Cittadella and Asolo

September 10, 2019

On my second day in Cadoneghe, we headed out to Cittadella, a nearby walled city where it is possible to walk atop the wall. This walled city was founded in the 13th century as a military outpost of nearby Padova. The wall has been restored and is 1461 meters long and has a circumference of 450 meters. There are four gates in the wall, that correspond to the four directions. 

By Kromatika - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

We dropped Ilde off at the high school in Cittadella where she teaches maths and then Gianluigi and I walked to the city center, where the the entrance to the wall is located. 

From there, we walked the entire length of the wall and rarely saw anyone else. Heading back to the city center, we stopped for an aperitivo, then met up with Ilde for lunch. 

I was surprised to come across an outdoor sculpture near the restaurant that I had previously seen at an exhibition in Florence in 2010. Mind boggling to wonder how and why it made the journey from Florence to Cittadella?

The last stop on our adventure was the town of Asolo, known for its scenic mountain views and famous artistic occupants, including the poet Robert Browning and the actress Eleonora Duse. 

Oddly, the Asolo Theatre was purchased by the state of Florida in the U.S., disassembled, shipped to Sarasota, Florida, and reassembled in the Ringling Museum in 1952. It is now the home of the Asolo Repertory Theatre and the Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training in Sarasota. 

We spent a pleasant few hours walking the picturesque, mostly empty streets of the village, stopping for and aperitivo before heading back to Cadoneghe. 

That evening's dinner included zucchini stuffed with scamorza (a smoked cheese) and prosciutto, along with minestrone, another great homemade meal. 

I'm deeply grateful to Gianluigi and Ilde for being such gracious hosts and tour guides. After visiting these out of the way villages in their company, I realized how difficult (if not impossible) it would have been to try and visit them on my own, as I usually travel by public transport. At the least, it would involve unreliable train or bus schedules. What's more, their familiarity with the towns we visited added rich insight and information I would have otherwise not been privy to. I'm truly fortunate to have such dear friends who are willing to share such adventures with. Grazie mille, cari amici!

Marostica and Bassano del Grappa

 September 9, 2019

While visiting friends in Cadoneghe, near Padova, I had the chance to visit several unique and interesting villages, thanks to their willingness to provide transport and share their knowledge of the area. Gianluigi and Ilde were welcoming, generous and amiable hosts during my short stay in their home.

The medieval wall surrounding the city of Marostica.

Our first stop was Marostica, the City of Chess, where we spent the morning climbing up to the medieval wall that encircles the hill town like a serpent. The main event in Marostica is a biennial human chess game (known as La Partita a Scacchi), played on a painted chess board that takes up most of the town’s main piazza. According to legend, the original match took place on September 12, 1454, and the tradition usually continues to this day during the second weekend in September.

The main square of Marostica

A view of the main square from above.

Next we drove east to Bassano del Grappa. Some might think (as did I) that the town is named for its production of the strong alcoholic beverage, grappa.  Grappa is produced in Bassano, as in many other towns in Northern Italy, and Bassano sports a small museum touting its history and production.

Bassano's main square

However, the name actually refers to Bassano of Mount Grappa, a memorial to the thousands of soldiers killed in WWI on Mount Grappa. Ernest Hemingway was an ambulance driver during the war and spent many days in Bassano, as did Scott Fitzgerald, and Hemingway drew from his experiences there when writing his book, “A Farewell to Arms.”

The view from Ponte degli Alpini

The main attraction in Bassano is its famous wooden bridge, Ponte degli Alpini (Alpine Soldiers’ Bridge), which has existed in various forms from 1209, though it has been destroyed and rebuilt numerous times. Palladio designed the current version of the structure, built in 1569. During our visit, however, it was being restored yet another time and was covered with scaffolding, so was not a pretty sight. Still, the views of the mountains to the north of Bassano were spectacular, and we spent a leisurely time sitting and enjoying the view.

Looking north from Bassano

My wonderful friends, Gianluigi and Ilde

Back in Cadoneghe that evening, Gianluigi and Ilde made a splendid meal of polenta and finferli (chaparelle) mushrooms, accompanied by grilled sausage from Gianluigi’s hometown in the mountains. I feel so fortunate to have friends like these, who make my travels so much richer and enjoyable.