: Maratona di Sant’Antonio. On the third weekend in April, a large urban marathon with participants from all over the world. , May: Sagra dei Bisi in Lumignano, at the foot of the Berici hills. On two weekends in the middle of May the pea takes centre stage in the pubs and festival marquees of Lumignano. For more information: call 0444 953399. , Mid June–mid July: Portello River Festival, a film festival in the multicultural Portello district. On the canal. For more information: call 348 4430112, www.riverfilmfestival.org (also in English). , 13. June: Festa di San Antonio.. A festival celebrating the city’s patron saint with procession attracting pilgrims from all over the world. The day before, the Prato della Valle square hosts an important fair with exhibitors. , July–August: Notturni d’arte.. Innovative, fun nocturnal guided tours and events in the city’s museums. For more information: call 049 8204501. , 15 August: Midsummer fireworks on the Prato della Valle square. , September: Il Palio di Sant’Antonio.. Medieval festival with “cart race” through the city districts of Monastero, Brolo, Capodiponte and Grate. www.palioarcella.it (in Italian). , November: the Padova Porsche Jazz Festival attracts the greats of international jazz. www.padovaporschejazzfestival.it (in Italian).

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The almost 38-kilometre stretch from Padua to Venice basically follows the watercourse once used by cargo and passenger barges. The first part follows the course of the Piovego, a canal built by the Paduans way back in 1209, that runs straight as a die. Part of the water of the Bacchiglione is carried over 11 km to the Brenta at the small town of Stra. The longer arm, the Canale del Brenta empties into the Venice lagoon at Fusina. In this way, goods were shipped from Venice to the hinterland, and building materials such as stone and marble, wheat and other foodstuffs could be brought in from the mainland to Venice. The completely flat land between Padua and Venice has unfortunately changed greatly over the last few decades. Industrial estates, large shopping centres, supermarkets, large and small stores, factories and modern housing estates have eaten up the countryside and relentlessly “colonised” the roadside, with a complete disregard for the historical villages and towns that have blossomed over the centuries. Many fine old villas now stand abandoned, locked up and shuttered, looking the worse for wear and forlorn, pressed in on all sides by unsightly buildings. The former arable land that surrounded them has been sold, divided up into lots and developed. The cycle route mostly runs alongside the canal, on the towpath that was formerly used by barge-towing draught horses. In Stra, the magnificent Villa Pisani, lies in a loop of the canal and is a great place to stop. The canal meanders gently east towards the lagoon. The land here is so flat that it’s often hard to work out which way the water is flowing. Another reason is the height difference at Dolo, which was used to drive water mills. One of the mills has been restored and its lichen- and algae-covered wheel is now slowly churning away once more. An attractive wine bar cum pizzeria beckons us for a short break over a glass of wine and one of the famous nibbles, the cicheti. Part of the village of Dolo is on a river or canal island, rather like the Île de la Cité – it may not be as famous but it is just as beautiful and romantic.

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From Padua thermal district to Venice

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You will cycle past a seemingly endless array of dilapidated villas. Unfortunately, very few are in good shape, have been renovated or are open to the public. Historical records trace the origins of this house in Noventa Padovana back to a medieval fortress belonging to the Delesmanini family that was turned into a castle by the local lords in the thirteenth century. After it fell to the Ezzelini it was demolished and, in the sixteenth century, a villa was eventually built on the ruins by Cardinal Domenico Grimani, who was also the Patriarch of Aquileia. Between 1762 and 1773, the new owners had the villa radically refurbished. The celebrated fresco cycle by the Venetian artist Andrea Urbani on the piano nobile (or first floor) dates from this period.

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VILLA GRIMANI

10 Via Valmarana, Noventa Padovana. Tel. 049 625299 Every first Tuesday of the month 10amâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;12am prior booking recommended

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BURCHIELLI Goods were transported in large, heavy barges called burchi. which were drawn down the canal by draught horses. The smaller, more streamlined and luxurious passenger boats used to convey Venetian patricians to their country villas were the Burchielli.

Today, pleasure boats of the same name travel up and down the canal to take well-off tourists to the finest villas and Venice. For details on boat trips: Tel. 049 8033069, www.padovanavigazione.it.

Trade with the East brought the maritime Venetian Republic untold wealth right up to the sixteenth century. However, after the discovery of America and the route around the Horn of Africa, maritime trade was increasingly dominated by Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and the Hanseatic League in northern Europe. Consequently, Venice’s great merchant dynasties “discovered” the terra ferma or mainland. Seafarers became farmers and landed gentry. Rich aristocratic families invested in country estates and agriculture, and they required country seats or, better still, villas for their villeggiatura (quite literally, spending time in a villa). The Veneto boasts over a thousand such historic houses and the finest are found along the stretch of the Brenta between Padua and Venice, marked by green banks covered with reeds, weeping willows and poplars. The surrounding countryside, also known as the Riviera del Brenta is where doges, condottieri (leaders of bands of mercenaries), envoys and patricians realised their dream of country living in harmony with nature. The foundations for this architectural

revolution were laid by Andrea Palladio with his buildings inspired by idealised classical models. This was the age of magnificent country villas with a central body, two-storied rows of Corinthian columns and symmetrically adjoining porticoed barns, known as barchesse, which provided accommodation for farm workers and their families and also comprised stables, storage rooms, coach houses for vehicles and agricultural machinery, and the kitchens. The main house was unheated and had no kitchen; it was used only in summer and servants would prepare and bring in the food from the barchesse kitchens. The style of these villas significantly influenced all architectural production for quite some time, particularly in England and in the southern states of the United States (plantation houses and the White House in Washington are excellent examples). Only a few of the villas allow individual visitors, though group visits may be arranged. Unfortunately, most villas are privately owned and not open to the public at all.

