Trip north of Vicenza (21/12/2024)

I decided to visit a few towns north of Vicenza, which I had previously visited. I started out with Costabissara, where I first headed to visit its main church, San Giorgio Martire. It was built in 1920 to replace the smaller one located on a nearby hilltop in order to serve the growing population of the town, which was expanding on the lower part. In front of the church stands the memorial to the victims of the First World War. From there, a short walk took me to the main street where I passed a nice 15th-century house with the fresco of the Lion of St Mark's and in the background an old view of Costabissara, probably dating to the 18th century. Right across from it, I passed the small oratory of Sant'Apollonia, dating to the 17th century in a baroque style. As I walked to the southwestern edge of town, I reached another small oratory, San Valentino, built in 1684 and with a beautifully decorated facade. At that point, I started walking uphill and reached the old church of San Giorgio, once the main one in town before the construction of the new one. Supposedly of Langobard origin, it was rebuilt in a Romanesque style during the 15th century and then partially refurbished in the 17th century, and then again in the 19th century when it got some Neo-Gothic features. Nowadays, it is used by the local Romanian Orthodox church. From there, I then walked on and passed the large Villa San Carlo, an 18th-century villa that is currently used as a house for spiritual exercises of the catholic church and is surrounded by a beautiful park. Not far from there, I passed the Castello Bissari Sforza Colleoni, once a 12th-century castle, then refurbished and turned into a villa in the 19th century. From there, I then walked back to the car and drove on to the nearby town of Castelnovo. Here, I first visited the main church, San Vitale, built in 1912 alongside the old church, which was eventually demolished a decade later. From the church, I then started heading uphill and passed by two medieval towers, once part of the castle that dominated the town from up there. A little further, I then reached the church of San Lorenzo, a small medieval church dating to the 10th century and rebuilt in a Romanesque style in the 12th century. It was closed but from up there I still admired the beautiful panorama of the snow-covered mountains, not too far. Once back down in town, after taking the car, a short drive brought me to Isola Vincentina. I first climbed up the hilltop to reach the church and convent of Santa Maria del Cengio. Originally dating to the 12th century, it was then enlarged with a convent in the 15th century. It features a small church and a nice cloister, and the view from the hilltop was great, with the whole plain in front and the mountains in the background. Back down from the hilltop, I then passed by the town's main church, San Pietro Apostolo, built at the beginning of the 20th century over a previous one. It was closed, so I continued on, passing through the small main square where a nice fountain was located. At the eastern end of town, I then reached the 18th-century Villa Cerchiari, now used as the local library. Back at the car, I then drove on to the next town, Malo. Once there, I first walked up the hilltop to reach the sanctuary of Santa Maria Liberatrice. Built around the 12th century, where once was the castle, it was expanded and refurbished, particularly in the 17th century when it took its current baroque form. Among the interior decorations is a painting of the Madonna from the 13th century, considered one of the oldest depictions of the Madonna in the province. Just outside, next to the church, I then had a great view of the nearby mountains of Carega and Pasubio. Descending back down into town, I then reached the southeastern end of town where the Villa Clementi is set, an 18th-century villa refurbished during the 19th century and now holding the town's library. Continuing on through some nice streets lined by old buildings, I passed another villa, Muzani Castellani Fancon, and its annexed church of San Francesco with a nice Gothic bell tower. Further on, I passed another church, San Nicola, late Gothic in style and from the beginning of the 17th century, and then another at the northern end of town, San Bernardino, built in the 15th century, and now used as a council chamber. From there, I walked along the main street and then took a side street to reach the large Duomo. This 19th-century neoclassical church replaced an older 16th-century one, while its bell tower still has its medieval 13th-century aspect. Once I was back at the car, a short drive led me to the next town, San Vito di Leguzzano. Once there, I first headed to the main church, Santi Vito, Modesto e Crescenzia, located slightly uphill from the center. It was built in the 18th century, and after finding it open, I headed inside to visit it; at one point, though, a man who was fixing some lightning inside noticed me and told me that the church was actually closed. I told him I wasn't aware, and he still let me take a few pictures before leaving. Heading back into town, I walked along the main street and reached another, smaller church, Immacolata Concezione. A bit unassuming from the outside, it contains a noteworthy interior with frescoes dating to the 14th and 15th centuries, including one with Jesus and Saint Sunday, and a series of objects relating to works connecting it to the forbidden trades on Sunday. After the visit to the church, I headed back to the car and drove on to reach the town of Marano Vicentino. Here, on the main square, I then visited the main church, Santa Maria Annunziata. Dating to the 18th century, it replaced an older church and features some nice paintings, mostly from the 17th century, in the baroque style. After a small walk around the area, I got back in the car and drove on to the last stop of the day, the town of Villaverla. Here was a nice square with a monument to the fallen of WWI at its center, to the north Villa Martinengo Spiller refurbished in the 17th century, and to the east the church of San Domenico dating from the 19th century. Walking further, I then reached a part of town, which once used to be the main square, where the main road cuts through town. Despite the traffic, I managed to admire the nice porticoed houses along the square's perimeter and the two large villas. The first, Villa Verlato, was built in 1576 by Scamozzi in the style of an imposing palazzo and with an annexed small church. On the other side of the street, the grandiose Villa Ghellini, built by Pizzocaro in 1664, with a nice main facade and a central courtyard. At that point the sun was setting and it was time to head home.

