Bassano del Grappa
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By Dion Protani
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Latest update: 30 December 2023
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The town of Bassano del Grappa is located within the Province of Vicenza and has a population of 43,412 inhabitants. It's situated around 80 kilometres to the north west of Venice, the regional capital of Veneto.
Standing at an elevation of 129 metres above sea level, it covers an area of 46 km². The town is famous for its wooden bridge designed by famous Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, built in the 16th century. The bridge crosses the River Brenta which flows through the town. |
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In the shadow of Monte Grappa
The Grappa part of the town's name comes from its proximity to the imposing mountain that lies to the north of Bassano. Monte Grappa soars to a height of 1,775 metres above sea level and was an important strategic position during the two world wars of the twentieth century.
Those conflicts hit Bassano del Grappa harder than most as battled raged in the local area and there are numerous reminders of this in and around the town. One of the starkest reminders is the Viale dei Martiri (Avenue of the Martyrs) where some of the town's resistance fighters were strung up from the trees in a vicious reprisal. Up on Monte Grappa itself there's an even more significant war memorial in a place where around 20,000 Italian and Austrian soldiers who lost their lives fighting are buried.
Those conflicts hit Bassano del Grappa harder than most as battled raged in the local area and there are numerous reminders of this in and around the town. One of the starkest reminders is the Viale dei Martiri (Avenue of the Martyrs) where some of the town's resistance fighters were strung up from the trees in a vicious reprisal. Up on Monte Grappa itself there's an even more significant war memorial in a place where around 20,000 Italian and Austrian soldiers who lost their lives fighting are buried.
The Ponte Vecchio
Without a doubt the most famous sight in Bassano is its landmark bridge crossing the River Brenta. The wooden structure has two names: either the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) or the Ponte degli Alpini in memory of the Alpini soldiers who rebuilt the bridge in 1948 after it was damaged in the fighting of World War Two. The rebuilt bridge stuck to the original designs of Palladio in 1568; in which wood was still deemed to be the most effective material to resist any rising water levels of the river.
Crossing the bridge and looking out at the views in either direction of the river provides one of the most iconic panoramas in the Veneto region with the grand palazzi lining the river banks. You can also get a great photo of the town by making your way further down river to the modern, Ponte Nuovo road bridge and then looking back to the Ponte Vecchio. Along the bridge itself you'll find purveyors of the town's speciality liquor: grappa. It's amazing to think how many varieties of it there are and you're really spoilt for choice in Bassano.
Crossing the bridge and looking out at the views in either direction of the river provides one of the most iconic panoramas in the Veneto region with the grand palazzi lining the river banks. You can also get a great photo of the town by making your way further down river to the modern, Ponte Nuovo road bridge and then looking back to the Ponte Vecchio. Along the bridge itself you'll find purveyors of the town's speciality liquor: grappa. It's amazing to think how many varieties of it there are and you're really spoilt for choice in Bassano.
Exploring the historic centre
The best of the town's sights lie to the east of the river in the centro storico. Surrounding the clusters of historic buildings are a number of beautiful squares, chief among which are the Piazza Libertà and Piazza Garibaldi. Along one side of the rectangular 14th century Piazza Libertà is the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista, to the left of which runs Via Orazio Marinali leading up to the entrance of the Museo Civico which is housed in the church cloister. Among the exhibits on display in the museum are numerous works by celebrated Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova from nearby Possagno. Incidentally, you can find a museum dedicated to his work in the town of his birth, along with the incredible Tempio Canoviano, a 25 minute drive away from Bassano.
Piazza Libertà stands adjacent to another square of similar dimensions and shape. Piazza Garibaldi is overlooked on one side by the 42 metre high Torre Civica which faces the Chiesa di San Francesco. At the centre of Piazza Garibaldi is the pretty Fontana di Bonaguro while both of these landmark squares are fringed by a number of bars and restaurants. However, neither Piazza Libertà nor Piazza Garibaldi are home to the town's major religious building: the Duomo di Santa Maria in Colle is a 5 minute walk north of the centro storico and stands next to the 12th century Castello degli Ezzelini on the square of the same name. An even shorter walk west of the centro storico towards the river brings you to the Palazzo Sturm which houses both a ceramic museum and another museum dedicated to printing.
Piazza Libertà stands adjacent to another square of similar dimensions and shape. Piazza Garibaldi is overlooked on one side by the 42 metre high Torre Civica which faces the Chiesa di San Francesco. At the centre of Piazza Garibaldi is the pretty Fontana di Bonaguro while both of these landmark squares are fringed by a number of bars and restaurants. However, neither Piazza Libertà nor Piazza Garibaldi are home to the town's major religious building: the Duomo di Santa Maria in Colle is a 5 minute walk north of the centro storico and stands next to the 12th century Castello degli Ezzelini on the square of the same name. An even shorter walk west of the centro storico towards the river brings you to the Palazzo Sturm which houses both a ceramic museum and another museum dedicated to printing.
Close to Bassano
There are numerous places of interest in the immediate area around Bassano: a 20 minute drive west of the town brings you to Marostica, a medieval town that's famous for its chessboard piazza where a huge game of human chess is played at a biennial festival. South of Bassano are two further pretty medieval towns: Cittadella and Castelfranco Veneto, while to the east lies Asolo, one of the borghi più belli d'Italia. North of the town takes you into the Alps with the attractive mountain town of Asiago, famed for its cheese, dominating the area.
In terms of public transport, you can take a train from Bassano del Grappa to Venice in 1 hour 18 minutes or to provincial capital Vicenza in around an hour and 20 minutes including a change in Castelfranco Veneto. The train station is located a ten minute walk from the town's central square; Piazza Libertà. Direct bus services run to Padova with a journey time of 1 hour 25 minutes with a total of 4 stops. This same bus stops on the way in Cittadella, 32 minutes from Bassano.
By car, it's around an hour and a half to Venice (71 km), 48 minutes to Vicenza (36 km) or an hour and 25 minutes to Verona (98 km). The most convenient airports for Bassano del Grappa are Treviso Airport (45 km), Venice Marco Polo Airport (69 km) or Verona Airport (106 km), the last of which is an hour and a quarter away by road.
In terms of public transport, you can take a train from Bassano del Grappa to Venice in 1 hour 18 minutes or to provincial capital Vicenza in around an hour and 20 minutes including a change in Castelfranco Veneto. The train station is located a ten minute walk from the town's central square; Piazza Libertà. Direct bus services run to Padova with a journey time of 1 hour 25 minutes with a total of 4 stops. This same bus stops on the way in Cittadella, 32 minutes from Bassano.
By car, it's around an hour and a half to Venice (71 km), 48 minutes to Vicenza (36 km) or an hour and 25 minutes to Verona (98 km). The most convenient airports for Bassano del Grappa are Treviso Airport (45 km), Venice Marco Polo Airport (69 km) or Verona Airport (106 km), the last of which is an hour and a quarter away by road.
Comune di Bassano del Grappa
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Province: Vicenza
Region: Veneto Population: 42,334 (source: ISTAT 1 January 2023) Size: 46 km² Elevation: 129 metres Highlights: Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Libertà, River Brenta views Close by: Marostica, Cittadella, Castelfranco Veneto, Vicenza Recommended accommodation: Hotel Glamour By car: Venice - 1 hr 30 min, Vicenza - 48 min, Verona - 1 hr 25 min Fly to: Treviso Airport (45 km), Venice Marco Polo Airport (69 km) |