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THE RIVIERA DEL BRENTA AND THE VILLAS

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VILLA PISANI, NOW CALLED “LA NAZIONALE“ 2 Villa Pisani, built in 1721 for the doge Alvise Pisani, is the most splendid and famous of the Brenta villas. Unfortunately, hardly any of the original furnishings (the Turkish, Chinese and Persian drawing rooms, for example) have survived. Inside, the central body opens out onto a large foyer and at the top of a large staircase on the first floor or piano nobile we find a majestic ballroom with gallery containing decorations that open up the space perspectively and a grandiose ceiling fresco by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. The villa also contains works by Jacopo Guarana, Giovanni Carlo Bevilacqua, Giambattista Crosato, Jacopo Amigoni, and Francesco Simonini. It is said that the villa has 114 rooms because Pisani was Venice’s 114th doge. The inspiration for this building seems to have been Versailles rather than the classical Venetian villa. Villa Pisani was often used for official visits or meetings with monarchs and heads of governments: Napoleon, Tsar Alexander I and King Victor Emmanuel II all stayed here, and in 1934 Hitler and Mussolini had their first official meeting here. After changing hands several times, Villa Pisani became state property in 1866 and is now a national museum. The estate also has a large park with very

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old trees and a romantic boxwood maze whilst the stables, greenhouses and orangery with eighteenth-century statues are separate from the house. The belvedere of the terrace affords an enchanting view of the park and the canal. Museo Nazionale di Villa Pisani 7 Via Doge Pisani, Stra, Tel. 049 502074 www.villapisani.beniculturali.it

VILLA FOSCARINI ROSSI 3 A short distance from Villa Pisani on

the western edge of Stra we have Villa Foscarini Rossi, which was built towards the end of the sixteenth century by Palladio’s pupil and follower, Vincenzo Scamozzi, for a Venetian doge. In the nineteenth century Giuseppe Japelli gave the villa its current classical appearance. The interior is decorated with numerous valuable frescoes by many different artists. Owing to the exceptional acoustics, the villa is also a popular venue for musical performances. Luigino Rossi, the owner, is a shoe manufacturer and has set up an interesting museum displaying historical footwear from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. 1/2 Via Doge Pisani, Stra. For the museum, telephone 049 9801091 Opening times: April–October, Mondays 9am–12.30pm, Tuesdays Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 9am–12.30pm, 2.30pm–6pm Saturdays 2pm–6pm, Sundays 2.30pm–6pm (only guided visits) € 5 For the villa, telephone 049 9800335, opening times: March–September Tuesdays–Sundays 9am–6pm, in Summer 9am–8pm, € 10 Park only: € 2.25, www.villafoscarini.it

to the early owners, who were rich Armenian merchants. In the second half of the eighteenth century, Rococo features were added to the villa to give it its present appearance. The two wings of the barchesse are joined to the colonnaded ground floor of the central building. The upper floor is decorated with fine ceiling frescoes, including Giuseppe Angeli’s The Apotheosis of the Widmann Family and others attributed to Gerolamo Mengozzi-Colonna, a painter who worked with Tiepolo. The villa now belongs to the Veneto Tourist Board and houses a tourist office that provides information about the area, the villas and Venice. 420 Via Nazionale, Mira, Tel. 041 424973 www.riviera-brenta.it

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VILLA SERIMAN, WIDMANN-FOSCARI 4 The name Seriman refers

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LA MALCONTENTA – VILLA FOSCARI 5 This villa was designed by

Palladio for the noble Foscari family and was probably built in 1560, as stated on the inscription on the gable. It is the last important villa before the mouth of the Brenta canal. Unfortunately, it is some distance from the cycle route, and the 2-kilometre journey to the village of the same name in which the villa is located is on a busy country road with an intersection. The almost sober, severe-looking villa, which represents the tenets of classical architecture, is in a perfect state of repair. It is slightly raised as it was built on a plinth to protect it from flooding. The Greek mythological frescoes by Battista Franco and Giovanni Battista Zelotti are famous. The villa is supposed to be haunted by the ghost of Elisabetta Dolfin, the beautiful widow of a Pisani. She married Nicolò Foscari, a member of an old aristocratic Venetian family, but, as she did not take her marriage vows too seriously, was consequently banished by her spouse to this country house where she lived in involuntary isolation far from the wild parties and romantic flings of Venice, until she died, unhappy and alone. The name La Malcontenta (literally, the unhappy woman) was given to the villa retrospectively. Opening times: April–November, Tuesdays and Saturdays 9am–12am on other days only groups by advance booking, € 10 Tel. 041 5470012

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FORTE TRON AT MARGHERA 6 In the middle of the nineteenth

century, under Austrian rule, the army built a series of fortresses, including Forte Tron between Oriago and Marghera. Despite its military function, this large installation has a certain charm. It is made of carefully cut stone blocks, is surrounded by moats and is reached by a movable iron bridge. Until only a few years ago this perfectly preserved fortress that had never been involved in any form of hostilities was a restricted military area used as a munitions depot. This was such a boon for the flora and fauna that Forte Tron and the surrounding land are now a protected bird sanctuary. Guided tours every Saturday and Sunday of the month.

OSTERIA DA CARONTE 39 Via Dolo, Paluello di Stra, Tel. 041 412091, closed Tuesday evenings and all day Wednesdays, www.osteriadacaronte.it In Paluello, a village east of Stra, you will find this traditional typical country osteria, with a large terrace and a fine view over the water of the canal. It offers a wide selection of dishes that are “di terra e di mare” (from water and land), in other words fish and meat dishes. MOLINI DEL DOLO, VINCAFÈ 3 Via Garibaldi, Dolo, Tel. 041 5101012, closed Mondays, www.molinidolo.com At Dolo, where a difference in the level of the land drove old water mills, in the old outhouses of a mill directly on the cycle path, you will find a comfortable restaurant, pizzeria and typical wine bar with cafeteria. Lunchtime and evenings local dishes are served, but also snacks between lunch and dinner.

TRATTORIA MARINA 54 Via Ettore Tito, Dolo, Tel. 041 5600303, closed Mondays Between Dolo and Mira, the once rural dwellings on the right, southern bank of the canal have been converted into a good fish restaurant – the Adriatic is near! The baked sea bream with olives or the tagliolini (narrow strips of pasta made from soft wheat using eggs) with crab and truffles are a must.

