Veneto - Part Four: Treviso

While looking for things to do on our last non-travel day in Veneto, Brenda came across Treviso, another ancient city, only a seventeen minute train ride from Conegliano. Like Venice, Treviso has several canals running through it, but on a much smaller scale. Its historic center is surrounded by a five kilometer long Venetian wall that was built in the fourteenth century.

The city was founded in the fourth century, and ancient and historic buildings are everywhere. There are two massive places of worship: the Church of St Nicolo, built in the 14th century, and The Cathedral of St Peter The Apostle with its four domes, some parts being built in the 11th century. Oddly, the former is the larger of the two. We couldn't get in to explore St Peter's, but St Nicolo was really impressive. There is also a baptismal building that dates back to the 12th century.

A lot of the city was destroyed by bombing raids during World War ll, and the city has done a magnificent job of restoring many of the historic structures. The Palazzo dei Trecento has a picture hanging next to the repairs on the outside wall that shows what it looked like after the bombing.

Best of all, Treviso is home to La Fontana Delle Tette, the titty fountain. The original was built in 1559 following a terrible drought, and from that time, until the end of the Venetian Republic, every year, for three days, white wine would flow from one nipple and red wine would flow from the other to celebrate the end of the dry spell.

Other points of interest include the restaurant where Tiramisu was invented. At €9.50 ($13.75 CAD) per portion, we decided to give it a miss.
In 1963, Luciano Benneton was selling a small collection of sweaters that became so popular, two years later, he and his three siblings opened their first of 5000 stores. Luciano, now a billionaire, still resides in Treviso, where the flagship United Colors of Benneton store is located.

We ended our visit to Treviso with a focaccia sandwich and a glass of local Gewurztraminer in a small cafe.

When we got back to Conegliano, we stopped for a final glass of Prosecco in the same square where Brenda had one 20 years ago. The price has gone from €1.00 to €3.00 per glass, but despite the prime location, that was the lowest price we paid anywhere in Veneto.

We enjoyed our day trip to Treviso so much that our next trip to this great country will include lots more time there.Read more