Tradition and history of the Marca Trevigiana between the Prosecco DOCG Hills and the Piave River

Vittorio Veneto

The route we propose starts from Vittorio Veneto, a municipality created in 1866 by the merger of two municipalities, Ceneda and Serravalle. The original name of the municipality was Vittorio, in honor of the first king of Italy. The appellation Veneto was added only in 1923, following the end of the First World War.

After meeting with the guide, there will be a tour of the town.

Vittorio Veneto consists of two small towns. The first is Ceneda, where you will visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the Museo della Battaglia (the Battle of Vittorio Veneto was the third and final battle on the Piave River and led to the end of the conflict in November 1918) and the Castle of San Martino.

The second is Serravalle: here you will visit the historic center with its traditional porticoes and the Shrine of Santa Augusta.

This will be followed by lunch in a typical restaurant in the center.

Address: Vittorio Veneto, TV, Italy

Conegliano

In the early afternoon it will arrive in Conegliano. This is where the real Prosecco road starts. After meeting with the guide, we will visit the historic center with its cathedral and the Sala dei Battuti, the house of Giovanni Battista Cima (one of the greatest exponents of 15th-century Venetian painting) and the Castle, located in a stupendous area overlooking the territory. Worth mentioning, the “GB Cerletti” School of Enology, the first school for the teaching of Viticulture and Enology, established in 1876.

Dinner and overnight stay in a downtown hotel.

Address: Conegliano, TV, Italy

Refrontolo

After breakfast, we will move to Refrontolo. Here you will be welcomed by the Pro Loco of Refrontolo who will take you on a tour of the Molinetto della Croda. The Water Mill stands in the Lierza Valley. It is an example of rural architecture in the area and dates back to the 17th century. Active until the 1950s, it attracted and continues to attract artists and visitors from all over the world. The Molinetto is called “della Croda” because it rests on the bare rock, the “croda.” Inside is a millstone still in operation driven by the motion of the adjacent waterfall. The Molinetto is active and fascinating all year round, which allows it to host exhibitions and displays of Veneto rural tradition inside.

Address: Refrontolo, TV, Italy

Cison di Valmarino

After the visit is over, we will move on to Cison di Valmarino, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. In August, “Artigianato Vivo” an event is held here in the week before Ferragosto. During this week, the city is transformed into a kind of open-air workshop; hundreds of artisans produce and reproduce traditional Veneto objects in lego, iron, glass and other materials.

We recommend that you immerse yourself in the streets of the village independently so as to create a close bond with the crafts of yesteryear, stopping for each booth as long as necessary. During the visit, you will still be supported by the IAT of Cison di Valmarino, ready to guide you and resolve any doubts you may have.

However, the village can be visited all year round, but in case you do not come here in August, we recommend that you proceed with a guided tour of Castelbrando, one of the most impressive buildings in the municipality. The fortress, built several times between 1200 and 1800, overlooks the entire DOCG vineyard area. Castelbrando is one of the largest castles in Europe and one of the best examples of redevelopment of Italy’s historical and artistic heritage.

Address: Cison di Valmarino, TV, Italy

Follina

Once the visit to Cison di Valmarino is over, we will move on to Follina, another among the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Here we will proceed with a guided tour of the abbey of Santa Maria, a former Cistercian monastery. The abbey with a Latin cross plan was built in the fourteenth century, but the first finds date back to the twelfth century. The most striking area of the entire complex is the cloister, dating back to 1268.

This will be followed by lunch at one of the typical restaurants in the area.

Address: Follina, TV, Italy

Valdobbiadene

After finishing lunch, we will move to Valdobbiadene. The road to Valdobbiadene is very picturesque as it is surrounded by Prosecco DOCG vineyards.

Once there, you will independently visit the Cathedral and Marconi Square and the Church of San Floriano located in an excellent elevated position overlooking the vineyards. Next you will move to the famous Villa dei Cedri, a former factory and since 2019 the headquarters of the Association for the Heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. The association was established to protect and enhance UNESCO heritage. Here you will meet the Association, which, once the tour of downtown Valdobbiadene is over, will take you to a winery in the area where you can taste Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene DOCG, being guided and listening to stories directly from the owners themselves.

After the winery tour, dinner and overnight stay in local hotels.

Address: Valdobbiadene, TV, Italy

Moriago della Battaglia

On this last day, some of the iconic sites of the Great War will be visited. Any municipality or place that you will pass through during the day passes down the memory of World War I. This remembrance can be felt simply by looking out the window and seeing the large number of buildings half destroyed by bombing, monuments and cemeteries dedicated to our ancestors who fought for the Fatherland.

Our advice is to stop as much as possible to meditate in some of these places of memory. You will probably be able to read the name of one of your ancestors.

After breakfast, you will reach Moriago della Battaglia. Here in the center, you will be welcomed by the Moriago Pro Loco. They will take you to see one of the most unique remnants of the Great War: the Da Camino tower. The Da Camino, were a noble family who settled in the 11th century in the Marca. In the 12th century they built a military tower in Moriago, which later became the bell tower. Due to the bombing of the war, about 75% of the tower was destroyed. To this day it can still be visited.

Moriago is also known for a particular a strip of land near the Piave River called the Island of the Dead. The name of this area is due to the events that occurred during World War I, particularly in October 1918 when thousands of young soldiers sacrificed their lives here for the Fatherland. Nowadays, this place still conveys a special, almost ghostly charm. Here are a number of memorial constructions made in memory of our young heroes.

After the visit to the Island of the Dead is over, lunch at a typical local restaurant will follow.

Address: Moriago della Battaglia, TV, Italy

Nervesa della Battaglia

After lunch, we will cross the Sacred River of the Fatherland, the Piave, and move on to Nervesa della Battaglia.

Here, thanks to the Proloco of Nervesa, three important monuments and structures will be seen.

The first structure you will see is the Montello Military Ossuary Shrine, one of Italy’s main military shrines. It is located about 200m above sea level and contains the remains of 10,000 soldiers. The monument was unveiled in 1938.

The second structure is the Abbey of St. Eustace, built in the 11th century by the noble Collalto family of Lombard origin. In the 16th century the Abbey also hosted Giovanni della Casa, writer of Galateo. During the Great War, the structure suffered heavy damage, still visible today although it has been the focus of two restorations.

The third and final structure, is the Francesco Baracca Monument. Francesco Baracca, the ace of Italian aviation during World War I, crashed on June 19, 1918 at “Busa delle Rane.” A cross still stands here today to commemorate the exact site of the Hero’s crash. A little further away is a visitable and more accessible monument.

Address: Nervesa della Battaglia, TV, Italy

 

End of services

We would like to point out that this three-day route, can be integrated and lengthened by aggregating it with other regional routes.

In addition, for a more impactful experience, it will be possible to arrange meetings with members of the Trevisans in the World Association at any time since there are branch offices in each of the municipalities presented above. These meetings, will be crucial if you want to create an even stronger relationship with the land of your ancestors.