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EATING & DRINKING

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We are slowly approaching Marghera and Mestre, the two districts of Venice on the mainland, where most of the 271,000 inhabitants of greater Venice live. For the last few kilometres as far as the centre of Mestre you will see petrochemical plants on the right, which were once responsible for the lagoon’s heavy pollution. The situation is much improved today, largely because of the strict environmental protection standards imposed on industry and also because of the recession, which has affected both shipbuilding and the basic chemical industry. There has been a gradual move towards other industrial sectors and high-tech incubator businesses (such as VEGA, an acronym for VEnice GAteway for Science and Technology).After ).After the underpass beneath the railway and road to Venice we are just a few minutes away from Mestre’s pretty town centre, which has benefited from traffic-calming measures. MESTRE 7 Greater Venice has about 271,000 inhabitants, only

about 60,000 of whom live in the old city in the lagoon. Most people now prefer to live and work on the mainland, in Mestre and Marghera, Venice’s “ugly sisters”. Mestre, with its sprawling commercial and industrial areas, highway, ring roads, viaducts, railway junction, industrial port of Porto Marghera, airport and working class blocks of flats is a striking contrast to

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Venice, the city of art and culture. But even Mestre has its beautiful side. As soon as we leave the suburbs for the old town, we find a historical centre with restricted traffic, smart shops, renovated merchant houses and a sturdy medieval town keep. Elegantly dressed Italians stroll along the Corso and hardly any of the throngs of tourists in neighbouring Venice venture this far. PIAZZA FERRETTO 1 This is Mestre’s main square. It is actually

a wide street that grew into a market place in the Middle Ages and has recently been made the tramway terminus. At the south-eastern end of a small neighbouring square you will find the Teatro Toniolo, an elegant, art nouveau glass-roofed shopping gallery. The square itself contains the Cathedral of San Lorenzo and the Palazzo del Re, in the portico of which the grain market used to be held. It is named after the wealthy Re family. At the other end, in the continuation, Via Palazzo, there stands the massive rectangular, crenellated, medieval clock tower. In the 1990s the square was transformed by modern features, one of which is a large, centrally placed fountain with a bronze statue by Alberto Viani, a leading contemporary sculptor.

2 OSTERIA DEL LUPO NERO 21, Via Giorgio Ferro Tel. 041 961180 www.osterialuponero.it Open daily. 3 PIZZERIA NAPUL È 28, Via Pescheria Vecchia Tel. 041 989112 Open daily. 4 BAR PERLA 28, Via Mestrina Tel. 041 975884 The perfect place to eat a tramezzino, the most popular Italian snack, usually a triangular sandwich.

5 ROSA SALVA 19, Via Cappuccina Tel. 041 988400, closed Mondays www.rosasalva.it This “mainland branch” of a famous Venice pasticceria, or patisserie, is ideally placed near the town centre and not only does it have its own bakery and delicious desserts but also a small menu of good, cheap, fast dishes. It is a favourite rendezvous spot for Mestre’s locals.

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EATING AND DRINKING

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L I D OL I D O

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Venice The province of Venice includes not only the lagoon and the island city of Venice but also a relatively narrow coastal strip along the mainland. A small number of locals (14%) work in manufacturing, and even fewer (4.2%) in agriculture and fishing, while the vast majority (a whopping 60%) work in the tourist, commerce and service industries. Alongside Venice, the jewel in the crown, the Adriatic beaches with the holiday resorts of Lido di Venezia, Cavallino, Eraclea, Caorle and Bibione attract 36 million tourists every year, mainly in the summer months, who choose to spend their holidays in the province of Venice. In the 1920s and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;30s a new town with a port and industries, including shipyards and petrochemical plants, was built

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THE PROVINCE OF VENICE IN FIGURES AREA: 2,462 square kilometres INHABITANTS OF THE PROVINCE: 863,000 THE SIX LARGEST TOWNS (IN TERMS OF POPULATION) ARE: Venice: 271,000 Chioggia: 50,700 San DonĂ di Piave: 41,600, Mira: 39.000, Mirano: 27,100, Spinea: 27,050

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on the mainland. Many of Venice’s inhabitants preferred to live and work in these new towns, and Porto Marghera and Mestre flourished. Young people found employment, city life with all its diversity and a wealth of sporting and leisure facilities that could not be found in the romantic lagoon city with its gondolas, canals, and vaporetti... and no commercial centres or large markets. Exorbitant rents and property prices are another good reason for turning one’s back on Venice’s glittering façade. The population of Venice has been falling for decades, now: in the 1950s there were still 130,000 people living in the island city, but now there are only 60,000 stalwarts. Just over 210,000 live in the towns on the mainland, which together with Venice proper make up the whole municipality of greater Venice. The wealth of art treasures and things to see in Venice and the surrounding area means that even the most comprehensive guide could offer only a sketchy outline of the town. Our little guide can therefore only provide a few tips for a fleeting visit. We know that our readers are cyclists, who love to travel light and will only need a general, overall impression. For a more detailed picture, you will need to spend at least three days in Venice, and good travel books about Venice are readily available in many different languages. APT VENEZIA (TOURIST BOARD) www.turismovenezia.it 4421 Castello, Palazzina del Santo, San Marco–Giardini Ex Reali

Other locations: Santa Lucia railway station; Piazzale Roma; ASM (road) bus terminus Tel. 041 5298711

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History of the city THE ROMAN PERIOD In 181 BCE Aquileia was founded on the

coast to the north-east of Venice as a Roman city and administrative centre for the coastal region. In 42 BCE the port town of Altino was established in the lagoon. This was the start of the Via Claudia Augusta Altinate, the paved military and trading road that runs through Feltre, Trento, Merano, the upper valley of the Adige River, and then goes over the Passo di Resia between the valleys of the Adige and Inn rivers and over the Fern Pass towards Germany and Augsburg. In about 400 CE, a series of settlements (Altino, Concordia Sagittaria, Aquileia, Oderzo and Padua) sprang up along the mainland around the lagoon, which they used as a fishery. Legend has it that mainlanders fleeing before the invading Huns founded Venice on 25 March, 421 CE. THE BARBARIAN INVASION DURING BYZANTINE RULE After the fall of Rome, the Longobards occupied the mainland in 568. Byzantium retained control of the province of Venetia, that is the coastal strip, lagoon and islands. In 639 the Byzantines gave up Oderzo and, because of the frequent raids by Barbarian tribes, the inhabitants of the mainland retreated to the marshy, inhospitable yet easily-guarded islands of the lagoon. The church of Santa Maria, dedicated to the Virgin Mary was built on the island of Torcello. A dukedom under Byzantine sovereignty was established. According to tradition, Paoluccio Anafesto was appointed the first doge in the year 687 (the word doge derives from the Latin dux, or leader).

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THE REPUBLIC In 810 Pepin, the son of Charles the Great, tried

to conquer the lagoon. The attempt ended in failure when the inhabitants retreated to the Rialto Islands (rialto means riva alta or high, firm shore), and 811, the year in which Agnello Particiaco was elected doge, is considered to be the year when the Venetian Republic was founded. In 828 Venetian merchants in Alexandria stole the body of Saint Mark the Evangelist from Egypt and brought him to Venice. Work on Saint Mark’s Cathedral began the very next year, and Saint Mark replaced Saint Theodore as Venice’s patron saint. The winged lion, the symbol of Mark the Evangelist, was added to Venice’s coat of arms, asserting Venetian sovereignty.

