The oases of essentials: the most charming villages in Treviso, among typical products, events and beauty

Asolo (province of Treviso):

What to see:
The Medieval Fortress, symbol of the town;
the Civic Tower, part of the Queen Cornaro’s Castle complex, from inside which you can admire a 360-degree panorama of the town;
the Cathedral, home to two important altarpieces by Lorenzo Lotto and Jacopo Da Ponte;
the Civic Museum, which houses an accurate archaeological section documenting the ancient origins of the town, and several rooms dedicated to Eleonora Duse and Caterina Cornaro Queen of Cyprus;
The typical dish: roast goose, a classic autumn recipe, traditionally eaten on St Martin’s Day (11 November);
Typical products: Asolo Prosecco DOCG wine, Asolo extra-virgin olive oil with DOP 2017 certification, Asolo Prosecco Superiore DOCG;
Local events: Festival del Viaggiatore (“Festival of the traveler”), Incontri Asolani (“Meetings in Asolo”), AsoloLibri (“AsoloBooks”), Gioie Musicali (“Musical Delights”), Calici di Stelle (“Goblets of Stars”).

Cison di Valmarino (province of Treviso):

What to see:
Brandolini Castle, called Castrum Costae in the Middle Ages, with Renaissance wing, walls and bastions and an elegant façade of a patrician Venetian residence, now a luxury hotel;
Piazza Roma, overlooked by Palazzo Barbi, a Venetian villa now the seat of the municipality, and the Loggia, dating back to the mid-17th century, formerly a courthouse and now a theatre;
Cantine Brandolini, a correct and concrete example of historical building renovation;
Chiesa arcipretale di Santa Maria Assunta, an 18th-century gem with a double façade;
Le vie dell’Acqua, (The Water Paths), a route that runs along the Rujo stream and winds through the forest to reach old mills and hydraulic works, concrete examples of industrial archaeology;
The hamlets: Tovena, a hamlet within a hamlet made up of stone houses that have almost all been restored and an 18th-century fountain; the hamlet of Mura, also made entirely of stone, and last but not least, the hamlet of Rolle, surrounded by wooded hills and Prosecco vineyards, so luminous that it was praised by the poet Andrea Zanzotto as “a postcard sent by the gods”;
Museum of vintage radio;
Museum of Sacred Art, in the hamlet of Tovena;
Museo della Strada dei Cento Giorni (Museum of the Hundred Days’ Road), at the Tovena Alpine Association headquarters;
The typical dish: spit-roasted meat with side dishes such as cooked herbs, beans, field radicchio, potatoes.
Local events: the Il Bosco Incantato (“Enchanted Forest”, 25 April), Sulle Vie dell’Acqua (“On the Water Paths”) , Artigianato Vivo (Live Craftsmanship, 7-15 August), Fiera Franca (29 October) in Tovena, Stelle di Natale (“Stars of Christmas”, two weekends before Christmas);

Follina (province of Treviso):

What to see:
The Abbey of Santa Maria in Sanavalle, with the Cloister completed in the 13th century and the fresco by Francesco da Milano from 1500, still the centre of cultural life;
Palazzo Barberis, which from 1600 onwards expanded production from humble woollen cloth to the finest fabrics;
Lanificio Andretta, which later became the Collegio San Giuseppe, then the seat of the cultural activities of the municipality and soon the town hall itself, not forgetting the more dynamic small wool mills and the Lanificio Paoletti, the only surviving manufactory of a centuries-old tradition, rewarded by fashion brands that still use its fabrics for their collections;
The typical products: in addition to wool, the silk industry is highly developed, today a unique reality that supplies silks, yarns and fabrics to the most prestigious names in international fashion.
Local events: in June the Concerti d’Alta Marca in the Abbey Refectory, La Via della Lana (The Way of Wool) review, a source of interesting contaminations between textile manufacture, art and design, the exhibition Sulle note del Prosecco Docg (“On the Notes of Prosecco Docg”), the centuries-old Pentecost Festival;
Typical dishes: meat skewers accompanied by forest products such as mushrooms, a first course of wild herbs, during Whitsun trout cooked in various ways (e.g. trout fillets and sage);

Portobuffolè (province of Treviso):

• What to do: enjoy the cycling routes along the Prà dei Gai, or go fishing and canoeing on the Livenza river. Thanks to the fertile land where pleasant outings are now possible, and where goats and sheep used to graze, the prized cheese called “Pecorino di Prà dei Gai” is produced, which is now scarce.
• Typical dishes: gnocchetti (small dumplings) with duck sauce, veal kidney, pigeon risotto, salt cod, tripe and a dish with an ancient peasant flavour such as zuppa matta (crazy soup), made with pumpkin, bread, milk and mushrooms.
• Local products: the area’s main wine, Raboso DOC Piave, the red wines of Upper Livenza river, cured meats, pumpkins;
• What to see:
  Casa Gaia da Camino, a 14th century structure that houses 15th century frescoes
  Oratory of Santa Teresa: valuable 18th-century chapel adjacent to Villa Giustinian, with stuccoes and frescoes attributed to Sebastiano Santi and a wooden crucifix and busts by Andrea Brustolon;
  Museo della Civiltà Contadina e dell’Artigianato dell’Alto Livenza (Museum of Rural Civilisation and Craftsmanship of Upper Livenza River);
  Inside the medieval civic tower, a rich collection of rural furnishings and equipment;
• Local events:
  Mercatino dell’Antiquariato e Concerti del mercatino (“Antiques Trades and Concerts of the little antique Market”, every second Sunday of the month), under the arcades and along the streets of the centre;
  San Marco, 25 April, feast of the patron saint and traditional outing to Prà dei Gai, with sporting events (parachute jumps, canoeing on the Livenza river, bicycle races), cultural events (painting exhibition at Casa Gaia and concerts) and picnic based on fortaja de San Marco, the omelette accompanied by a small salad;
  Theatre and Concerts in the Square, June-July;
  Portobuffolè in the 14th century, summer historical re-enactment in costume with medieval dinner;
  Exhibition of local wines, last ten days of August: cultural, sports and folklore events, games, dancing and typical tastings, in particular Santa Rosa tripe;
  Ancient Santa Rosa Fair, last Saturday in August: exhibition of livestock, agricultural machinery, plants and flowers, beekeeping and handicrafts, with an award ceremony for the best cattle
  Autumn Festival, third Sunday in October: the historic centre is populated with autumn fruits and products;
  Gaia jazz music review, every Saturday in June;
  Wine Review, October: In the Fontego, the splendid loggia of the Palazzo del Podestà in the square of Portobuffolè, the Wine Review between Piave and Livenza rivers is staged for two weekends. More than 200 product labels from over 100 wineries in the area will be on display and tasted;
  Colori e Sapori a Portobuffolè (Colours and Flavours in Portobuffolè), the month of April: an event organised in the streets and squares of the mediaeval village of Portobuffolè involving the exhibition and sale of: seasonal and excellent regional and border products, organic and slow food, food products from regional and border farms, flowers, plants and gardening in general, paintings, photographs and sculptures, works that reflect the concept of recycling and reuse, denoting respect for the environment;
  Waiting for Christmas in Portobuffolè, the month of December: an event organised in the streets and squares of the mediaeval village of Portobuffolè, featuring an exhibition-market of typical or Christmas gifts and food products.

Translated by Cecilia Flaccavento
Intern at the Chamber of Commerce of Treviso – Belluno|Dolomites