A 15th century house with a fresco of the Lion of St Mark's in Costabissara

The Oratory of San Valentino

The entrance to the Villa San Carlo

One of the gates of the Bissari Sforza Colleoni Castle

The church of San Lorenzo in Castelnovo

The main square in Isola Vicentina

View from the convent of Santa Maria del Cengio

The Sanctuary of Santa Maria Liberatrice in Malo

View towards the mountains

The monument to the fallen and the sanctuary

A street in the old town with the church of San Nicola

Another street in the old town with the former church of San Bernardino

The Duomo

The interior of the church of Immacolata Concezione in San Vito di Leguzzano

The church of Santa Maria Annunziata in Marano Vicentino

The main square in Villaverla

Villa Verlato

Bussolengo, Manerba del Garda & Moniga del Garda (15/12/2024)

On a seemingly gray and slightly foggy day, I decided to visit a few towns around Lake Garda. My first stop was the village of Arcé, with its small but nice historic center. I walked along the main street, sided by low houses, until I reached the western end where the church of San Michele is located. Built during the 12th century in a Romanesque style, it was unfortunately closed. I saw it from the outside and then headed back through the rest of the town. On the eastern end, I then admired the nice Villa Da Sacco, originally dating to the 18th century but refurbished in the following century. Not far from there, I then reached the church of San Lorenzo Martire, Pescantina's Duomo, but strangely located far from the town's city center. Built during the 18th century over a previous medieval church, featuring a neoclassical style, it has a nice interior and an 80m high detached bell tower. Just across the bridge over the Adige River, I then reached the city of Bussolengo. I walked through the city center first, visiting the Sanctuary of the Perpetuo Soccorso, refurbished in the 18th century, with a 16th-century Renaissance cloister and a 14th-century icon of the Madonna from Crete inside. After that, I walked through town, following the main street until I reached the main square, Piazza XXVI Aprile. Here was the old building of the town hall, and behind it the church of Santa Maria Maggiore. Originally dating to the 12th century, it was then completely remade during the 18th century, and in 197,6 a new concrete part was added on the northern flank, completely changing the layout and turning the former church into the transepts. Continuing on my walk through town, I then reached the church of San Valentino at the southern end. Despite being closed, I could still admire the 15th-century exterior frescoes with depictions of the story of St. Valentine, as well as one depicting the crucifixion on the southern facade. Not far from this church was another church, San Rocco, also closed and dating to around the same period. To complete my tour of the city, I then ended up at the Villa Spinola, a nice example of a 15th-century villa with a loggia and a 13th-century dovecot tower. After visiting the city, I got in the car, drove alongside the lake, and reached its western side, where the town of Manerba del Garda is located. Made up of smaller old towns, I decided to park in one of them, Montinelle. I first explore the nice historic part with its 15th century church of San Bernardo, closed, and its narrow streets. Then from there, I started heading uphill to reach the castle. The Rocca di Manerba, now just ruins, is located on a rocky promontory right above Lake Garda, dominating the landscape and with incredible views all around. The promontory was inhabited since the Neolithic times, and a defensive structure was built during the Middle Ages; that structure was eventually destroyed by Venice when the republic took the area under its control, as it had become a refuge for bandits. As I was on top, the clouds and fog partly gave way to blue sky and sun, and so I could partly admire the mountains in the distance, including the snow-capped Monte Baldo. Back down, I then visited the small museum detailing the local history, fauna, and flora. I talked to a friendly lady there a bit about myself and my travels, and she told me a bit about herself and the area. After the nice conversation, I continued on to visit the surroundings, heading on foot to the nearby old town of Solarolo. I first visited the large church of Santa Maria Assunta, a nice baroque building built in the 18th century. Then, along the main street, I reached another church, San Giovanni Battista Decollato, this one actually not in use for religious purposes but holding a whole set of mechanical nativity scenes with both traditional buildings and landscapes as well as more modern ones with even a ski slope and skiers. In the northern end of town, I then reached yet another church, Santissima Trinità, dating to the 15th century and supposedly holding frescoes inside which I couldn't see as it was closed. Finally, to finish off my trip, on the way back, I stopped to visit the town of Moniga del Garda. Here was a beautiful fortified village: a group of houses surrounded by a thick wall and towers. I walked both inside the structure and outside, admiring the nice medieval walls and towers, including the imposing main one serving as an entrance gate as well. In front of the castle was the church of San Martino, which I visited, built in a baroque style in the 18th century over a previous one. Finally, it was time to get back in the car and drive all the way home. 

