Tom`s travels: Fiera di Primiero (29/12/2024)

On a day trip from Vicenza, my parents, Ania, and I decided to head north to the mountains and visit the area of Fiera di Primiero. We parked the car right outside the old town, next to the Cismon River, and then headed first to a bar to have a second breakfast. After that, we started walking through the tiny but nice old town, consisting of a main street lined with lovely houses, and at the center, the main square, Piazza Battisti. Here stands the church of the Beata Maria della Consolazione, dating to the 17th century, with nice wooden baroque altars inside, while the exterior was frescoed in the 1940s and the bell tower was added at the beginning of the 20th century. Further along the street and slightly uphill, we then reached the Palazzo delle Miniere, a 15th-century palace which served multiple purposes throughout its history. It was the former seat of the mining judge, the district captaincy, the government palace, the duties, the forestry offices, and finally the seat of the direct tax and registry office. Right next to it stands another church, that of Santa Maria Assunta, a 15th-century Gothic church which was unfortunately closed during our visit. Smaller but nonetheless picturesque was the church of San Martino, standing next to the main church, slightly uphill. Dating to the 13th century in a Romanesque style, it was used for a long time as a baptistery to the nearby Santa Maria Assunta, and still features traces of 19th-century frescoes on the outside, while the interior still features traces of medieval frescoes. A little further uphill, right next to this last church, is the so-called Canonega Vecia, which used to be the old rectory and still features a nice 18th-century frescoed facade with wooden balconies. From there, we then walked back down towards the river, crossed i,t and passed through the nearby town of Transacqua. Along the riverside on the outskirts of town, close to the next town, Tonadico, we had some beautiful views towards the nearby Pale di San Martino mountains and then stopped to have lunch at the Il Caminetto restaurant. We then entered Tonadico's old town, made up of the typical stone and wood houses of the area. We first passed by the church of San Sebastiano, which was closed, and then past some nice old buildings, one of which was the Palazzo Scopoli. Built starting from the 11th century, it was first used as a warehouse for the local community, then became the residence of the bishop's vicar, as well as the building where the Statutes of Primiero were kept. In the 15th century, it became the property of the Scopoli family, who enlarged and modernized the building, and now the palace stands as the municipal seat. Heading uphill from the town center, we reached the church of Santi Vittore e Corona, built in the 11th century but refurbished in its current form in the 16th century. The church was closed, but from up there we had a splendid view of the Primiero valley below. Moving on, we then reached the next town, Siror. Also, the old town was characterized by nice stone and wood houses, some of which with traces of frescoes. We also reached the local church, Sant'Andrea, which was open. Originally dating to the 14th century, it was rebuilt in the 18th century, taking its current baroque appearance, especially on the inside. From there, we then left town following a nice road through the countryside between the towns, dotted with typical wooden huts, and eventually reached the car. We then drove back and had a stop in Bassano del Grappa along the way to see its Christmas market and have a nice walk through its pretty old town.