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The Venetians conquered Dalmatia in the year 1000, and was henceforth independent of Byzantium to all intents and purposes. In 1202 Venice took part in the Fourth Crusade, conquered Constantinople, the capital of Byzantium, and made off with the four gold-covered horses now adorning Saint Mark’s Cathedral.

val, the city of Genoa. Twenty years later, after further skirmishes, Genoa confirmed its predominance in Liguria and Venice its predominance in the Orient. In 1347 a galley brought the plague to Venice from the Crimea and over half the population was killed. 1389–1420 Neighbouring city states submitted more or less voluntarily to Venetian sovereignty. The discovery of America in 1492 gradually led to a shift in trade and economic influence to the new maritime powers. When the sea passage to India was discovered, Venice became the centre of trade with the Far East and consolidated its dominant position. The Venetian Republic ruled over most of the Adriatic coasts, Dalmatia, Istria, several islands in the Aegean, Crete, Cyprus and Corfu. 1508–1515 In the wars with the League of Cambrai Venice had to defend itself against an alliance of numerous European powers. Though retaining most of its territory, it was nonetheless weakened by the conflict. The Turks continued to expand in the Eastern Mediterranean and raided neighbouring Friuli. In 1571 the Turks were defeated at Lepanto in a naval battle, but the victory was short lived.

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VENICE AT ITS ZENITH 1257–1270 Venice defeated its trading ri-

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THE SLOW DECLINE Between 1644 and 1718 Venice lost its ter-

ritories in the eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus, Crete, the Peloponnese). The Serenissima was left with Istria, Dalmatia, the Ionian Islands and parts of Albania. In 1797 Ludovico Manin, the Republic’s last doge, handed Venice over to the French, thus proclaiming the end of the Venetian Republic. In 1815 Venice was assigned to Austria, and in 1841 the Austrians built the Mestre-Venice rail link, thus linking the city to the mainland. UNITED WITH ITALY In 1866 the Austrians were defeated at Sad-

owa by Italy’s ally Prussia. Following a plebiscite, Venice joined the fledgling Kingdom of Italy. In 1895 the first Biennale, the successful art exhibition, was held and in 1932 the first film festival was inaugurated. Since 2001 the Mo.S.E. project has attempted to provide protection against the constant risk of flooding. Seventy-eight gigantic movable dam modules will close the entrance of the Venice lagoon in the event of exceptionally high tides. It must be said that this complex system is as expensive as it is controversial.

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VENICE ON THE INTERNET WWW.ACTV.IT Home page of the public transport authority with timetables and fares.

rities with a lot of useful information about events, bus and navigation timetables, and things to see; also in English.

WWW.CHORUSVENEZIA.ORG Organisation for promoting the religious buildings of Venice. Guided tours, events in seventeen churches.

WWW.VISITMUVE.IT The city’s museums introduce themselves. They range from the Doge’s Palace to the lace museum on the island of Burano. Tickets can also be purchased online; also in English.

WWW.NATURA-VENEZIA.IT Members of this group organise nature-inspired holidays in Venice, boat trips on the lagoon with ecologically-minded guides; also in English. WWW.COMUNE.VENEZIA.IT The city of Venice’s website with a fine tourism section; only in Italian. WWW.HELLOVENEZIA.IT Homepage of the public transport autho-

WWW.COMUNE.VENEZIA.IT/FLEX/ CM/PAGES/SERVEBLOB.PHP/L/IT/ IDPAGINA/893 Webcam coverage of Saint Mark’s Square. WWW.VENICECONNECTED.COM/DE A lot of useful (and some arguably less useful) information about Venice, from how to organise a wedding to the location of public conveniences, Wi-Fi points, etc.

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Everything seems to have already been written about Venice, including its cats, lions, bridges, canals, islands, palazzi, fountains, legends, carnival, more than one hundred doges, victories and losses, illustrious visitors and much more besides. It is therefore hardly possible to report anything much that is new and exciting. Our advice is therefore to do away with fixed schedules and definite destinations. As it’s virtually impossible to really, really lose your way on the island, just let yourself be enchanted by the city’s architecture, light, sounds and smells. When you leave you will experience a yearning to return and uncover other faces of Venice!

Getting there Venice was once completely cut off from the mainland, but it can now be reached by car, train and bus. A long bridge links the city on the lagoon to the mainland. Buses and trains go directly to the Grand Canal – getting there could not be simpler. Just a few metres further on you will come to the vaporetto stop (vaporetto means “little steam boat”, even though the boats are now diesel-driven). The vaporetto is the public transport for the canals of Venice. Make sure you get the right ticket: € 6.50 for a single, one-way trip, but there are other tickets that provide unlimited access to vaporetti for a set period (you can get a 12-hour ticket for € 16, a 24-hour for € 18 and a 36-hour ticket for € 23). For further information: www.actv.it

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Small Venice phrase book THE GONDOLA This asymmetrical, slim, shiny black boat that is

rowed by a gondolier who stands facing forwards is one of the hallmarks of Venice. The metal ornamentation on the bow has the following meaning: the helmet-shaped tip symbolises the Corno Ducale, or the doge’s crown; the six metal tongues that point forwards like spikes represent the city’s six districts, known as sestieri; the spike pointing towards the stern is the Giudecca archipelago. A 40-minute round trip in a gondola costs at least € 80 but a gondola can take up to six passengers, which of course brings the price per person down. Agree on the journey time and price before getting in the gondola because the trip might otherwise get rather pricey! You can pay less for the adventure of crossing the Grand Canal in a gondola; crossing the Grand Canal in the public gondola, called the traghetto costs just € 2. Venice has plenty of vaporetto stops and the furthest and therefore longest crossing goes from San Tomà to Sant’Angelo.

