- BY ISSIMO
- December 11, 2024
If you haven’t yet visited Veneto, you should. The northeastern Italian region has plenty going for it, and not just because it’s home to some of Italy’s most beautiful cities – Venice, Verona, Chioggia, Padova. This is the land of prosecco and Palladian villas, stunning artistic riches and beautiful lakes. A good starting point from which to explore it is Bassano del Grappa, a quaint village nestled along the banks of the Brenta River that’s managed to escape mass tourism.
Just north of the Serenissima, the town blends history, art and gastronomy together, offering one of the most quintessential Italian experiences you’ll ever have – and the perfect introduction to Veneto’s charm.
Getting there
Being so close to Venice, Bassano del Grappa is easily reachable from the lagoon city, either by train – there are up to 15 a day connecting the two – or by car. Both options will take you there in around one hour. Easy-peasy, right?
see
Bassano’s historic centre develops around three main squares – Piazza Garibaldi, Piazza Libertà and Piazzotto Montevecchio. Spend some time strolling through them, and take in their landmarks: the gothic church of San Francesco and the Torre Civica in Piazza Garibaldi; the elegant porticoes, neoclassical church di San Giovanni Battista and the municipal loggia of Piazza Libertà; the well and 13th century architecture of Piazzotto Montevecchio, which is the medieval heart of the town. A maze of alleyways extend around them, each teeming with cafes, restaurants and small shops.
Snap some photos, savour the small-town atmosphere, then head to the city’s Duomo, in the oldest part of the centro known as the Ezzelini Castle (the Ezzelini were a feudal family that once governed Bassano). From here, continue towards the Brenta River and on to another major landmark: the wooden Ponte Vecchio or Ponte degli Alpini, a covered wooden bridge designed by the architect Andrea Palladio in 1569. Destroyed and rebuilt several times over the centuries (its last reconstruction dates to 1948), it is a much-beloved symbol of the city, and Bassano’s most iconic structure.
DO
Ready to keep going? Consider the city’s museum circuit – the Civic Museum, Palazzo Bonaguro, Palazzo Sturm and the Biblioteca, which host permanent collections (the Civic Museum has an entire section dedicated to Canova) and temporary exhibitions; prints and ceramics. Each one a building from different eras, they’re a fantastic cultural offer for such a small town, and very much worth a visit.
Palazzo Sturm, in particular, might be of interest if you’ve loved our ISSIMO x Choosing Keeping collab: The covers of the notebooks were in fact made in Florence following the xilografie technique, and Palazzo Stum holds an entire museum dedicated to that and other printing techniques, from typography to chalcography – the Remondini Print Museum, which opened in 2007 and is dedicated to the famous family of printers from Bassano.
Next up, make a stop at the stunning Villa Ca’Erizzo Luca, a fifteenth-century villa that stands along the Brenta river, in what used to be the ancient heart of the medieval town of Bassano. At the end of World War I, this elegant building served as the residence for the ambulances of the American Red Cross, which counted, among his drivers, a writer by the name of Ernest Hemingway (his 1919 story “The Woppian Way,” also known as “The passing of Pickles Mc-Carty” sets off from Ca’Erizzo). Today, part of the villa has been turned into the Museo Hemingway e della Grande Guerra, which focuses on the States’ participation in the Great War and pays tribute to Hemingway and his relationship with Italy.
But there’s more to Bassano than ‘just’ great cultural institutions and picturesque architecture. The town is in fact the unofficial capital of Italy’s most distilled spirit: Grappa. A tasting is of course in order – you can do that at the historical Distilleria Nardini or, if you have one more museum in you, the historic Poli Grappa Museum. Our personal tip? Order a mezzo e mezzo (a local aperitivo) at Nardini’s bar.
eat
Veneto knows a thing or two about great food, and Bassano del Grappa is an excellent place to explore the region’s culinary heritage. Start with bigoli in salsa – thick, hand-rolled pasta tossed in a savory anchovy and onion sauce – at Antico Ristorante Cardellino or Osteria Trinita, then order up Bassano’s famous white asparagus, which has earned the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) status. In spring, they’re especially delicious in the form of risotto or served alongside eggs.
Traditional dishes presented in an elevated way are found at the wood-beamed Osteria Terraglio and Osteria Birraria Ottone, a historic restaurant that’s been serving locals since 1870.
Wherever you eat, make sure not to leave Bassano without having tasted some of its most delicious pastries at Dolce Bassano, a true heaven for those with a sweet tooth.
As for the famous grappa, try it at Leon Bar on Piazza della Libertà and Enoteca Mariga near the Ponte degli Alpini.
- Antico Ristorante Cardellino
Via Bellavitis,17 - Osteria Trinità
Contrà S. Giorgio, 17 - Osteria Terraglio
Piazza Terraglio, 28 - Osteria Birraria Ottone
Via Giacomo Matteotti, 48/50
Pastries
- Dolce Bassano
Piazza Zaine, 14
Grappa Tasting
- Leon Bar
Piazza della Libertà - Enoteca Mariga
Via Macello, 3
(near Ponte degli Alpini)
Julia Jeuvell’s Secret Shopping Guide to Bassano del Grappa
The protagonist of our December ISSIMO edit and the creative mind behind gorgeous stationer Choosing Keeping – have you checked out our collab yet?? – Julia Jeuvell visited Bassano del Grappa a few years back, and fell in love with it. Here, she shares her shopping guide to the town.
- For anyone interested in paper, Bassano is the home of Remondini (a printing house that was established in 1657) and so a bit of a pilgrimage for any stationery lover. Discover their archives at Palazzo Sturm, then head to Ponte Vecchio to visit the shop of the Tassotti family – Carteria Tassotti – who continues to print and reprint the Remondini papers.
- Ceramiche d’Arte Parise is another great spot – it’s a beautiful ceramic shop where I bought some stunning handpainted majolica plates depicting mushrooms, one of Choosing Keeping’s favourite Christmas icons.
- Libreria Palazzo Roberti is another haven for the stationery minded. It’s found in a beautiful historical building, and the sort of shop you can stay in for a while.
For pens, of course, there’s Montegrappa Boutique,a household name in Italian pen-making. - I love DIY shops and none is as good as Al Bottegon in Piazza Garibaldi. It sells paintbrushes and other delightful home accessories of a functional nature.
Make sure to browse (and shop!) our ISSIMO x Choosing Keeping Stationery Collection – an inspired collection of notebooks, watercolour palettes, and pen holders in four vibrant motifs that celebrates Italy’s natural beauty and artistic heritage. It’s the perfect Christmas stocking filler!
