Bassano del Grappa - Asolo - Villa di Maser - Vittorio Veneto

Route: Venice - Bassano del Grappa - Asolo - Villa di Maser - Vittorio Veneto - Venice
Duration: 10 h
Firstly we will visit the walled town of Bassano which is  perfectly represent the peaceful and typical sceneries one can only find in Italy. In Bassano one can taste the liquor grappa, stroll on the Palladian wooden bridge and also appreciate the sculptor Antonio Canova's works. The city is also a remembrance landmark: during World War I Bassano was in the front area, where thousands of soldiers lost their lives. Ernest Hemingway spent many days in Bassano and eventually settled there the incipit of "A Farewell to Arms". Bassano is also famous for ceramics, so we can spend some time shopping at one of the many local shops. Next we will visit to Asolo which is known as ‘The City of a Hundred Horizons’ for its mountain setting, this Italian gem offers fantastic views and a long, rich history. Originally known as Acelum to the ancient Romans, their influence on the city can still be seen today by the remains of an amphitheatre and aqueduct. The unassuming medieval cathedral in the heart of town, built on the site of the original Roman baths, is renowned for its important works of art, such as the 16th century 'Assumption' by Lorenzo Lotto, a 19th century copy of the Assumption by Titian, and a 15th century painting of Saint Francis of Assisi. The crowning jewel of The Pearl of Treviso is the Rocca Di Asolo, a 13th century castle that offers stupendous views. Next we will visit to Villa di Maser which was built between 1550 and 1560 by Andrea Palladio for Daniele Barbaro, Patriarch of Aquileia,and his brother Marcantonio Ambassador of the Venetian Republic, trasforming the medieval palace ofMaser into a splendid country residence, masterpiece of the Venetian Reneissance. Paolo Veronese decoratedthe Villa with his vastest and most important cycle of frescoes, while Alessandro Vittoria, brilliant pupil ofSansovino, cured the stuccos.The Villa passed by marriage from the Barbaro to the Trevisan, to the Basadonna, finally to the family ofLudovico Manin, the last Doge of Venice. Next we will visit to Vittorio Veneto which was created by uniting the two cities of Ceneda and Serravalle in honour of Vittore Emanuele II who in 1866 united Italy. Ceneda was an important Longobard dukedom in the 6th century, which led to its becoming an episcopal centre (which it still is today): in the quarter which functions as the commercial heart of the centre lies the Museo della Battaglia which commemorates the last decisive battle of the conflict. Serravalle was highly valued by the Romans for its strategic location as a passageway through the Cadore forests. In the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods it gained fame for the manufacture of arms and textiles, including wool and silk. Today Serravalle shows a suggestive and elegant face, studded as it is with 15th century ancient palazzi and arcade-lined streets. Not to be missed are the church of S. Giustina, of S. Giovanni Battista, piazza Flaminio,and the Serravallese loggia, the neoclassical Duomo with its Romanesque belltower housing a Virgin and Child with Saints of Titian, and the museum which displays remains from the Paleovenetian civilisation. Ceneda, in addition to the Museo della Battaglia, offers the church of S. Andrea, that of S. Maria del Meschio with its Annunciation of the Bergamo-born Andrea Previstali (15th-16th century), and the Diocesian Museum of Sacred Art Albino Luciani, which contains amongst others works by Palma di Giovane, Cima da Conegliano, and Titian. After free time we return to Venice.
Price: per person