The church of San Michele in Arcé

A street in the old town

The Villa da Sacco

The Duomo of Pescantina

The Sanctuary of the Perpetuo Soccorso in Bussolengo

The main square

Medieval frescoes on the side of the church of San Valentino

Villa Spinola

The Rocca di Manerba

View of Lake Garda from the castle

The unusual nativity scene inside the church of San Giovanni in Solarolo

A street in the old town

The old town inside the castle of Moniga del Garda

View of the castle

The castle's main gate

Trip around central Veneto (12/12/2024)

On a trip from Vicenza, I decided to visit a few places and towns in central Veneto. I woke up early, got in the car and drove northwards, reaching the first destination of the day, the church of San Donato on the outskirts of the city of Cittadella. Originally dating to the 7th century, it was then rebuilt in its current Romanesque form during the 12th century after an earthquake. The interior holds some 14th-century frescoes, which I couldn't see, however, as the church was closed. At that point, I got back in the car and drove then to the city of Camposampiero. I first visited the Santuario del Noce, one of the town's religious sites connected to Saint Anthony, who spent a short period here before his death. The saint used to dwell in a cell next to the church of St John and would then preach at a nearby walnut tree; on that presumed spot, the sanctuary was then built in the 15th century. Inside, I then admired the nice medieval frescoes detailing the life's saint, including his preaching at the walnut tree. From the sanctuary, I then walked to the church of Santi Giovanni Battista e Antonio, better known as the shrine of the Vision. In addition to the church, the complex is made up of the facilities housing the local convent of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual. According to tradition, it is here that the famous vision of the infant Jesus took place, making the shrine one of the main places associated with the cult of the saint. A church originally stood since the 12th century but was refurbished and replaced several times throughout the centuries. Eventually, the current structure took form at the beginning of the 20th century. Inside is the cell where Saint Anthony lived at the invitation of Count Tiso VI for a period of meditation and rest. Once the count, who often went to the cell to meet with the saint, saw an intense glow emanating from the inside. As he approached, he recognized Anthony holding in his arms a child, Baby Jesus. The latter revealed to Anthony that a guest, precisely the Count, was watching them. The Saint, having finished the apparition, begged the count not to speak to anyone about what he had seen; only after the Saint's death would the Count tell of this episode. I visited the church's interior and the cell, and then headed out to explore the rest of the town. I reached the main square, Piazza Castello, where the civic tower, the Torre della Rocca, dating to the Middle Ages, and the Palazzo Tiso, once part of the castle complex, and now the town hall, are located. On the other side of the square, I then visited the small church of the Madonna della Salute. Continuing onwards, I walked along the main street and passed by another medieval tower, the Torre di Porta Padova, once part of the walls of the feudal castle and owing its name to its proximity to one of the five city gates. I then completed my round of town by passing by the 16th-century Villa Querini, before eventually making my way back to the car. After that, I drove on to the next town, San Giorgio delle Pertiche. I had a brief stop here to visit the local church, dedicated to Saint George. Its detached bell tower is actually an 11th-century tower once part of the local castle, while the church itself is a 19th-century neoclassical building. After visiting that, I drove on to reach the nearby town of Borgoricco. The peculiarity of this area north of Padua is its regular subdivision made up of long and straight roads intersecting and forming a checkerboard that, despite the passage of centuries, has retained the form of the ancient Roman grid. In this town, I wished to visit the museum dedicated to this territory, but I unfortunately found it closed. So instead, I just visited the nearby church of San Leonardo, built in a neoclassical style at the end of the 18th century over a much older previous one. On to the next town, Massanzago, I visited the large Villa Baglioni, located at its center, and now holding the town hall. Its interior was open and really worth it as it contained some beautiful early 18th-century frescoes by the then young Giambattista Tiepolo. The ground floor also had some nice frescoes by another artist, Antonio Zucchi. After visiting the villa I walked around its park and then headed to the car to drive to the next city, Noale. The city features a nice historic center with a castle and surrounded by a moat. I first approached the old town from the west, where I had parked the car, and after crossing the moat, reached the central part of town. The