A Spasso con Elena's blog

ELENA

Hello everybody, last time we lured you with good food without even tell you about the Tiramisù town itself. Today, we wish to take you for a walk through Treviso's pictoresque streets and make you dream f being there! Treviso is a small town, which is home to about 85.000 people (figure of the whole administrative division), and it offers a lot of possibilities to its visitors: history, art, culinary traditions, architecture, valley, hills, mountains, rivers, lakes, and the sea. It is located in a strategic position which suits you very well in case you plan to visit the whole Veneto region. Indeed, you can reach - just to outline a few places: Venice, Padua, Vicenza, Verona, Bassano del Grappa, Montello Hill, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Caorle, in maximum 2 hours by car. You cannot miss Treviso, in any case. It is a real jewel. Some call it "the small Venice" for its many canals. They peacefully flow, one after the other, like in Venice. Nevertheless, you not only move on foot from a place to another, and there is no water bus, in Treviso. You might be able to visit most of the town in a day. I strongly recommend you to do so on foot in order to be able to go into the most secret spots, but I also suggest you to rent a bicycle, especially if you love experiencing the nature and if you stay several days in town. Listen to the advice of the local guides on where to dare to set pedal in, though. It can indeed turn into an unpleasant experience, if you don't, especially if you are used to the road safety in Copenhagen.

I will now give the floor to Valentina who will make us dream about strolling together in Treviso with her words.

Enjoy the reading!

VALENTINA Around & About Treviso:

Treviso is an elegant and laidback city and the best way to experience it at its most is overnighting in a B&B in town. In this way you can start your trip from the neighbourhood called Borgo Cavour, as everything can be reached in walking distance. Browse around the walled city, and enjoy it by getting lost in its narrow cobblestones alleys where sometimes you can be astonished by lovely views. This makes Treviso the perfect gateway destination for a break. Places that cannot be missed when in town are: the Buranelli Canal, a bucholic place, where you feel right into a romance. This is the place where people from Burano – the isle in the Venetian Lagoon well-known for its laces – used to moor their boats and actually there's a 16th century granary along the canal shore. Just around the corner, walking through small lanes interrupted here and there by a number of tiny rivers, you reach Ponte San Francesco where to admire another breathtaking view. Few steps further there's the ancient Church of San Francesco, where Dante’s son and Petrarca’s daughter are buried. Take some time to step into the church and have a look to this impressive religious building founded in 13th century.

Ponte Malvasia, Treviso. Photo credits: Valentina Facchin. All rights reserved.

Once you are done and happy with that, stroll along the pedestrian alleys towards the Pescheria neighbourhood, one of the most characteristic spots where every morning the fish market is open. Here there's a large selection of osterie (such are called the typical bars in town) and restautants, which turn into meeting points for aperitifs, meals or cocktails. In particular in the warm season you'll see people in the street sippind a glass of spritz - typical aperitif in north east of Italy - and chatting till late night. I advice to stop for a drink at Abitué in Corte S. Parisio, this risto-pub is into an old cloister dating back to 15th century and everyday in the front square takes place the fruit&veg market. I've never had a meal there, but once I tasted the brunch and I was impressed by it.

If you are looking for a real traditional meal where locals go, well, go to La Colonnetta, to me the best in town. The food served is traditional, fresh and tasty and IsaB, the owner, will entertain you with funny anecdotes. It doesn't matter which language you speak, she will always turn to you in our dialect. Give it a try and you'll laugh a lot while tasting delicious food. The restaurant is right behind Piazza dei Signori.

Piazza dei Signori, Treviso. Photo credits: Valentina Facchin. All rights reserved.

Then after having satisfied your hunger, you should head towards the Quartiere Latino area. One of the most suggestive areas in Treviso to admire buildings that reflect in the river Sile waters just before blending those of the Cagnan river at Ponte Dante. The Quartiere Latino inaugurated in 2006, is home to the city's university buildings. It is characterized by the beautiful Piazza dell'Umanesimo Latino and by the wooden bridge over the Sile river. The history of this area is very old: as early as the 14th century, the hospital known as Santa Maria dei Battuti had been moved there. The palace is also known as "Customs" as it was used for these purposes during the Austro-Hungarian period in the mid-1800s.

