| VENETO
Vèneto is one of the regions of Italy. It is located in the northeastern part of the country, bordering on the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy, the autonomic regions of Trentino-South Tyrol and Friuli Venezia Giulia and the republic of Austria. It lies between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea and is traversed by the rivers of Po, Adige, Brenta and Piave.
The capital is Venice. Other important towns include Verona, Padua, Treviso, Belluno, Rovigo and Vicenza. This region is very rich in cultural and historic treasures. Its architectural heritage includes the unique buildings and bridges of Venice, and many of Palladio's villas. Verona's arena is an ancient Roman amphitheatre, traditionally reserved for opera. The University of Padua is one of the oldest (1222) in Europe and has counted among its many famous professors Galileo Galilei. To this day it is world renowned for being at the forefront of medicine.
The history of the region of Veneto is closely linked to the history of the Marine Republic of Venice that extended its rule over the entire area from the beginning of the 12th century, reaching as far as Brescia and Bergamo on the mainland and as far as Crete and Peloponnese in the Mediterranean. During the period of the Serenissima, many wonderful cities of art sprung up and trade to the Far East was consolidated as a prime source of wealth. This economic success also helped to give rise to an intense artistic and cultural activity in the area, that has left permanent marks on the Region’s culture.
The ancient history of Veneto:
Mostly together with the Cenomani Celts on their western border, the Veneti sided with the Romans when Rome struggled against the Insubri and Boi Celts during the 3rd Century BCE. Since the 2nd Century BCE, the Roman Republic gradually transformed the Veneti alliance into dominance. After the 91 B.C. Italic rebellion, the Veneti allied cities, together with the rest of Transpadania, were granted part of the rights of the Roman citizenship (Lex Pompeia Transpadanis). Later in 49 B.C., the Lex Rubria de Gallia granted full Roman citizenship to the Veneti. After the Battle of Filippi (42 B.C.), which ended the civil war, the Veneti, together with the rest of Cisalpine Gaul, ceased to be a province and became the X region (Venetia et Istria) of a new entity named Italia (Italy).
In the Roman empire Patavium (modern Padua) became one of the most important cities of northern Italy.
Escaping from the barbaric invasions the parts of Veneto's population occupied some of the isolated islands of lagoon, so the Venice was born. After the period of Byzantine domination in 8th century, Venice became an independent marine Republic. The rest of the territory was subdivided in numerous feuds.
Art and culture
Veneto region are seen in a traveler’s eyes, seducing and winning over lovers of art, history and architecture.
Venice is a kaleidoscopic scenario born of an amazing, intricate and harmonious communication network of water and stone casts light and shadows unique in the world upon a city already singular for its art, history and culture. Venice and its lagoon are listed as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
Venice is the most splendid, a fantastic open-air museum with its endless treasures and priceless beauty, symbolized by Piazza San Marco, “the most beautiful sitting room in the world”.
Asolo is about 30 kilometers from Venice. It is a small town full of history and culture standing on the hills near Montebelluna. Treviso, a medieval town that runs alongside the Sile river, stands at about the same distance. Padova, the city of Giotto and Saint Anthony, is on the other side of Venice. It has a very old, famous university. The Riviera del Brenta stands between Venice and Padua. This was the privileged holiday playground of the rich, aristocratic Venetian families who had their famous villas built there by Palladio in the 18th century, which were then decorated with frescoes by Tiepolo.
Verona is a 30-minute train ride from Padua. This town was the setting for the love story of Romeo and Juliet. Vicenza is the towns of Andrea Palladio. In fact the town is full of palaces and buildings designed by this famous architect.
All over the Venetian plain, but especially in the Provinces of Treviso, Padua, Vicenza and Venice, stand numerous remarkable artistic rural constructions, the Ville Venete. Dates of construction of these villas range from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries. There are approximately five thousand Ville Venete, of which 1,400 are declared of historical and monumental interest.
CISA is the Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio (Palladio Centre and Museum) in Vicenza is an independent Foundation, supported by the Veneto Regional Government and by the Italian state
Nature and escursions
The Veneto region offers many opportunities for fun, relaxation and escursions for the traveler. In addition to its wonderful cities of art, the region also has vastly differing landscapes from a nature point of view: it has about 200 km of coastline looking out onto the Adriatic Sea with its wonderful fine golden, sandy beaches. It has mountains, a large area of plains surrounded by hills, the eastern side of Lake Garda, thermal spas and Italy’s two longest rivers: the Po and the Adige.
