Tom`s travels: Bycicle trip around the Colli Berici 3 (23/05/2020)

On a nice sunny weekend, I decided to do another bicycle trip this time circling the whole Berici Hills in one go. I borrowed Davide's electric bike and set out in the late morning heading southward from Vicenza and following the bicycle path towards Noventa Vicentina. As I cycled I noticed the wheat fields were still yellow but the tips of the garbs were starting to hint a yellowish hue. Corn on the other hand, which I saw abundantly, was still small and green. After I reached and passed the town of Ponte di Barbarano, I left the bicycle path and cycled a few more kilometers until I encountered the town of Sossano. This small inhabited place is located at the southernmost tip of the Berici Hills and features a nice baroque church called the chiesetta dell'Olmo dating to 1734 and a larger parish church dating to the 19th century. I stopped briefly to take a few pictures and have a sip of water and then continued on towards the next town. Shortly after I reached Orgiano, similarly set at the southern edge of the hills. It is known for the early 18th century Villa Fracanzan Piovene, which I just cycled by as it is privately owned and closed at that time. Unfortunately, I could only admire its minor prospect which now faces the road, as the main porticoed baroque facade faces in the other direction out towards the countryside. A little further and I reached the main square of the town where the Palazzo dei Vicari, now the town hall, a 16th-century palace is located. Next to it, a small street headed up towards the church of Santa Maria Assunta from where I had a great view of the surrounding countryside and the villa from another perspective. After enjoying the view I got back on my bicycle and continued the tour around the hills, reaching the next town not long after, Lonigo. As I cycled my way through the suburbs of the town, I passed by the large Parco Ippodromo, now a public market with market stalls but once used for the weekly animal market and as the horse hippodrome. Shortly after I reached the city center proper where the large Duomo is located. Built in a Neoromanesque style resembling the ancient churches in Verona, it was completed in 1895 on the site where the castle once used to be located. In fact, next to it still stand the traces of the once large defensive structure consisting of a few towers remaining, such as the keep and the Torre Scaligera, and part of the walls. Next, I cycled through the pretty central Piazza Garibaldi, the town's main square, with nice porticoed buildings all around it and the monument to the fallen of the world wars at its center. At the southern end of the square lies the beautiful and elegant Palazzo Pisani, built in 1556 with the side wings added during the 18th century it now serves as the seat of some of the offices of the municipality. I really enjoyed the fact that it was possible to walk or cycle through the main entrance and reach another street on the other side making the building an elegant divider between the square and the neighborhoods to the south. I then decided to cycle further and reach the monastery of San Daniele located in the eastern part of the city. The monastery was unfortunately closed, probably due to lunch hours, so I decided to just admire it from the outside and continue on. Heading back through the old town I then went up the small hill just north of the main square where the large Villa San Fermo is located. Dominating the whole town from above this palace used to be an abbey first, constructed during the 10th century, but later passed in the hands of noble families who turned it into a private residence whose last refurbishment took place during the 19th century giving it its present appearance. I was not able to enter the palace proper but managed to look around the surrounding garden. Not too far, further uphill I then cycled to reach the impressive Rocca Pisana, a 16th-century villa built by Vincenzo Scamozzi for the Pisani family in a style clearly inspired by Palladio. Its position on top of a hill dominates the surrounding countryside and plain below. As I reached the villa and intending to take some pictures a lady came out from a small house nearby and asked me what I was doing there and to leave immediately as that was private property. I apologized and got back on the bicycle to leave thinking to myself what a mean and ill-mannered person she was as I was just admiring a heritage building from the outside without even being close to it. As I left the grounds I cycled onwards passing through a nice area filled with vineyards scattered among the gentle hills with a view of the valley between Verona and Vicenza. Not long after I then spotted some cherry trees just by the road which prompted me to stop and gather some cherries to bring back home. Then I cycled through the town of Sarego and stopped in the following town, Meledo to take a look at the nice villa set there. Known as the Barchesse di Villa Trissino, they are actually the side wings of the villa which were used as storage for the agricultural utensils of the past. In fact, the villa, designed by Palladio between 1553 and 1567 was never completed, with just the wings being constructed due most probably to financial reasons, as was common at that time. The whole building was just recently restored, in 2015, as it had been in a poor state of conservation until then. I admired the nice dovecote with the porticoed building attached to it and took a few photos. Then I got back on the bicycle and continued onwards, cycling along the main street. After a few kilometers of boring plain fields and suburbs, I finally reached Vicenza and home.