Ponte Dante, Quartiere Latino, Treviso. Photo credits: Valentina Facchin. All rights reserved.

At this stage you have to options. Taking a stroll along the Sile river banks in the Restera, here locals come for biking, running or just walking surrounded by this relaxing landscape. Or going on exploring the city center. Head to Piazza dei Signori, that is the real center of Treviso, with the elegant facade of Palazzo dei Trecento, home of the municipal council and it dates back to 13th century. The square is filled with restaurants and cafes, as such it is a meeting place for young and old. Just following a tangle of lanes you’ll spot an hidden gem: Fontana dee Tette - The Fountain of Tits - you cannot miss this statue and its unusual history. In 15th century the Venetian Republic decided that it had to pour white and red wine during special occasions and citizens could drink wine for free for 3 days. You can imagine how popular it was!

In Treviso there are a handful of art galleries to be visited and I've selected a couple of them exhibiting mainly contemporary art: T.R.A. Treviso Ricerca Arte is based in Ca' dei Ricchi, Via Barberia 25 - a noble palace - it hosts exhibitions of contemporary art, talks, concerts, workshops and meetings. It investigates and promotes contemporary art in its moltitude of forms and expressions: this is T.R.A. Treviso Ricerca Arte, a private cultural association in Treviso. Visit its website to check the line-up, it is in Italian, but you can easily understand the dates and timing. Besides the admission is free most of the time. Although you might not be interested in their exhibition, take some time to explore the building and this area, as it is lovely. Downstairs there is a bar serving delicious tramezzini (typical filled sandwich of white soft bread) though.

Take a walk along Via Cal Maggiore towards the Cathedral, which stands where an Ancient Roman temple and a theater used to be. Not known much, it hosts the Annunciazione Malchiostro, a masterpiece by Tiziano. Right behind the Chathedral step in the Vicolo del Duomo a tiny lane closed at night that leads you to wonderful remains of a Roman mosaic.

Vicolo del Duomo, Treviso. Photo credits: Valentina Facchin. All rights reserved.

Head to the third main church in town, San Nicolò is a massive building built out of brick and wood, it’s an example of Italian Gothic style in 14th century. Its walls are adorned with frescoes by Tommaso da Modena dating back to 14th century and it’s well-knowm due to the first spectacles to be depicted.

The second art gallery is B#Side Gallery - Vicolo Isola di Mezzo 3/5. An association carrying out activities supporting people in their cultural well-being and their specific skills, with a particular inclination towards visual arts. And every 45 days the exhibit changes. Talking to these guys I surprisingly realized they have a special bond to Denmark. I tell you the story. Some time ago, they brought a work of art to the permanent collection at Mosede Museum in Tunestillingen, and with Hans Ulrich Appel, a Danish curator, they managed to explore rooms and spaces dedicated to the contemporary art and they got to know all curators and managers of the gallery. How did this experience impact on B#Side Gallery? By bringing natural light into the gallery as well as reproducing it through the interior lighting system. While natural wooden furniture and white surroundings lead to spirituality providing rest for the eye. Everybody is welcomed in, firstly admission is free and B#Side Gallery is at the ground floor with big windows letting people see what's in without any barrier.

After a long art and cultural marathon I suppose you need to recover yourself with something sweet or sour. Well the choice is up to you of course! Need a sweet bite? I would recommend to step into Camelia Bakery, an old style sort of bakery where tasting delicious handmade cupcakes. Although this is not our traditional kind of cake, well, believe me, it is worth tasting at least one of them! Time for an aperitif? Try the most typical osteria, Dai Nanetti, no tables are there, you order at the bar your glass of wine, or spritz usually accompained by typical cicchetti - finger food, that could be a sandwich with cured meat or a slice of bread topped with several typical and mouthwatering ingredients.

To me these are the main things not to be missed and to be experienced when in Treviso. What I would suggest is taking your time to enjoy it with no stress. You’ll notice how people are keen to meet in the osterie, in laidback as well as smart locations to relax with friends. And enjoying life. And if you wish so, have a look at Treviso City Map to easily find the places I selected for you.

Enjoy your stay and stay tuned to discover more about Treviso!