Tom`s travels: Belluno, Mel & Possagno (13/08/2023)

Back in Italy, I decided to visit the city of Belluno with Ania as I had never been there. We left Jesolo in the morning and after about 1h20 minutes reached the city in northern Veneto. We found parking in the large lot just west of the old town, and from there took an escalator to the city center, located on a natural cliff jutting out facing south and overlooking the Piave River. As we came out of the escalator we had reached the large and central Piazza Duomo, with some of the most important monuments of Belluno. To its northern side stands the Palazzo dei Rettori, built in 1409, on an earlier medieval fortress it was then refurbished in the 16th century in a Gothic and later Renaissance style after the city had given itself to the rule of the Venetian Republic in 1404. To the west of that stands the Palazzo Rosso, once a 13th-century palace refurbished in the Gothic style in 1476 but demolished and rebuilt in its current neogothic style during the 19th century. To the eastern side stands the Palazzo dei Vescovi, erected in the late 12th century but refurbished during the following centuries, especially in the 17th century. Attached to it is the civic tower, medieval looking, and which holds the bell at whose sound, from 1403, the city's Great Council met. And to the south of the square, the Duomo, which we would come back and visit later as there was a mass going on. We followed the street heading south and reached the Porta Rugo, the ancient southern access of the city to its river port, with still its original 13th-century inner arch and the terracotta facade from 1622. We then turned around and headed north along some nice minor streets passing by the Chiesa di S.Maria dei Battuti, built in the 15th century but currently deconsecrated and holding the state archives. In front of it stands the beautiful Fontana di Sant'Elena, built in 1554 and one of the many fountains scattered around town. Just a few steps away was in fact another one, the Fontana della Motta, built in 1561. Continuing on our walk we passed the church of San Pietro, originally built in the 14th century but demolished and rebuilt in 1750. As we continued on we reached a picturesque small square, Piazza delle Erbe or Piazza Mercato, formerly called Forum Square because it stands on the city's ancient Roman forum. At its center stands the nice Fontana di San Lucano, from 1410, and on the western side the Renaissance Monte di Pietà building, founded in 1501, and adorned with coats of arms and inscriptions. Not far from the square we then reached another of the old city gates of Belluno, the Porta Dojona. This is the most monumental having originally been built in the 13th century, a renaissance outer part was added in 1553 sporting the lion of St Mark's symbol of Venice's dominion. Once through the gate, we had reached the large and long Piazza dei Martiri. At its eastern end, I then headed to visit the Museo Civico, the town's main museum, located inside the former Palazzo Fulcis, while Ania wished to wait outside. The collection was very nice, featuring paintings and drawings from the 14th to the 19th centuries, as well as other objects. Also nice were the rooms of the palace, many of which with the original 18th century decorations, frescoes, and beautiful pavements. After the visit to the museum I rejoined Ania and we walked a little further to reach the church of Santi Biagio e Stefano. It was built in a Gothic style during the 15th century and features a nice interior, specifically in the Cesa Chapel with late 15th-century frescoes. Back to the Martiri square, built in the shape of a half moon, we then entered the church of San Rocco, built in 1530 with a tall Renaissance facade and portico, but with a rather simple interior. Moving on we then reached once again the Piazza Duomo, and here managed then to enter the Cathedral. It features a simple yet scenic unfinished facade with a baroque portal. On its side, to the south, the beautiful tall and slim baroque bell tower was built between 1732 and 1743 by the famous architect Juvarra and reached a height of 67m. Once inside we walked around its majestic and spacious naves, typical Renaissance with very few decorations and focusing on lines and measurements, and with a triumphal Assumption above the main altar in the semi-circular apse. After the visit, we had another walk around the rest of the old town admiring the nice houses and palaces, and then decided it was time to go. We took again the escalator which led us back down to our car and drove on to the next destination. We reached the small town of Mel shortly after. Once we parked the car we walked around on foot, admiring its small quaint old town part of the club the most beautiful villages in Italy. We passed by some nice 16th, 17th, and 18th-century palaces such as Palazzo Carrera. Palazzo Zorzi, now the town hall, Palazzo Fulcis, and Palazzo delle Contesse, now hosting the archaeological museum. On the northern side of the main square is the main church dating to the 19th century and with a Palladian-style facade. Having walked around the nice main square we headed back to the car and decided to look for a place to get some food. We opted to stop at a supermarket and along the way found a bench to sit on and enjoy lunch. After a bit of driving, we reached the town of Possagno, our last for the day. The first thing we visited here was the Tempio Canoviano a celebration of ancient Greek and Roman temples, built on the hilltop above the town. This parish church was built in 1830 in a Neoclassical style based on the design by Antonio Canova, the famous sculptor who was born there and was asked by the town for the reconstruction of the church. His idea was to create a grandiose circular building with a pronaos, reminiscent of the Pantheon in Rome, but with Doric columns, like the Parthenon in Athens. This amazing monument now stands alone on a hilltop with a large bare square around it and at the end of a scenic street departing uphill from the town. Once inside we marveled at the huge central cupola, like that of the Parthenon, and measuring nearly 28m in diameter. Also inside is the body of the sculptor, while the heart is inside the monument erected for him after his death in the Frari Basilica in Venice. Back outside we then headed down into town, admiring the beautiful scenery of the imposing white marble church and the green mountains behind. Next up we visited the Gipsoteca Canoviana, a museum established in 1833 and dedicated to the life and work of the sculptor. It is hosted inside Canova's birthplace with an additional wing built in 1957 by the famous architect Carlo Scarpa. After buying the ticket we headed inside, and there were already quite a lot of visitors, many also from abroad. We saw all the plasters of the famous sculptures that Canova made, such as the Dancer with Cymbals, Venus & Mars, Hercules & Lica, and the Three Graces. Also interesting was the miniature plaster cast of the large statue of George Washington also made by Canova in 1820 for the rotunda of the North Carolina State House which was destroyed by the structure's collapse brought on by fire in 1831. We toured the exhibition halls containing the plasters, and the sections inside the birthplace of the sculpture, with paintings, objects, and his library. Then we also walked through the garden in the back where, in 1799 Canova planted a stone pine tree which still flourishes. Once the visit to the museum was over we headed to the car and eventually drove in the direction of Vicenza.