Outside the most popular tourist routes (Venice is just a few steps away), Treviso enchants the traveller for the harmonious coexistence between nature and urbanization. The historical heart of the city and meeting place of the people of Treviso is Piazza dei Signori. The Palazzo del Podestà, the Palazzo dei Trecento and the Torre Civica coexist with bars, arcades, shops and historic shops.
From here starts Calmaggiore, the most important shopping street in Treviso, with the shops protected by the arcades.
Walking through the city you will be accompanied by water, the predominant but discreet element that makes Treviso as beautiful as Venice, but less “postcard” and more real.
Calmaggiore is the most important street in the historical centre of Treviso. Originally the Cardo Maggiore of Roman times, today it is an elegant alleyway lined with shops, boutiques and historical residences.
It leads from Piazza dei Signori to Piazza Duomo: it is a beautiful walk under the arcades, among glittering shop windows, shops and boutiques. Along Calmaggiore you can admire the remains of the ancient Roman road: the access is in the basement of the shop “Argenteria Marza”. Continuing on, in the courtyard of Palazzo Zignoli you will find a reconstruction of the famous fountain of tits: a small fountain surmounted by the bust of a woman, from whose breasts water gushes out. The original statue, dating back to 1559, is kept in a shrine in the Palazzo dei Trecento and is worth a visit because the fountain was designed to celebrate the new mayor: therefore, at each settlement, for three days the fountain of tits gave white wine from one breast and red wine from the other.
Piazza dei Signori in Treviso has always been the worldly heart and the good living room of the people of Treviso.
The square, always very well cared for, overlooks elegant arcades, restaurants, bars with their tables, shops and boutiques. The view of Piazza dei Signori in Treviso is dominated by three of the most important buildings in the city: the Palazzo del Podestà, dating back to 1400, the Civic Tower and the Palazzo dei Trecento. From Piazza dei Signori opens Calmaggiore, Treviso’s main street, which leads to the Duomo: a small paved alleyway, narrowed by porticoes and historic houses, characteristic, absolutely worth seeing.
Palazzo dei Trecento in Treviso, built in 1210, dominates Piazza dei Signori and takes its name from the 300 members of the City Council. With its red brick arches, it still hosts the meetings of the city council and is one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in the city.
Its interior is decorated with 13th century frescoes and can be visited during exhibitions and cultural events. Piazza dei Signori is also home to the Loggia dei Cavalieri, an irregularly shaped, open arched structure built in 1200 to allow nobles to participate in board games: a unique building of its kind.
With its elegant red brick façade, Palazzo del Podestà dominates Piazza dei Signori in Treviso. The building was built in the 13th century and has been rebuilt several times.
It was the seat of the Podestà, who by law could not be from Treviso or neighbouring towns: for this reason he did not have a house and moved there with all his retinue. Every 7th April at 1:00 p.m., the tolling of the tower bell recalls the bombardment that destroyed the city in 1944.
Despite the Cathedral, which with its neoclassical façade dominates Piazza Duomo in Treviso, the largest church in the city and certainly worth a visit is the Church of San Nicolò, built in the 12th century by the Dominican friars thanks to the bequests of Benedict XI.
Treviso, the ancient Roman Tarvisium, was surrounded by walls even at the time of its foundation, and the walls have always protected the city.
The walls and the history of Treviso are closely linked to that of its watercourses, which surround the walls and can be admired on foot or by bicycle: you will find villas overlooking the river with their ancient suspended wash-houses, gardens, well-kept parks and absolute quiet.
Along the way we recommend a stop on Dante’s bridge, “where Sile and Cagnan accompany each other”, as the Poet says in his song in his Paradise.
If you think that Treviso is only radicchio and Prosecco, you are mistaken. It is true that here the risotto with radicchio is a real delicacy and that Prosecco is inimitable, but Treviso is a land rich in harmonies of lagoon and land flavours, which have always made the dishes substantial, tasty and very tasty.
The territory of the Treviso Prealps is the authentic and exclusive cradle of Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG. The high hills of Prosecco, softened by the embroidery of the vineyards, lie in a natural amphitheatre between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, where, not far away, the Dolomites can be seen.
Lands of art and taste an hour’s drive from the magnificent Venice, where the sensitivity and experience of man are inclined to perfection. The people of these lands, in fact, know how to transform the precious gifts of the vine from the vineyards to the cellars into sparkling wines that are unique for their value and character.
In this lucky land of the most beautiful Italy, everything seems to be wrapped in a magic of wine and good flavours, of centuries-old enoic wisdom that has deeply marked the landscape but also the soul of its people.
Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene is produced only in the Treviso area, in particular on the Prosecco hills between Vittorio Veneto and Valdobbiadene, a territory that includes 15 municipalities.
