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TREVISO
The daily life of Treviso runs along the Arcades of Calmaggiore,
the road that connects the civil centre of the city, Piazza
dei Signori, with the religious one of Piazza del Duomo.
Piazza dei Signori is characterized by the presence of the
Palazzo dei Trecento, the ancient communal palace of 1217:
austere and massive, it is an authentic testimony of the history
of the city. The loggia on the ground floor is from the16th
century. The Palazzo del Podestà is adjacent to the
Palazzo Pretorio, and came about from renovation of the original
building, the Torre comunale (Communal Tower) stands out from
behind the square. The square is closed from the other side
by a succession of ancient Bourgeois houses, which are tall
and narrow and characterized by their porches.
The Piazza del Duomo houses the Duomo (Cathedral) itself –
a neoclassic renovation of the ancient Medieval Duomo during
1836. A walk on the arched side brings you to the original
fascination of the time – the Palazzo Vescovile, with
its brick worked Gothic/Veneto styled houses and the Roman
Battistero (Baptistery) dating back to the 11-12th Centuries.
Another important religious monument in Treviso is the Tempio
di S.Nicolò (Temple), one of the masterpieces of Gothic
Italy, dating back to the 13th-14th Centuries. Its monumental
interior contains many precious works of art and in the convent,
in the Sala del Capitolo, there are exceptional preserved
frescoes; the workmanship of Tommaso da Modena, one of the
great masters of 14th Century painting.
Walking through the city, adhering to the tortuous Medieval
roads, between the bridges and the arches, you can find other
architectural treasures: the area of the Pescheria (fish market),
onto which faces Ca’ de Carraresi, an ancient house/fontego
(warehouse), today the seat of prestigious exhibitions: the
Loggia dei Cavalieri, a Roman/Gothic construction which was
used as a covered square for the Medieval nobility; the area
of S. Maria Maggiore, a perfectly preserved Medieval suburb;
the area of the new University links the 15th century and
other neo-classic buildings to urbanistic changes over the
last few years.
A walk along the restored Wall, offers a view of Treviso as
a city of water and of green spaces, allowing you to come
to the 2 ancient and solemn Gates of the City still in place
today: Porta san Tommaso and Porta Santi Quaranta.
But Treviso is also truly a real anthology of the history
of art, linked to the evolution of the ancient society: there
are houses/towers, the distinctive symbol of important old
families; you can still find the houses with the wheels of
old mills, sign of a bourgeois entrepreneurial business; the
Convento di Santa Caterina (Convent of S. Katherine) –
today’s seat of a museum complex, valuable for its site
and contents – this together with its frescoes and its
noble architecture, tell the story of a flourishing cultural
life of the city.
A final curiosity:
In Treviso, at the point where the River Cagnan and River
Sile merge into one, you’ll find the Ponte Dante (Dante
Bridge), which commemorates with a star, the poetic presence
in the city, like Travisa, who is mentioned in the Divina
Commedia (Divine Comedy); the bridge became known as “dell’
impossible” (of the impossible) due to the fact that
the River’s current saw its collapse more than once
before its completion. Today, the waters of the River are
calm and with their rhythm, accompany the walk in an urban
place not far from the Cathedral, transmitting a great sense
of peace.
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