On the Adriatic Coast the most popular resort in the summer is Lido di Jesolo, a lively town with lots of accommodation and facilities to offer its guests.
The west side of Veneto is on Lake Garda: the area is a major tourist destination with the picturesque lakeside resorts of Lazise, Cisano, Bardolino, Garda, Torri del Benaco and Malcesine, which offer the possibility of a quiet holiday, made more pleasurable by a mild climate and a Mediterranean-type environment.
Veneto can also offer the stunning Dolomite range of mountains. The highest peak, at 3342 meters, is the Marmolada. Cortina d'Ampezzo is probably among the three most exclusive mountain locations in Europe. Cortina is known as “pearl of the Dolomites” and for its first-class hotels and shops.
Sea and mountains for relaxation and for getting in touch with nature, and thermal spas for rediscovering one’s own psycho-physical well-being: there are thermal spas with rich, curing waters at Abano Terme and Montegrotto, in the province of Padua, or rather in the natural park of Colli Euganei.
Venice's Lido is an 11-mile long sandbar, home to about 20,000 residents, greatly augmented by the (mainly Italian) tourists who move in every summer.
Jesolo is one of the most important seaside resort on the Adriatic coast, just few kilometers far from Venice. Every year Jesolo accommodates over 10 millions of tourists.
Caorle: it is extremely pleasant to spend some time swimming in Caorle’s beautiful blue sea or sunbathing in its golden beaches, often awarded for being one of the cleanest beaches in Italy.
Bibione The clear and gentle Adriatic Sea, offer to Bibione a wide beach of golden sand. It is 10 km long, Bibione is also an important and fully equipped thermal resort
Eraclea is a small and tranquil paradise right in the middle of pine forests.
Least but not the last Veneto offers the thermal baths at Abano Terme are also an attraction. Although the most famous, Abano is by no means the only thermal town in the area. It is however one of the prettiest and most tranquil.
Food and Wine
Veneto cooking is marked by the variety of recipes made with vegetables grown in the region fish and meat. All simple ingredients, with rich flavors closely linked to the seasons. These are the essentials points of this region’s cooking.
There are many natural products make in the traditional Veneto farmers like the Sopressa Vicentina (PDO) is an aged salami, cylindrical in shape and prepared with raw, quality pork meat. It may or may not include garlic in its ingredients and comes in medium and large sizes.
Another original product is the Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo (PDO) is obtained from the fresh meat of a top breed of adult hogs. The aroma is delicate, sweet and fragrant.
Each town has its own traditional dishes. There are the famous sardee in saor in Venice, Treviso’s recipes based on its own radicchio, roasted capon in Padova, zuppa scaligera in Verona, baccalà alla vicentina in Vicenza and many more too. Veneto’s wine deserve a whole section of their own, especially the ones made in the Trevigiano and Veronese areas.
There are some fine wines from the Veneto region of Italy, these include: Soave, Bardolino, Recioto, Amarone, Torcolato, Prosecco, Tocai Rosso,Garganega and Valpolicella and some fine cheeses like Asiago (PDO) (from Asiago), Monte Veronese (PDO), Piave (PDO), Morlacco , Grana Padano (PDO).
Garda and Veneto olive oils (PDO) are other remarkable products of this region.
Famous is the “Strada del Prosecco” route that links the borough of Conegliano to Valdobbiadene is near Treviso: this route is 33 km long. It winds through the Treviso hills, with wineries, wine cellars and typical trattorias along the way. Prosecco in the Treviso area and full-bodied red wines in the Verona area: the province of Verona is famous for its Valpolicella and for its precious Amarone, which is considered to be the Barolo of the north east. Last but not least on this journey through the Veneto region’s food and wine we must remember the pretty town of Bassano, where the famous Grappa di Bassano is made.
At the last we suggest to try to cook this famous Venetian dish with the follow
recipes:
Fegato alla Veneziana (venice-style liver)
ingredients:
500g of calf liver cut into slices
350g of onions
150g of butter br>
1 lemon, parsley, salt and pepper.
Making it:
Chop the onions and cook them in a frying pan with half the butter and a touch of salt and pepper.
Cook the slices of liver in another frying pan with the remaining butter; again with salt and pepper.
Add the onions to the liver and squeeze the lemon juice over them. Place the finished preparation on a plate laid with finely chopped parsley.
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