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THE CITY OF ISLANDS Venice is built on more than 100 islands, and boasts 150 canals and 400 bridges. A canal is called a rio, a road or alley a calle, a square is a campo, a small square a campiello, and a footpath or wide pavement along the canal is known as a riva or fondamenta. THE CITY OF BELL TOWERS AND CAMPANILI A book from the end

THE LAGOON The lagoon measures about 500 square kilometres and is a shallow, almost landlocked sea. A narrow strip of land with a few openings (at Porto di Lido, Malamocco and Chioggia) separates the waters of the lagoon from the open Adriatic. Every six hours, with the ebb and flow of the tide, water flows from the sea into the lagoon and out again, thus ensuring that the water changes. Major rivers such as the Piave, Sile, Brenta and Adige have been diverted and channelled and no longer flow into the lagoon but into the sea because (by now their sediment would have filled the lagoon had they not been diverted). The canals of Venice are dredged regularly to stop them from filling up with mud and sludge. All the houses in the lagoon are built on stilts, mostly larch or oak, that are pressed through the shallow layer of mud into a firmer layer known as the caranto. The lagoon is criss-crossed by a network of somewhat deeper water courses marked by posts (bricole), and boats that do follow these routes run aground. In addition to the islands on which Venice stands, about twenty other islands in the lagoon are also inhabited, many by just a few families or even a handful of

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of the nineteenth century counted 178 campanili and bell towers in Venice. The largest is the campanile in Saint Mark’s Square. At an impressive 99 metres, it is Italy’s third-tallest after Cremona’s (111 metres) and the Torre del Mangia in Siena (102 metres). There was a tower here back in the ninth century which was apparently built over Roman foundations. The original campanile was rebuilt and partially destroyed by lightening and finally, in 1513, given its present shape and size. In July 1902 the tower unexpectedly developed large cracks and collapsed on the fourteenth of the month (fortunately there were no victims). Just one year later it was rebuilt, the mayor pronouncing the famous words ““dov’era e com’era“, (“where it was and the way it was”). Visitors must take the lift up to the balcony at the top of the campanile.

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monks in a monastery. The most picturesque island is Burano, where the gaily painted houses that used to be homes to fishermen line the bank of the canal. Murano is the centre for glass production. The Lido (the narrow island separating the lagoon from the Adriatic) is famous for its beautiful beach and Film Festival. The cemetery is located on the island of San Michele, and other islands are dedicated to vegetable gardens. The waters of the lagoon are full of fish, and Venetians have their own fishing methods – in the remote channels and waters of the lagoon large flat nets ((bilance), are suspended in the water and periodically pulled up. THE “SCHOOLS” OR FRATERNITIES Groups of merchants or craftsmen formed fraternities or guilds known as Scuole, or schools, each with its own patron saint. These guilds amassed great wealth, found business for their members and built magnificent houses. Tintoretto was a member of the fraternity of Saint Rocco (the Scuola Grande di San Rocco), and adorned its Renaissance palace and church with fifty-six magnificent panel paintings. LANDSCAPE The old town of Venice consists of a multitude of

islands in the middle of the Venice lagoon, but larger islands and the mainland actually account for 83% of the surface area of the municipality of Venice. Until 1846, when the railway bridge was completed by the Austrians, the old town was com-

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pletely cut off from the mainland. The railway bridge was later joined by Ponte della Libertà (literally “freedom bridge”, 1933), which provided a road link for motor vehicles between Mestre and Piazzale Roma. From the air, the old town looks like a fish whose tail points east. This central part of the city is divided into six sestieri (sixths): Dorsoduro, Santa Croce, San Polo, San Marco, Cannaregio and Castello. There are myriad canals running through the city, but the most important are the Grand Canal (Canal Grande) and Canale della Giudecca. The former divides the city into two halves and is shaped like a back-tofront S; the latter divides the city centre proper from the Iisland of Giudecca ito the south. This is where the incredibly large cruise ships enter Venice to dock at Venice’s port, the Stazione Marittima, each ship disgorging thousands of visitors. The superstructures and funnels that dwarf the houses and palazzi of the city offer a strange spectacle and fuel debates about how many tourists the city can cope with. Until the railway and road bridges were built, the city could only be reached by water, which is why the façades of the more important palazzi all face the water.

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The best in brief THINGS TO SEE You will have to pick and choose, as there are just too many important art and cultural treasures in a really confined space crying out to be noticed. We shall limit ourselves to the few highlights that can be visited in the course of a day. CANAL GRANDE 1 The Venetians affectionately call it the canal-

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azzo,, or ugly old canal. It was the watercourse along which goods and people had to pass. From the fifteenth to the eighteenth centuries gleaming palaces sprang up and now reflect the entire stylistic repertoire from Gothic to Renaissance and Baroque, whereby everything is lent a touch of typical Venetian playfulness. The construction of various bridges (Ponte degli Scalzi, Accademia, Rialto and, last but not least, the bridge by the famous modernist architect Santiago Calatrava from the railway station to the main bus station of Piazzale Roma) emphasises the increasing importance of pedestrian traffic in relation to boat traffic. SAINT MARK’S SQUARE 2 When people talk about Venice they inevitably think of Saint Mark’s Square, the heart of the city and the symbol of the Venetian Republic. It is the only square in the city called a piazza rather than campo. In the east it is bounded by the impressive complex of Saint Mark’s Cathedral and the Doge’s Palace. The 99-metre tall campanile dominates the middle of the square. On the canal bank, two large pillars mark the entrance to the city from the sea. Today’s square is the result of a thousand years of endless restructuring and im-

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position of different styles (from the Byzantine Gothic of the cathedral to the neo-Classicism of the Napoleonic Procuratie), all contributing to create a harmonious whole. The square can best be appreciated from the top of the campanile or from the terrace of Saint Mark’s Cathedral. Anyone visiting Venice eventually comes to Saint Mark’s Square, so it is therefore always crowded. Formerly, having a photo taken while feeding the pigeons was a must, but feeding the pigeons is now forbidden because their droppings seriously damage the historic buildings. If you can bear the exorbitant prices of the espressos and drinks in the square, you can sit at the tables of one of the beautiful cafés and enjoy the atmospheric bustle. 3 This has always been Venice’s main place of worship and stands at the centre of the city’s public and religious life. The first church to be dedicated to Saint Mark was built in 828 next to the Doge’s Palace and housed the remains of Saint Mark the Evangelist, which are said to have been removed from Alexandria by merchants. The cathedral was rebuilt several times after fires in the tenth and thirteenth centuries. The church’s wonderful golden mosaics date back to before the twelfth century and measure an incredible 4,200 square metres. In the centuries that followed, the cathedral was decorated even more lavishly with columns, friezes, sculptures, and marble and gold objects, which sometimes found their way into the ships of the Venetian merchants in a somewhat unorthodox manner. The basilica is laid out as a Greek cross with five cupolas. The floor mosaics are also magnificent (they are now partially covered by carpets and raised walkways to protect them). The high altar houses the bones of Saint Mark. You will need to buy a ticket to view the church treasures of Saint Mark’s marble throne and the golden Pala d’Oro or altarpiece, which is decorated with jewels, pearls and enamel. The cathedral treasure also has a crypt and four gold-covered bronze horses from Constantinople that for hundreds of years stood on the terrace of the basilica and were then replaced by copies after restoration.

