Where is Asolo?
Asolo is a beautiful Italian town in the foothills of the Dolomites, high enough to have fabulous views over the plains of Veneto that stretch below it. It's in the province of Treviso, and in the region of Veneto, in the north-east of Italy. A walk-everywhere size town, it has narrow streets bordered by covered arched passages, shielding from the mountain sun and from the rain. The narrow streets and small size mean that it's a town best explored on foot, so leave the car on the outskirts and walk in to explore at walking pace.
Where to park in Asolo
The close place to park for free is in Via Forestuzzo - when you're lucky enough to find a spot.
Via Forestuzzo Parking Spot in Asolo
I prefer to park in a covered parking spot in Via Cipressina - it's closer, it's still cheap and it's convenient.
Via Cipressina paid parking in Asolo
There is a parking spot in the main square but you risk getting caught out by the no-go ZTL areas, not finding a spot, and then looping through the tiny streets trying to get out (voice of experience!). If you'd like to risk it, here's the Google Maps link:
Via Roma, central parking in Asolo
What to see in Asolo
If you do park in Cipressina then you'll walk towards the town along Via Forestuzzo, through the Portello di Castelluzzo and you'll pass Villa Freya, the once-residence of Freya Stark, famous explorer and writer. The villa and the gardens are occasionally open for guided tours, in 2024 on the 21st and 26th of April, and the 12th and 26th of May. So not often. But it might be worth checking the website to see if anything has changed: Villa Freya and the gardens.
Fontanella Zen
Just past Villa Freya you'll see a famous fountain of cool mountain water for visitors, with a sign prohibiting the use of the spring by four-legged animals. It's name comes not from any mystical link to the orient but rather from the name of the family that commissioned the fountain in the fifteenth-century.
Via Robert Browning
The main street heading toward the centre of town is named after the poet Robert Browning, who loved this town, going so far as to name his last volume of poems "Asolando", a neologism meaning to wander freely, and allowing the mind to wander too. For more information on Robert Browning's association with the town of Asolo, have a look at Silvana Longo's excellent blog article
Today Browning's former home is the beautiful Hotel Villa Cipriani, little sister to the more famous Hotel Cipriani in Venice.
The street is bordered by arched covered walkways edged with small interesting shops, groceries, restaurants and a charming electricals shop that seems unchanged since the 50s and still has a sign in the window proclaiming the law that all shops must put out a bowl of water for dogs during hot weather.
We remind all owners of shops, workshops and laboratories to constantly keep exposed, during the hot season, the prescribed container of clean water, so that wandering dogs may slake their thirst. Every failure to fulfil this obligation will be punished with a fitting fine based on art.127 of the civic statute.
Via Robert Browning will lead you directly into the town's main square, Piazza Maggiore, where it's a very good idea to get an ice-cream from the Caffè Centrale, before you continue exploring. Fortified, you'll find a number of places worth visiting close by.
Museum of Asolo
Asolo's "Museo Civico" has 4 main sections: - The Archeological section Showing the prehistoric remains around Asolo, and moving onto the traces left during the Roman period. Asolo was an important city during the Roman period, particularly during the first century AD, when the city had an acqueduct, a theatre and a forum. It was mentioned by Pliny the Elder as "Acelum" during this period.
- The Pinacoteca (fine art) The pinacoteca has works from the mid fifteenth-century to the twentieth, with the most impressive being San Girolamo by Luca Giordano, a Neapolitan painter from the latter half of the seventeenth-century known as "fa presto" (does it quickly) due to the speed of his execution. His work is reminiscent of Caravaggio. - The Treasures of the Cathedral A few pieces from the long history of the Cathedral in Asolo which has long been a bishopric. - An area dedicated to three famous women of Asolo's history The first of these women is Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, who was given the city of Asolo by Venice in 1489. She moved her court here and the city enjoyed a long period of cultural renaissance, with artists, writers and poets enjoying the support of her court. The city also gained a place in popular imagination after Pietro Bembo made it the fictitious setting for his platonic dialogues on love, Gli Asolani. Caterina Cornaro's residence was in Asolo's castle, not the Rocca high on the hill above the city but the forbidding tower you can see behind the Museum itself.
The second famous woman associated with Asolo is Eleonora Duse, a famous Italian actress from the nineteenth-century, rated by many as the best of her time. She is remembered for her work and relationship with Gabriele d'Annunzio and for her fierce rivalry with Sarah Bernhardt. She loved Asolo and would come here to rest after her extenuating theatrical tours across North and South America and Europe.
Lastly, Freya Stark, the famous explorer and travel writer. Freya spent much of her childhood in Asolo partly because a family friend, Pen Browning (son of Robert Browning) had three houses in the small city. She was a remarkable woman, the first to travel into the middle east, first exploring Syria and Lebanon in disguise and travelling by night along remote, countryside routes. She continued to make further trips, exploring unknown areas of Iran and writing about the mysterious valley of the Assassins. Asolo became her haven after these gruelling travels and Asolo remembers her with affection.
Walk along the winding streets
Asolo is small and can be explored in a day - while there are some landmarks you might aim for, there's a great pleasure in simply wandering and discovering hidden spots as you proceed, Asolando your way around Asolo...
Eleonora Duse's House,
now in private hands, but remembered by a plaque with verse written by Gabriele d'Annunzio, once her lover and with whom she often worked.
The Castle of Caterina Cornaro
Once the residence of the Queen of Cyprus, today it houses a theatre dedicated to the memory of Eleonora Duse.
Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
In the main square, the cathedral has an unassuming facade but some interesting pieces inside, notable the work by Jacopo Da Ponte, a local painter from nearby Bassano del Grappa, and two marble angels.
Climb up to the Rocca
Above the city you won't fail to notice the Rocca, the city's castle. Built in the twelth-century, it is an imposing but simple castle mainly worth visiting for the views, which are the best in the area. You can reach in two ways, via a stepped street above the main square or via a longer, but less steep, road reached by going back to the Zen Fountain and turning left up Via Foresto Nuovo.
The Rocca is only open on weekends and holidays, with an admission price of around €3.
Opening times:
- April to October 10:00 - 19:00
- November to March 10:00 - 17:00
- July and August 9:00 -13:00 / 16:00 - 20:00
Where to eat in Asolo
To enjoy beautiful views of the main square and of the town, try:
La Terrazza,
based in "Albergo al Sole", above the main square - you'll pass it if you start walking up towards the Rocca. via Collegio 33, Asolo, 31011, Italy
Trattoria Moderna Due Mori
Another place with fabulous views, and a contemporary take on local tradition. Piazza Gabriele D'Annunzio, 5, 31011 Asolo TV, Italy
Where to stay near Asolo
We'd recommend a beautiful Villa within walking distance of Asolo, called Rocca, with space for 6 guests, AC and a private swimming pool.
