Asolo, TV

Bike Veneto, Italy - Treviso Province

Asolo is a small town and commune located in northern Italy in the Veneto region. The town is located in the province of Treviso and is known by several names like "The city of a Hundred Horizons" because of its beautiful location.

 Originally the town had been settled by the Veneti and in the early Middle Ages it was under the possession of the Ezzelino family. Asolo had been under the possession of the Republic of Venice. The famous Asolo Theater was built here in 1798 by Antonio Locatelli.

Carducci defined it as "the city of a hundred horizons" because of the beauty of its surrounding landscape, the same that Giorgione reproduced several times in his canvases. A charming medieval village nestled in the hills of Treviso; Asolo was a magnificent Renaissance court at the time of Caterina Cornaro. The town of Treviso was deeply loved by two other great women: the actress Eleonora Duse, also known as the "Divine" and the English writer and explorer, Freya Stark. Both lived in Asolo and are buried in the cemetery of Sant'Anna.

Strolling through the winding and quiet alleys, tourists will find subtle traces of the distinguished guests who appreciated its inspiration, such as the English poet Robert Browning, Pietro Bembo, one of the most famous scholars of the sixteenth century and the musician Gian Francesco Malipiero, who found inspiration for some of his compositions.

Asolo is also famous as the birth place of actress Elenora Duse, Robert Browning who was a famous English poet, Wilma Neruda the violinist, Gian Francesco Malipiero and Freya Stark who was a famous explorer.

Getting to Asolo

Asolo is located quite close to the city of Treviso so getting down to the town is not very difficult. Treviso is well connected to most destinations in Italy so visitors can easily reach Treviso from other parts of Italy and then travel to Asolo. Buses depart every few hours from Treviso from the main bus station for Asolo. The state buses are also quite comfortable and the tickets are not very expensive. Tickets are easily available at most train stations. Visitors can also easily drive down to Asolo from Treviso since it is located quite close to Asolo.

Moving Around the Town

The best way to explore Asolo is on foot since it is a very compact town. The center of the town has many narrow streets and various hidden alleys which can only be explored on foot. Most of the sights seeing attractions in town are all concentrated close to the center of the town so visitors can easily visit them all on foot within a day. Those who have their own cars can also drive around to visit the nearby villages and the outskirts of Asolo.

Not to Miss

Fortress and Asolo's City Walls

The most interesting monuments in Asolo are the ancient fortress and the walls. The medieval fortress is characterized by many alleyways, arcades and mansions which have been built before centuries. The fortress dominates the sky line of Mount Ricco and had been originally built to guard the city. Many restoration and repair works have been done in the past centuries.

Palladian Villa near Asolo

Piazza Garibaldi

The center point of the town is the main piazza of Asolo, Piazza Garibaldi which has a beautiful 16th century fountain and is the most active part of the town. Several important monuments are located close to the main Piazza, the castle, the fortress, the theater, the palazzo della Ragione and the City museum are all located close to the main piazza.

The Cathedral

The medieval cathedral of Asolo was the seat of the Bishop and had been redesigned and renovated in the 18th century by Giorgio Massari. The cathedral has several important works by artists like Jacopo da Ponte, Lorenzo Lotto and Sebastiano Bastini. The cathedral is located close to Piazza Brugnoli where the Roman baths were found before centuries.

Palazzo Beltramini

Palazzo Beltramini is now the Town Hall of Asolo. The building had been renovated in the 18th century and has arcaded streets and various frescoes on the façade with beautiful mullioned windows and balconies. The street where the Town Hall is located has many beautiful gothic and baroque buildings that have 15th and 16th century frescoes.

Convent of St. Pietro e Paolo

Palladian Statue in Asolo

The convent of Saint Pietro and Paolo has beautiful frescoes on the façade that were done in the 17th century and depict various biblical scenes. There is an underground tunnel which connects it to the Il resco on the other side of the hill. The convent has been beautifully decorated and has an elegant interior. Inside the church are various art works and decorations most of which date back to the 17th and 18th centuries. 

Eating in Asolo

Asolo has quite a lot of good restaurants and pizzerias where visitors can eat out. Almost all hotels in the town have their own restaurants and apart from those too, there are several other places that serve good food. Food in Asolo is mostly traditional Italian cuisine and regional dishes which the locals prefer to eat. There are also a few taverns and bars in the town that have a good collection of wines and light appetizers. However, there are only very few restaurants in Asolo where visitors would find other cuisines. Some of the best restaurants in town are AI Morer farm restaurant, Epoca pub and sandwich bar, Al Bersagliere tavern, bar Al Castello, café central, café Commercio and osteria Alla Rocca.

Shopping in Asolo

Shopping in Asolo is limited to the old markets where the locals do most of their shopping. The old markets of the town have various small shops that are stacked against each other and sell various food items, handicrafts, clothes, shoes, wooden artifacts and pottery. There are also a few shopping streets in town where visitors can purchase almost anything. However, the best things to purchase in Asolo are extra virgin olive oil, honey, salami, cheese and wine. Most food shops would have good quality olive oil and cheese. There are various wine shops in Asolo that have a good collection of local wines