Surrounded by hills and favoured by a mild climate, Bassano del Grappa is a pretty medieval town in the Vicenza area.
Strolling through the historic centre means diving into art: the streets of the centre are adorned with the works of authors such as Palladio, Canova, Jacopo Da Ponte, Marinali and Dall’Acqua. Bassano is home to the oldest Museo Civico in the Veneto region, which is well worth a visit, together with the striking Loggia dei Potestà.
The city’s symbolic monument is the Ponte Vecchio – built to a design by Palladio – and links its image to the epic deeds of the alpine troops during the Great War. Over the centuries, due to sudden floods, it has been repeatedly rebuilt, each time respecting the original Palladian design. At one end of the bridge is the small but fascinating Museo degli Alpini, which houses historical documents and memorabilia from the period.
Bassano del Grappa is also known for the two great traditions that have made it famous. The first is ceramics with the productions linked to the prestigious Antonibon family, which you can admire in the Ceramics Museum in Palazzo Sturm. The second is typography, which the illustrious Remondini family (publishers and chalcographers, creators of the most important printing industry in Italy) developed between 1600 and 1800.
Architectural examples from the mediaeval period are also the Fortress, erected to defend the city and of which the towers and walls remain; the Civic Tower, which offers an exclusive panorama of the nearby mountains from above; and the Cathedral.
For those who want to be tempted by gastronomic tradition, they will find tasty proposals such as the unmissable white asparagus PDO of Bassano to be savoured with a simple egg sauce or as the base for delicious risottos.
Source: www.veneto.eu