Admittance to the basilica is free, but a ticket is required to visit the cathedral treasure and Pala d’Oro (€ 3 and € 2, respectively) Admittance to the loggia of Saint Mark’s basilica with its fine view over Saint Mark’s Square is € 4

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THE DOGE’S PALACE 4 This is the greatest Venetian Gothic building, symbol of the power of the Venetian Republic, the seat of the doges and Venice’s Council and Senate Chambers. Today it houses the city museum, the Museo Civico di Palazzo Ducale It started off in the ninth century as a castle and was then continuously extended. It was destroyed by fire several times, but always rebuilt. The two filigree rows of arcades give it its distinctive appearance. On the first floor you will find the Loggia that runs around the building. The museum contains countless masterpieces from the greatest of Renaissance artists (Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Bellini, Carpaccio, Bosch). From the first floor of the east wing the famous Bridge of Sighs crosses a little canal and connects the Doge’s Palace to the prisons, the Prigioni Nuove. It was from here that Giacomo Casanova made his daring escape in 1756.

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Mid March to 2 November 9am–7pm (no admittance after 6pm). The San Marco Museum Plus ticket costs € 13 and gives you admittance to the Doge’s Palace, the Correr Museum, the Archeological Museum, the Marciana Library and one more city museum.

RIVA DEGLI SCHIAVONI 5 This popular promenade along the extended curved quay that runs from Saint Mark’s Square eastwards to Rio della Ca’ di Dio owes its name to traders from Slavonia who tied their boats here to ply their trade. Today’s tourists thronging around the souvenir stands and landing stages of the ferries in no way detract from the wonderful view of the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. Canaletto’s eighteenth-

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century vedute show that ships were mooring on this bank even then and that the Riva degli Schiavoni was full of gondolas, sailing ships and barges. The famous hotels Danieli e Gabrielli and the house where Henry James stayed in Venice are also along this promenade. At the end of it, at the corner of Calle Vallaresso (at number 1323), you can pop into the celebrated Harry’s Bar where Orson Welles, Truman Capote and Ernest Hemingway also sipped, or rather knocked back, their drinks. This is where the cocktail Bellini (prosecco and peach brandy) is said to have been created in honour of the painter Giovanni Bellini. RIALTO 6 In this area, which was originally the centre of Venice

and hosted the food market, there has always been a bridge over the canal. The first was a pontoon bridge, which was then replaced by a wooden bridge with two rising ramps and a movable central section to let the boats through. Today’s Rialto bridge is a single-span stone bridge over the canal, and was built in the second half of the sixteenth century. Both ramps of the bridge are lined with shops fronted by arcades. A fruit and vegetable market (Erberia) and a fish market (campo della Pescheria) are held daily and are one of the city’s favourite tourist attractions.

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the island of Burano); the Museo di Storia Naturale (the natural history museum). For more information, call the toll-free number 848082000 (only from Italy) or visit www.vivaticket.it and go “Venezia – art – Civic museum of Venice”.

MUSEUM PASS Unfortunately, there is no general pass for all of Venice’s museums. A combined ticket for the city museums costs € 20.50 and provides admittance to the four museums in Saint Mark’s Square (Palazzo Ducale, Museo Correr, Museo Archeologico Nazionale and the Sale Monumentali della Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana) and another city museum of your choice, such as Ca’ Rezzonico - Museo del Settecento Veneziano (dedicated to eighteen-century Venice), Casa di Carlo Goldoni (the home of the playwright Goldoni), Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo, Ca’ Pesaro, the Galleria Internazionale d’Arte Moderna + Museo d’Arte Orientale, the Museo del Vetro (the glass museum on the island of Murano), the Museo del Merletto (the lace museum on

7 GALLERIE DELL’ACCADEMIA www.gallerieaccademia.org 1050 Campo della Carità, Dorsoduro, Tel. 041 5200345, Tuesdays–Sundays 8.15am– 7.15pm, Mondays 8.15am–2pm; € 6.50. Prices may vary for special exhibitions. Venice’s most important art gallery is at the foot of the Ponte dell’Accademia and takes its name from the Accademia delle Belle Arti, or academy of fine art, that was opened in 1817 and located here until 2004. Since it was founded (1750) the Accademia has acquired works of art for teaching purposes or to restore them. The collection includes sculptures, drawings and Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Vitruvian Man (on display only on special occasions), and especially art from the fourteenth to eighteenth centuries, including works by Carpaccio, Bellini, Veronese, Canaletto, Giorgione, Mantegna, Piero della Francesca, Tintoretto and Titian. 8 PEGGY GUGGENHEIM COLLECTION www.guggenheim-venice.it 704 Dorsoduro, Tel. 041 2405411, Daily 10am–6pm, closed Tuesdays; € 12 Until 1979, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni was the Venetian home of the American collector and patron

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Peggy Guggenheim. It houses an important collection of modern European and American works, including Mondrian, Klee, Miró, Magritte, De Chirico, Picasso, Kandinsky, Brancusi, Duchamp and Pollock; the garden also contains sculptures by other artists. The remarkable selection of the twentieth-century collector Gianni Mattioli includes the most important names of Italian Futurism (Sironi, Carrà, Soffici and Rosai), as well as many Morandis and a wonderful portrait by Modigliani. It can be reached via the Ponte dell’Accademia and is on the south bank of the Grand Canal. 9 SCUOLA GRANDE DI SAN ROCCO www.scuolagrandesanrocco.it San Polo 3052, Tel. 041 5234864, daily 9.30am–5.30pm, no admittance after 5pm; € 8

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The church and the palazzo of prosperous Venetians belonging to the fraternity of San Rocco were built in the years 1508 and 1560. The inner rooms were decorated only by Tintoretto and his pupils and work began in 1564. The palazzo and picture collection are well preserved and are one of Venice’s greatest attractions. The Sala dell’Albergo is particularly impressive. The marvellous cycle of the teleri, the wall paintings on canvas in the three halls on the ground floor, constitutes a unified whole comparable to the cycle in Rome’s Sistine Chapel. On 16 August each year there is a traditional procession in honour of Saint Rocco, to whom the people of Venice turned for protection from the plague in the sixteenth century.

