The Area

We specialise in properties in and around the medieval town of Asolo. The area is rich in history, art and architecture and is home to world-renowned wines and regional cuisine of international acclaim.

It is centrally located for accessing spectacular mountains, lakes, beaches and rivers, catering for a wide range of leisure pursuits. The climate is temperate with distinct seasons.

Landscape

La Città dei cento orizzonti (The city of a hundred horizons) — Giosuè Carducci, Italian poet

Known as the ‘Pearl of Veneto’, Asolo is considered one of the most beautiful places in Italy. This small, picturesque medieval town is nestled among the hills near Treviso, northwest of Venice.

Asolo is surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and cypress-spiked hills, with the occasional villa in the renaissance style visible through the fir trees. On a clear day, and with enough elevation, you can make out the Venetian lagoon shimmering on the horizon.

In the town itself the faded frescoes, quiet piazzas and well-worn streets assimilate effortlessly with the surrounding landscape, giving the impression that they have always co-existed.

The cities of Treviso, Venice, Padua, Vicenza and Verona are all within striking distance.

History

Asolo resembles an open-air museum; it’s hard to walk more than a few yards without encountering history. A virtual stroll through the town gives a sense of the history that has come and gone.

Starting at Piazza Garibaldi (Garibaldi Square), the fountain topped with a winged lion recalls the long rule of the Venetian Republic. Not far from here stands the Castle of Asolo, which is believed to date back to the 10th Century. The castle famously hosted Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, who was exiled here in 1489. Today it is home to a theatre dedicated to Eleonora Duse, one of the most popular Italian actresses of the 19th and 20th Centuries and the symbol of modern Italian theatre.

A few metres past Piazza Garibaldi lies the 15th Century Palazzo della Ragione, where justice was administered during the Venetian period. The palazzo is now home to the Museo Civico (Civic Museum). The adjacent Cathedral of Asolo is of medieval origins and contains works by Lorenzo Lotto and Jacopo da Ponte.

The rich history spills over into the surrounding area. By bike or car, Villa Barbaro is a short journey away. One of Andrea Palladio’s most famous villas, it is now a UNESCO world heritage Site.

Food & Drink

Visitors to Asolo are spoiled for choice when it comes to fine wines and excellent cuisine.

Any number of the local restaurants, trattorias or wine bars offer quintessential local dishes. Bigoli (a kind of thicker spaghetti) in salsa with salted sardines is a must, as are the various cicchetti; aperitifs that are the perfect complement to a glass of prosecco.

The local cheeses are also not to be missed, including Morlacco, a delicious soft white cheese, and Bastardo, which uses both cows’ and goats’ milk in production.

Wine lovers won’t be disappointed. The hills around Asolo are the home of prosecco, with the Cartizze hills offering the very finest superiore classification. A wine tour of the Asolo or Cartizze hills is time well spent. But this region isn’t simply known for its prosecco – it also produces the excellent Montello e Colli Asolani denominated red and white wines.

For those who prefer a stronger drop, Bassano Del Grappa is nearby, home of the grape-based spirit that has been made in the town’s distilleries since 1779.

Art & Architecture

Asolo is famed for its Palladian inspired architecture. Andrea Palladio (1508-80) introduced a new type of mansion, the temple-villa. His designs are characterised by the careful pursuit of aesthetic harmony and classical symmetry, in a departure from the previous gothic style.

Asolo and its surrounding countryside are replete with examples of these elegant mansions, built for aristocrats and wealthy Venetian merchants from the 1500s onwards. Villa Barbaro at Maser and Villa Emo Capodilista at Fanzolo attract visitors from around the world. Villa Scotti-Pasini is located in the town centre andVilla Barbini Rinaldi lies just outside town at Casella D’Asolo.

Within easy reach of Asolo, Castelfranco Veneto is renowned for being the birthplace of the famous painter Giorgione. The nearby Duomo (Cathedral) houses a magnificent altarpiece by Giorgione and frescoes by Jacopo da Bassano, Veronese and Palma il Giovane.

Nearby Bassano Del Grappa is home to a replica of Palladio’s Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge), possibly one of Italy’s most famous landmarks. The Museo Civico hosts over 500 paintings from the 13th Century and a collection of 8,522 extremely rare ancient prints owned by the Remondini Family, a dynasty of printmakers operating in Europe since the 17th Century.

Sport

The Asolo Golf Club (a few minutes outside Asolo) is set in 140 hectares of spectacular private parkland, featuring a 27 hole golf course, an outdoor heated pool, a fitness centre and tennis courts.

In Castelfranco Veneto, the Ca’ Amata Golf Club is situated in the 18th Century park surrounding Villa Rizzetti Ca’ Amata, a Venetian Villa dating back to 1711.

The Asolo area offers a variety of bike trails and footpaths immersed in the green hills. With more than 150 marked trails, Monte Grappa also has a wide choice of trails that were mostly created during the First World War.

Monte Grappa near Bassano is also one of the oldest and most coveted sites for hang gliding and paragliding in Italy. The season is between March and October and attracts pilots from all over Europe and beyond

Accessibility

Nearest Airports:

  • Treviso Sant’ Angelo (35 km)
  • Venice Marco Polo (67 km)
  • Verona Villafranca (120 km)

By Car, via the A4 Motorway:

  • Vicenza (50 km)
  • Venice (66 km)
  • Verona (110 km)

Once construction of the motorway extension is complete, transfer times from Marco Polo Venice airport will be considerably reduced.