weekly market was still ongoing, but the first stalls were starting to close. I decided to enter the main church, Santi Felice e Fortunato, originally from the 12th century but refurbished in the 15th and again in the 18th and 19th centuries. Inside, there were some nice artworks such as a 15th-century baptismal font, works by artists such as Vivarini, Carpaccio, Palma il Giovane, and a 16th-century altar by Sansovino. After visiting the church, I continued on through town and then headed across the square towards the entrance of the castle. I found it closed, so instead I decided to walk along its perimeter and see it from the outside. Dating to the 12th and 13th centuries, the Rocca dei Tempesta was the residence of the Tempesta family, Lords of Noale. It was used for military purposes until the 15th century, then became the seat of the podestà until the 18th century, after which it was left to ruin and its parts used to obtain building materials. Nowadays, despite not being fully complete and partly ruined, it is still a sight to admire. After the walk around the castle,e I headed back into town and explored the rest. I passed by the nice 15th century Palazzo Negro, and then the 32m high clock tower from the 14th century, with the annexed gate that was the eastern and most important entrance to the old town. Behind it was the Palazzo della Loggia, originally a medieval building but rebuilt in its current neo-Gothic form in the 19th century. From there, I then reached another square, Piazza XX Settembre, sided by some nice buildings including the 16th century Palazzo Soranzo-Scotto, the 15th century chiesa di Santa Maria dei Battuti with a fresco of the Madonna, and at its center the Colonna della Pace, once holding the Lion of St Mark's, symbol of the Venetian dominance. Nearby, I then passed by the Loggetta of Largo San Giorgio, built in 1930 to hold the market. From that point, I turned around and headed back into town, walking some minor side streets until I reached the western end, where the Torre delle Campane was set, once the other gate of the city. Built around the 12th and 13th centuries, it was then elevated further during the 19th century, reaching its current height of 43m, making it the tallest building in town. I had then completed the round of the town and headed back to the car to drive on to the next town, Santa Maria di Sala. Here, I visited the main site, the Villa Farsetti. Built between 1744 and 1774 for Filippo Farsetti and included, like many other Venetian villas, gardens, labyrinths, greenhouses, groves, a botanical garden, as well as service buildings such as the court, a guesthouse, a stable, and a church. With a length of 93m, the main palace building is one of the largest in the region; however, as I headed on to explore it, it looked quite run down from the outside. I couldn't visit inside as the villa is usually just open during events and such. After walking around its park, I headed back to the car and drove on for a quick stop in Scaltenigo. Here I visited the church of the Cattedra di San Pietro, built in a Romanesque style during the 14th century and still keeping most of its original form. The bell tower was rebuilt in the 16th century, while the church's interior was refurbished in the Renaissance, baroque, and mostly neoclassical styles and holds a nice ceiling fresco by Tiepolo. A short drive away, I reached the city of Mirano. Here I first had a look at the Duomo, built over a previous church in the 17th century in a baroque style; I couldn't linger much as a funeral was starting, but I still appreciated its nice interior. The tall detached bell tower, reminiscent of the one in Venice, was built in 1737 and towers above the town center. I then walked through the main square, which would look even better if they could manage to close it to traffic. Nearby, I saw a nice well head and the column with the Lion of St. Mark's, dating to the 16th century. Symbol of the rule of Venice, it is considered one of the most beautiful columns still standing in the region. I had a walk around and admired the typical low architecture with the small courtyards typical of the area around Venice, particularly close to the sea. From there I then walked on to see the Villa Morosini, a nice 17th century villa surrounded by a beautiful park which connects to another villa, Villa Belvedere, this latter refurbished in the 19th century. I walked around the lovely park and then past two more private villas, Villa Barbarigo Rendina from the 18th century and Villa Barbarigo Carraro from the 17th century. After walking around town, it was time for one last stop in the town of Salzano. Once there, I first visited the Villa Romanin Jacur, a 17th-century Venetian villa with a nice park and a steam-powered spinning mill, both added in the 19th century. Walking to the center of town, I then visited the main church dedicated to St Bartholomew and built in 1843 with a nice detached 69m high bell tower built between 1712 and 1879. After that visit, it was time to get in the car and eventually drive back home.