Eating and drinking course characterised by fish, which is mostly accompanied by polenta, especially the little seppioline or squid. Bisato (pickled eel) is also popular. Starters include not only the ever present pasta dishes but also rice dishes. Typical fare includes sarde in saor (sardines cooked with onions and vinegar and eaten cold or lukewarm as a light starter), risi e bisi (rice with peas), fegato alla Veneziana (liver cooked in the Venetian manner with lots of onions), black squid risotto and cicheti, tasty starters similar to Spanish tapas that are eaten as appetisers or with an aperitif. Venice is also famous for all sorts of biscuits and sweetmeats, which include baicoli and pan del pescatore, a sweet flat cake made with almonds and pistachios, crema fritta (baked custard), bussolai from the island of Burano (s-shaped or round butter biscuits), crostoli that are eaten during Carnival, fregolotta (a cake with almonds made with short pastry), a milk pudding called rosada and yellow polenta biscuits known as zaleti.

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A LOT OF FISH AND A HOST OF DESSERTS Venetian cuisine is of

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EATING AND DRINKING 10 TRATTORIA BANDIERETTE 6671 Castello, Barbaria delle Tole, Tel. 041 5220619, closed Tuesdays, www.bandierette.it The good, reasonably priced fish menu and the friendliness of the hosts make this place the ideal location for eating in good company.

13 TRATTORIA ALLA RIVETTA 4625 Castello, Tel. 041 5287302 Near Saint Mark’s Square, east of the basilica, coming from Calle delle Rasse, on the bridge to Campo San Provolo. The only drawback is that the premises are tiny and there’s always a bit of a fight for the few tables. Get there early!

11 OSTERIA ALLA VEDOVA – CÀ D’ORO 3912 Cannaregio, Tel. 041 5285324, closed Sundays for lunch and all day Thursdays. Though very popular, this osteria is still authentically Venetian; the counter is always groaning with snacks such as small fried fish, stuffed vegetables, baccalà (salt cod) and prawns on skewers.

14 PASTICCERIA TONOLO 3764 Dorsoduro, Tel. 041 5237209, closed Mondays A small, fine pasticceria with a great tradition and an enormous cake counter. Their bomboloni alla crema (puffs filled with confectioner’s custard) are rightly feted.

12 DA ROSA SALVA Calle Fiubera, Tel. 041 5210544, open every day, www.rosasalva.it Just three minutes from Saint Mark’s Square, go under the clock into the thoroughfare called the Mercerie, take the left, go over a small bridge and turn into Calle Fiubera. This is a traditional pasticceria and snack bar. You can eat round the clock: fresh, deliciously succulent tramezzini (small triangular sandwiches made with white bread), hot starters and wonderful desserts. You can also eat at open-air tables without any extra service charge, which is highly unusual in Venice.

15 AL BACCO FELICE 197/e Santa Croce, Tel. 041 5287794, open every day The very name (literally, the happy Bacchus) is enticing. They do not just serve pizza but also good, quick dishes. The service is friendly and attentive, the surroundings modern and the prices reasonable. Conveniently near the bus and train stations. 16 TAVERNA DEL CAMPIELLO REMER 5701 Cannaregio, Tel. 041 5228789, closed Tuesdays Not far from the Rialto bridge, this bacaro offers a plentiful lunchtime buffet at a reasonable fixed price. Though taken by storm by young people in the late afternoon for the happy hour aperitif, by 7.30pm the tempest has passed. The evening restaurant is good, but not cheap. Good view over the Grand Canal.

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The easiest way to get to Venice from Mestre is by train or bus (buses, especially, are very frequent, and there’s even a very good night service). Both the train and bus will vaporetti, take you to Venice, where vaporetti or water buses, leave for different destinations in the lagoon and the city proper. Our tip: take a vaporetto to Saint Mark’s Square (either from the boat stops in front of the railway station if you’ve come by train, or at the foot of the new Calatrava bridge if you’ve come from Mestre by bus), and then walk back. The number 1 vaporetto stops at all the boat stops, which is fun but lasts ages, so we suggest you catch the number 2 vaporetto, which only makes a few stops takes about half an hour to get to Saint Mark’s Square. During the journey along the sshaped, 3.8-kilometre canal you will sail past the most beautiful palazzi and come across all sorts of traffic, including barges transporting vegetables, removal-van barges, barg-

es lugging building materials and, every so often, a stylish pleasure boat or one of the smart looking water taxis. Even the police get around by boat. On Saint Mark’s Square, dubbed by Napoleon “Europe’s drawing room”, the finest buildings lined up before us: the Doge’s Palace, Saint Mark’s Basilica and the campanile. You are literally spoilt for choice: art lovers will go to the Doge’s Palace and wander through the museum, and visiting the magnificent church with its gold mosaics is free. People keen to take in a breathtaking view of the city can take the lift up to the top of the campanile, look down on Venice and scout for the neighbouring islands and the island strip of the Lido. On clear days you can see as far as the mountains in the northwest. A small snack (cicheto) such as half a hardboiled egg, sardines, cooked octopus, polenta and squid, washed down with a glass of wine, tastes best in the small bars or

VENICE

VENICE AT A GLANCE

VENICE

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bacari in the little side streets. The places on the canal are certainly picturesque but they are mostly on the dear side and you will hardly ever meet Venetians there, but almost always only other tourists. Locals do not take their aperitif (usually an orange-red spritz) or espresso in the really expensive cafés on Saint Mark’s Square but in the small bars in the little calli off the main thoroughfares. But if you want to go to the historic, and very expensive, Café Florian in Saint Mark’s Square and enjoy the plush seats, fine wooden and glass decor, feel free. And a tip for the etiquette-conscious: cappuccino or latte macchiato washes down your breakfast croissant (which the locals also call brioche, and rarely cornetto), and Italians usually only have one in the morning, after which they will stick to espressos or

caffè macchiato (an espresso with a drop of milk). Thus fortified, you can make your way back to the station. The best thing is to move away from the hordes of people and just drift – the many signposts, and especially the stream of people, will get you back to your starting place later on, when you need to. And if you let yourself drift, you will get a glimpse of every-day life in Cannaregio, the most heavily populated part of Venice, at close quarters. The same goes for the city’s typical food and bars: the further you move away from the streams of tourists, the more genuine and unworriedly Venetian it gets. But always remember that Venice is an expensive city, and the prices (for souvenirs, clothes, shoes, jewellery, glass and food) are rather higher than on the nearby mainland (Mestre). Now enjoy!

