Tom`s travels: Marostica & Bassano (13/01/2018)

After having lunch at home in Vicenza, I decided to take Ania to see the towns of Marostica and Bassano. After driving for half an hour we reached the walled medieval town of Marostica first and parked the car right outside the old town. After passing under the eastern entrance, the Porta Bassano, we entered the town proper, as mentioned surrounded by the medieval walls built during the 14th century which completely enclose the city. From there we then reached the main square, the Piazza degli Scacchi, so named for the world-famous event which takes place in September every two years involving a chess game with real-life figures as the chess pieces. At the northern end of the square stands the neogothic palace of the local bank while at the southern end is the Lower Castle, an impressive structure from the 14th century, which marks a fortified entrance to the town from the south and is connected to the Upper Castle through the walls which wind uphill to it. After leaving the main square, we walked along a street and reached the church of Sant'Antonio Abate built during the 14th century, only the bell tower remains from that period while the rest was refurbished in the 18th century. Nearby the church of the Carmini, set on top of a stairway and built in the Baroque style during the 17th century was unfortunately closed. Thus, we decided to head back to the car and drive the short way up the hill to reach the Upper castle, as the walk was quite steep and we didn't want to tire ourselves too much. Once up there, we climbed the main keep which granted us a great view over the old town, medieval walls, and the surrounding countryside. Even at that height, there were many olive trees scattered around giving the area and even more prettier view. After admiring the panorama, we got back into the car and drove on to reach the city of Bassano del Grappa. After finding a parking spot we walked on foot and reached the Brenta, the river that cuts through the city. The view from there was great, with the famous Ponte Vecchio, based on a design by the architect Palladio and rebuilt several times entirely of wood, and the medieval old town jutting out behind it. After crossing the bridge, we reached the main square, Piazza Libertà, with the church of San Giovanni at its southern side, the Loggia Comunale at its northeastern end and two columns at its western one, one representing St Bassiano patron of the city and the other the lion of St Mark, symbol of the past dominance of Venice over the city. To the east and connected by a short way to the main square is the Piazza Garibaldi, another important square with the medieval civic tower at its northern side and the Romanesque church of San Francesco at its southern one. After walking around the city for a while we decided to head back to the car and drive home to Vicenza where dinner was waiting for us.