The church of San Donato near Cittadella

The Santuario del Noce in Camposampiero

Interior of the sanctuary church

The town's main square, Piazza Castello

The Torre di Porta Padova

The 11th century tower of San Giorgio delle Pertiche

The church of San Leonardo in Borgoricco

Villa Baglioni in Massanzago

Frescoes by the then young Tiepolo inside the villa

The church of Santi Felice e Fortunato in Noale

The Rocca dei Tempesta

Another view of the castle

The Torre delle Campane

The Torre dell'Orologio

Villa Farsetti in Santa Maria di Sala

The church of San Pietro in Scaltenigo

The main square in Mirano

Villa Belvedere

Villa Romanin Jacur in Salzano

Wurzen & Oschatz (24/11/2024)

I decided to head south of Berlin, into Saxony, and visit a couple of towns. My first stop was Wurzen. Once there, I got off the train and headed towards the city center on foot. I first passed by the church of St Wenceslai, a late 17th-century baroque church built over a previous one. It was closed, so I moved on, passing next to the Saxon milepost right next to it, and then walked along a street lined with nice old buildings. A short walk ahead, I reached the central square, the Marktplatz, with many historical buildings around it, including the 1803 town hall. Continuing on, I then passed a nice baroque gabled building holding the cultural history museum, and then reached the Domplatz. Here I visited the Cathedral of St Mary, originally dating to the 12th century in a Romanesque style, which was expanded the following century and then again in the early 16th century, receiving its mostly Gothic look with its two choirs, east and west, and the 42-meter-high towers. Traces of the Romanesque structure are still partly visible, but mostly the Gothic style has predominance. Inside were some nice fittings and decorations, including a medieval baptismal font, a bronze crucifix, and a pulpit from 1932. Once I visited the church right next to it, I then admired the castle from the outside. This 15th-century late Gothic castle, with some early Renaissance features, was the residence of the Bishops of Meissen until 1581, and nowadays, it holds a hotel and restaurant. After visiting the rest of the town it was time to move to the next one, Oschatz. Once there, the walk from the train station to the city center took quite a bit due to the distance. I reached the old town and passed through the nice Altmarkt, one of the town's squares, and the original point the city developed from. A short walk led me to the Neumarkt, now the town's main square. At its center, a bit to the side, the 16th century fountain, while around it some nice and important buildings, such as the beautiful 16th century town hall, rebuilt with a higher tower but in a similar style after a fire in 1842. Behind it stands the imposing church of St Aegidien, a neo-Gothic structure from the middle of the 19th century built over a previous medieval one. It was closed, so I moved on, walking some streets around there with nice buildings, and then passing by a nice 14th-century tower next to the scale museum. From there, I then moved on and passed another building, the Klosterkirche, originally a 13th century church, refurbished in its current gothic structure in the 15th century and once belonging to the Franciscan order. That one was closed as well so I continued on my walk through the rest of town. After a nice round the center I then headed to the southern part of town where i visited the O-Schatz Park, a former site of the 2006 State Garden Show which was repurposed as a park and zoo managed by employees with disabilities. I saw typical farm animals such as goats, sheep, pigs, but also deer, meerkats, and wallabies, one of which also albino. After that it was time to head to the train station and take a ride back to Berlin.

The church of St. Wenceslai in Wurzen

A street in the old town

The main square

Interior of the cathedral

The castle

View of the cathedral and castle

The Altmarkt in Oschatz

The Neumarkt with the fountain, town hall, and church of St. Aegidien

The 14th century tower

The Klosterkirche

A street in the old town

The town hall