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EVENTS , February/March: Venice Carnival: see and be seen. The carnival has been celebrated since the eleventh century with a fantastic masked party in the streets, on the bridges and along the canals. On Saturdays and Sundays there will be an almost impossible throng, while other days it is quieter and more relaxed. In the evening, performances and concerts are held in the most important campielli (small squares) and Saint Mark’s Square. , April: Su e zo per i ponti – The race, known as “Up and down over the bridges”, takes place throughout the city on a Sunday in the middle of April. , May: Vogalonga – A rowing regatta in the second half of May. Anyone with an oar to their name can take part. , July: Festa del Redentore – The city’s feast dedicated to the so-called “redeemer” celebrates delivery from the longest of the plagues to hit Venice. It is a gigantic spectacle with fireworks, a procession, masses and concerts, and, of course, lots of eating and drinking. On the third Sunday in July. , End of August–September: International Film Festival Festival. Since 1932 this festival has been a key event for cinema and the film world, and every year it attracts actors, celebrities, fans and film buffs from all over the world to the Venice Lido. , September: Regata storica – the most important rowing regatta on the Grand Canal (and the world’s oldest) takes place on the first Sunday in September. , Riviera Fiorita: a procession winds its way from Stra to Mira to commemorate the meeting of the doge with the king of France in 1574. The banquet is held in Mira in front of the Villa Contarini dei Leoni. www.rivierafiorita.it

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USEFUL INFORMATION EMERGENCY NUMBERS

United Kingdom

113 State Police stations are found

Venice

only in larger towns 112 General emergency number for the Carabinieri (Italian national police force) who are stationed in all larger villages and small towns 115 Fire service 118 Emergency medical services, hospitals

Address: 2/5 Piazzale Donatori di Sangue 30171 Venice-Mestre Telephone: +39 041 5055990 E-mail: britconvenice@tin.it United States Venice Consular Agency Venice Marco Polo Airport - General Aviation Terminal Address: 30 Viale Galileo Galilei 30, 30173 Tessera (Venice) Telephone: +39 041 5415944 MONEY The currency is the euro and other currencies are not normally accepted but

INFORMATION

they can be changed in any bank. You

ENIT Italian State Tourist Board

can pay nearly everywhere with credit

1 Princes Street - London W1B 2AY

cards or cashpoint (instant teller) cards.

Telephone: +44 020 7408 1254

Cheques are not always accepted.

(Information Office) Fax: +44 020 7399 3567

HEALTH

E-mail: info.london@enit.it

EU citizens can use the National Health

Website: www.enit.it

Service in Italy. For emergencies, you can find a doctor via a hospital, tourist office

630 Fifth Avenue - Suite 1965

or hotel. A medical care card for non-EU

New York, New York 10111

citizens or a European Health Insurance

Tel: +1 212 245 5618

Card entitles you to free treatment (for all

E-mail: newyork@enit.it

items or services directly covered by the

Website: www.enit.it

Italian National Health System). See www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do.

CONSULATES

Non EU citizens will have to purchase

Australia

insurance in their country of origin.

Venice Address: Edificio Porta

INTERNET WI-FI

dell’Innovazione,

You can find Internet cafés easily in larger

12 Via della Libertà,

towns and in tourist centres. Middle and

Venezia Marghera 30175

top-end hotels have Internet. In most

Telephone +39 041 5093061

tourism offices and near universities WI-FI

Canada Padua Address: 25 Riviera Ruzante, 35123 Padua Telephone: +39 049 8781147

Internet access is free.

F r o m B o l z a n o t o Ve n i c e

217

ELECTRICITY You will need to take an adapter with you for three-point UK and Irish plugs; if you come from another English-speaking country, find out if your plugs are compatible with Italian sockets before you PUBLIC TRANSPORT

leave home.

There are railway stations in the centre of nearly all the towns in which you stay and

LANDLINES AND MOBILE PHONES/

the bus stations are also nearby. Nearly all CELL PHONES the towns can be reached by train. Many

Do you make a lot of calls with your

local and regional trains have compart-

mobile/cell phone? If you do, you should

ments that take bicycles (they are marked

get an Italian phone card to avoid high

by a bicycle symbol on the timetables in

roaming fees. You can get one from 5

the stations; see

euros. The main providers are Vodafone,

http://www.trenitalia.com, also in English). Tim, Wind and 3, who have their own TAXIS are expensive. It is advisable to

stores in all the larger towns. The interna-

use the bus in town.

tional code for making calls from Italy to the UK is 0044, 00353 for the Republic

OPENING TIMES

of Ireland, 001 for the United States and

Pharmacies Normal opening times:

Canada, 0061 for Australia and 0064 for

Mondays-Fridays 8.30am–12.30pm;

New Zealand. To call Italy, dial 0039 then

3.30pm–7.30pm

the number including the first 0.

Saturdays 8.30/9am–12-30pm. Each pharmacy will display information showing where you can find a pharmacy open outside these times. Banks Normal opening times: Mondays–Fridays 8.30/9am–12.30pm; 2.30pm–3.30pm Post offices Mondays–Saturdays

TIPS

8.30am–1.30pm

People no longer expect to be tipped

Shops Mondays 3.30/4pm–7.30/8pm;

as a matter of course, but hardworking

Tuesdays–Fridays 8.30/9am–12.30/1pm;

and courteous staff are pleased if you

3.30/4pm–7.30/8pm. Food shops and

round up the bill. On the menu of most

groceries are normally closed on Wednes- restaurants the cover charge is listed at day afternoon.

the bottom: it can be 10-15% of the bill,

Some supermarkets are open non-stop

although no tip is then expected. In pizze-

from Mondays-Saturdays from 9am to

rias it amounts to a couple of euros.

7pm. Shopping malls also open on Sundays. In Venice many shops are also open on Sundays. Normal opening times for eating places 12pm–2pm; 7pm–10.30pm. August is the traditional holiday month also for retailers and some restaurants.

L I B E

· · · · ·

G I

R E E N S

GR EE N S were born from the need to provide cyclists with information on the Girolibero tour in Italy and France. GR EE N S consist of 3 books: • a tourist guide for cyclists • a complete set of maps for the tour • a roadbook Other G R E E NS are being prepared for: Sicily, Loire Valley...

Further information at: info@girolibero.com

GREENS maps, roadbooks and guides are created by Girolibero, the cycling holiday expert for Italy, France and beyond. Girolibero designs routes along quiet bikeways, backroads and waterways, providing quality bikes, reliable support, generous info packs, comfy accommodation. Headquarters are located in historic Vicenza, not far from Venice, with a backstage staff of over 40 plus dozens of tour leaders, drivers, mechanics. www.girolibero.it

ISBN 978-88-85606-02-9

9 788885 606029 â&#x201A;Ź [IT/EN/DE] 24,00