Treviso

About Treviso

Treviso is an attractive town in the Veneto region of north-east Italy, with a population of around 80,000. From a tourist point of view, it suffers from its proximity to glamorous Venice: Treviso's meandering waterways and tranquil atmosphere just can't compete with the overwhelming charms of its neighbour. In its own right, though, Treviso is a pleasant town with several attractions worthy of a daytrip. It also makes a good base for exploring the area (including Venice), or for enjoying a quiet Italian break.

Rebuilt and restored after Second World War bombing, the town centre is a rambling maze of streets lined with arcaded walkways. Looking up, you'll see fragments of the painted frescoes which once decorated Treviso's houses. The town is circled by a town wall and by waterways. Treviso markets itself as a città d'acque and although it can hardly compare with its lagoon neighbour, water is an important feature of the townscape. The river Sile runs to the south of the centre, and canals carry water around the town, lined with houses or grassy banks, weeping willows, waterwheels and little parks.

One of Treviso's other notable features is its comfortable air of prosperity. The town is home to the clothing empire Benetton, which has a large store behind the Palazzo dei Trecento in the town centre. Unlike Venice, this town doesn't depend on tourism - you won't find tacky tourist shops, silly hats or bullying tour guides, just a well-off Italian town going about its daily business.

Visiting Treviso

Leaving the railway station, follow the signs to the Centro and continue straight on along Corso del Popolo and Via XX Settembre until you come to the town's civic heart, Piazza dei Signori, about a fifteen-minute walk away. This is a pleasant square with a street running along one side and cafés with outdoor tables along the other. The dominant building here is the historic town hall, the Palazzo dei Trecento.

Treviso's tourist information office is just behind Piazza dei Signori in Piazza Monte di Pietà. They offer a small selection of information leaflets about the province, town maps and a leaflet of walks around Treviso's waterways. We'd recommend picking up one or two of these; the maps are useful and the itineraries explore interesting sights like the fishmarket on a little island and some of the town's working waterwheels.

Leading off Piazza dei Signori, Treviso's smartest shopping street, Via Calmaggiore, stretches towards the Duomo, between the lengthy rows of arches which characterise Treviso's arcaded streets. Piazza del Duomo is a slight disappointment; used as a carpark, with a domineering neo-classical portico masking the historic cathedral. A series of grand make-overs has had the effect of concealing most of the evidence of the building's earlier history. Some of the layout and the domes which can be seen from outside still record the building's Romanesque incarnation, an era which is better preserved in the baptistry alongside. The most interesting part of the Duomo, is the crypt, which contains extensive fragments of coloured medieval frescoes. Visitors need 30 cents in 10 and 20 cent pieces to illuminate the crypt and the same for the fine Titian altarpiece (an Annunciation) which is the Duomo's prize possession.

The town's museums are currently being reorganised and you probably won't be able to see all Treviso's treasures and artefacts. The most interesting exhibits will be found in the Museo di Santa Caterina, a former church and convent which is being restructured to house the Civic Museum, the town's art gallery and archaeological collections. The church and Tomaso da Modena's renowned St. Ursula frescoes were closed for restoration when we visited (spring 2007). You'll become familiar with the name of Tomaso da Modena as you tour Treviso. The fourteenth-century artist's charming frescoes pepper the city's churches and rank among the best art you'll see here. While the civic museums are being reshuffled, there are still some charming paintings to see in the galleries which are open, although if your time in Treviso is limited you may prefer to move on. Works include Lorenzo Lotto's Portrait of a Dominican and works by Francesco Guardi, Rosalba Carriera, Sebastiano Ricci, Francesco Hayez and an unexpected English touch: a portrait of Canova by Thomas Lawrence.

Treviso has other churches which are actually more appealing than its Duomo. The Chiesa di San Francesco is a cool high brick structure with a massive ship's keel roof. The decorative highlights are some faded medieval frescoes. In a chapel off the transept to the left of the main altar is a fresco by Tomaso da Modena of an enthroned Madonna with attendant saints - some of the colour has been lost but his faces retain their sweetness. The work is echoed less convincingly by another artist in the end chapel.

In the opposite corner of town lies the strikingly-elongated Chiesa di San Nicolò, a fine example of Italian Gothic architecture which looks as though it has been stretched upwards to the heavens. Tomaso da Modena left his mark here too, contributing a San Gerolamo to the prettily-decorated columns inside the church. If you are a fan of his, you should try to gain admission to the adjacent Seminario which contains more of his work.

Treviso is a pleasant place to wander, and it's well-provided with enticing bars, cafés and restaurants for sampling the local cuisine and sparkling Prosecco. If you want a quiet getaway for a romantic weekend, Treviso is a practical destination (thanks to Ryanair) with the added possibility of a daytrip to Venice.

As normal in Italy, the tourist office and churches are usually closed at lunchtime. The tourist office reopens at 2pm, the churches at around 3.30pm.

Treviso transport

Treviso has a small international airport, which is served by Ryanair with budget flights from the UK. Ryanair label the airport 'Venice (Treviso)' and the majority of travellers hop straight on the bus to Venice, ignoring the hopeful Treviso publicity posters around the airport. A bus run by local firm ACTT (number 6) stops on Via Noalese outside the airport and runs to Treviso railway station. Tickets cost €1 if you buy them inside the airport, or €2 from the driver.
> Treviso Airport

Treviso has frequent rail and coach connections from Venice. The train is faster, taking half an hour from Venice's Santa Lucia station, and it's cheap too, at €2.20 each way.

Things to do around Treviso

Treviso is in easy reach of Venice for daytrips. Vicenza and Padua (Padova) can be reached in around an hour by train, and Verona is two hours' train journey away. The Veneto's Palladian villas are also great destinations for those with an interest in architecture. If wine or rural landscapes are more to your taste, you could tour the Prosecco-producing area of the Veneto - at the tourist information office you can pick up a leaflet detailing 'L'Anello del Prosecco' (the Prosecco ring), a 10km footpath connecting villages and vineyards. See the Valdobbiadene link on the right.

> Book a hotel in Treviso (Booking.com)

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