Treviso: More than a Little Venice
Walking is the way to visit this walled town in Northern Italy
Frescoes from the 14th century, paintings by Titian and Tiepolo and Venetian architecture compete with good restaurants and the United Colors of Benetton
So strong was the influence of Venice during the height of its empire that many surrounding towns are still called “Little Venices”. One of these is Treviso, but the name doesn’t do it justice.
True, it has a river and a couple of short canals running through its center, crossed by graceful bridges. The familiar Lion of St Mark looks down from its gates, and some buildings have the characteristic triple-arched Venetian windows. But never would you mistake the pleasant town for Italy’s city on water.
Better to see it as the charming little city it is, without expecting it to be Venice in miniature, reveling in its tree-lined streets, flower-draped balconies and the graceful willows that overhang the river. Unlike Venice, Treviso is surrounded by walls, and entered through monumental gates. Inside is a city compact enough to explore its shaded streets on foot.
Inside the Duomo, begun in the 1100s, is a Titian painting, an excellent fresco by Pordenone and, in the crypt below, original 12th-century columns and mosaics. The Church of San Nicolo has paintings by Thomas of Modena, with more in the chapter house of the adjoining Dominican monastery. Also in the chapter house are excellent wall friezes, frescoes and a Byzantine crucifix.
Look for 14th-century frescoes by Thomas of Modena in other Treviso churches, too, including the church of St Catherine, which is now owned by the Museo Civico. The artists Bellini, Tiepolo and Bassano are well represented in the Museo Civico’s main building,which also hasBronze Age relics.
Shoppers will want to make a pilgrimage to the original Benetton store, next to the Palazzo dei Trecento, the city hall. Treviso is the home of the Italian family that founded the company. Behind the 13th-century Palazzo dei Trecento, on an island in the canal is the arcaded market, open Tuesday and Saturday mornings. (On Sunday an antiques market stretches along Via Liberale.)
Treviso is surrounded by rich farmlands, famed for their vegetables, so dining is a high priority here. Just inside the town gate (Porta Quaranta), Antica Osteria al Cavallino serves excellent fresh fish in the genial atmosphere of a terrace shaded by grape vines. Osteria alla Pasina, on Via Peschiere in nearby Dosson di Casier (a mile from Treviso) bases many of its dishes on the fresh vegetables from local farms.
Gnocci, a potato pasta that this region is famous for, is served with local red endive or fresh asparagus in season, at Il Cascinale in nearby Sant'Angelo, about 1.5 miles south of Treviso. Dinner is served only on weekends, but lodging is offered at this agritourism farm at any time.
