Saturday, June 23, 2012

Vittorio Venato

This week it was quite hot in Treviso. Even the locals were saying it was hotter than usual. We decided to get a bit closer to the mountains.  Maybe it would be a bit cooler there. Got on the train at 9:38 and headed up to Vittorio Venato which is about 50 km North of Treviso.  



On this trip we had to change trains and get onto a small inter city train.  It was nicely air conditioned which made for a pleasant ride.  



Arrived in Vittorio Venato to start our walking tour. When you exit the train station you walk into a beautiful park complete with ponds for the ducks and swans.  
We came across a beautiful bronze statue that seemed to be floating in midair. The picture does not do it justice.



Of course there was a fountain in the centre of the park to cool things off.  Just to get into the right mood we stopped for a cappuccino and pastry.  We have noticed that life in Italy always starts with a cup of coffee!  



On our way to the tourist information booth we saw this amazing memorial to all the lives lost in the wars.  You could almost feel the pain of people who had lived through these times.



This area was the scene for numerous conflicts over the ages.  Here is a fountain that quenched the thirst of the first Italian troops that freed the city in 1918.



















Everywhere I go I have a feeling that lions are watching me.  














The tourist information suggested we walk to the old town first to see the historical points of interest first and then go to the Duomo at the other end of town.   After a 10 minute walk we arrived at Piazza Flaminio.  From the following picture you can see that we are nestled in the edges of the mountains.  The square is paved with stone from the local area.  At 12:00 the church bells tolled letting us know it was time for lunch, we decided to wait for a while and do more sightseeing.
















Went around a corner and found a stairway leading up the mountain.  It was too hot to go all the way up but we did have a view of the rooftops.  On the left side is a wall that was constructed in the 1st century.  Looks pretty good considering how old it is.



This statue is a recent arrival. Not sure of the history but we believe it is a reproduction of the original statue that may have been damaged.

















We then started our trek to the other end of town to view the Duomo and War Museum, about 3 km that would have been easier if it had not been so hot.  



Here is one of the three original gates to the city. For defensive purposes the gates were very narrow when first built. As time went on they were widened and now cars and trucks can travel through them.

















Along the way we came across a couple of novel ways to announce the arrival of a new family member.  Can you guess what these proud parents had?
















We have seen notices on buildings signifying that they are or will be renovated.  The exterior shell of the building must remain virtually unchanged but the interiors are being update.  This is a good thing as the plumbing in the 14th century was not all that great.




After our walk we found that the Duomo and War Museum were closed. Tourist info centre gave us the right information as to their location but forgot to tell us that both of them are closed on Wednesdays! After the long hot walk we sat in the shade to cool off and then started walking towards the centre of town.


That walk made us both hungry and thirsty so it was time to find a restaurant.  The cold beer and sandwich were perfect way to end our visit to Vittorio Venato.  









2 comments:

  1. wow, these are amazing. can't imagine the heat. today in langley we had clouds and thunder showers. summer will arrive sometime we hope. p

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  2. It was nice of you and Danna to pose for the bronze statues on the swing!! It is amazing to see that it looks like Vittorio Venato is closed as there aren't other people in most of the pictures!! Great job as always our friends!!

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