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Veneto: The Land of Quaint Towns

July 27, 2024
KK

Ahhh, the Veneto—a region filled with more than Venice, Verona, and Lake Garda, with plenty of quaint villages, castles, and awe-inspiring panoramas. Jack and I spent two weeks in the heart of the Prosecco Road (Valdobbiadene has its own update) with many day trips throughout the countryside.

Asolo

I’ve been to this region many times, showing lots of friends the beautiful area. But this was the first time for Jack, so I re-traced my steps and gave him the best tour of the area, starting with Asolo, a medieval walled town designated one of Italy’s most picturesque villages. Poets have described it as a “town with a hundred horizons.” I came here years ago with my sister-in-law and some friends in November, which was much cooler than today. We had a nice long walk up to la Rocca (the Castle of Asolo), built in the 12^th century at the top of Monte Ricco to protect this tiny town. It is a steep walk (300+ steps), but the reward for climbing up is a 360* panorama of the region’s valley, vineyards, and villas. It was hazy that day, but it’s said that on a clear day, you can see Venice! I remembered the absolute best Cioccolata caldo I have ever had at Villa Cipriani, a Michelin hotel with spectacular views that would be great for a wedding venue! Even though it was the middle of summer and quite warm, I had to have a cup of hot chocolate, and it was still soooo yummy! Jack just had a cappuccino- duh! Then, it was on to Marostica to meet one of my past students stationed at Vicenza—Caserma Ederle. BUT… we had an extra 15 -20 minutes, so we decided to do a quick stop in Nove to take a few pics. Nove is a very famous pottery town with over 20 shops to find those one-of-a-kind pieces. Of course, my favourite is La Ceramica VBC. All the Italian pottery you can buy from top-end kitchen suppliers like Williams Sonoma, Lenox, Sur La Table, Pottery Barn, and Tiffany & Co. is made here! There are literally boxes and boxes packed and waiting to be shipped to America! I came here first in 1990, and not much has changed. But this visit was particularly challenging for me; I couldn’t buy even a tiny bowl as nothing would fit in my overstuffed carry-on. (although it was mentioned I could buy two little bowls and put them in my bra!) I was getting a little stressed as I walked around, seeing all the lovely things I just knew I NEEDED! No husband should let their wife shop in Nove; it’s a dangerous place; oh well, maybe next time. We had to get over to Marostica in time to meet one of my old students, Bryce, and his new bride, Alex.

View from Asolo

World's best hot chocolate

Streets of Aolso

Best gelato in Veneto

Marostica

Driving toward the town, I get weepy seeing the intact walled city of Marostica, which was built in the 13th century. While most towns are lucky to have one castle, Marostica has two—the Castello Superiore (built in the 11^th century) is located on the top of a hill, and the Castle Inferiore (lower) in the 14th, with the walls connecting both. After meeting up with Bryce and Alex, we began the hike up from the lower castle to the upper castle. But we decided it was a little too warm after the climb up, and we should skip the whole 4.2-mile loop and head down for a little appertivo! On the large main piazza in the center of town, we had an adult beverage overlooking the giant, life-size chess board where, every two years, a live, human chess game is played by the local townspeople dressed in medieval costumes. The legend dates back to 1454 when two brave warriors fell madly in love with the same daughter of the Lord of the Castle (think the original Bachelorette). The Lord decided his daughter would marry the winner of a chess match instead of a bloody duel. After a cold adult beverage, we enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Osteria Madonnetta, a Michelin star restaurant serving regional dishes of the Veneto. Walking back to the car, we took one last look at the walled town, and I am still amazed at the ambition and mastery of the Medieval architects and this ancient walled city that has stood the test of time.

Chessboard on the Square

Walls of Castle Inferiore

Michelin Star Osteria Madonnetta

KK with her former student and wife

Bassano del Grappa

On our last few days in the Veneto, we took another quick day trip to the medieval hamlet of Bassano del Grappa. We first went to the Museo degli Alpini, located in the Taverna degli Alpini on the north side of the bridge. After paying our 6€, we made our way downstairs to the exhibit. There is so much to see—bayonets, machine guns, pistols, uniforms, and huge snow boots! Unfortunately, all the exhibits are in Italian, but we got the gist of everything. We crossed the Ponte degli Alpini, originally designed by Palladio, but destroyed by floods and two world wars and rebuilt many times. We couldn’t go far without stopping at the 250-year-old distillery, Nardini, for a little taste of the grappa. After a disappointing closure of the Chiesa di San Francesco, we found our way to a wonderful and spotlessly clean pizzeria – al Saraceno. A thunderstorm blew in, so we had to skip the Tempio Ossario, a large church originally planned as the new cathedral but became the military memorial for the remains of over 6,000 soldiers of the First World War buried there. I guess we must visit Bassano del Grappa another time to see it all.

I am pretty sure Jack loves the Veneto region as much as I do. It is filled with charming villages, each rich in history and charm. After a tourist-filled stay in Venice or Verona, visit at least two or three to immerse yourself in the medieval magic these authentic and small villages offer.

View of Ponte degli Alpini

Ponte degli Alpini

View from Ponte degli Alpini

Nardini -sampling the goods

Nardini - Old Grappa Distillery

Inside the Museo degli Alpini

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One Response

Chris Stuart says:

August 13, 2024 at 3:13 am

Nice write up mom!

Did we ever go there other than for Venice? I’m not sure if the pottery place you mention is the same one we went to long ago.

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