Castelfranco Veneto mini guide – English

Castelfranco Veneto is an old nice little town, whose historic centre is surrounded by medieval walls and in a few hundred meters you can visit all the major attractions in town.

Known for being the birthplace of the famous as well as enigmatic painter Giorgione , start your visit from the Museo Casa Giorgione, Piazza San Liberal, +390423725022, to explore the history and evolution of Castelfranco and the influence of Giorgione on it. Adjacent to the Museum, the Duomo, +390423495202, built by the project of the famous architect F.M. Preti, drawing clear inspiration from the Redentore Church in Venice designed by Palladio. The Cathedral houses the famous altarpiece of Giorgione in the Chapel Costanzo and other important frescoes by Jacopo da Bassano, Veronese and Palma il Giovane.

 

On weekends you can visit the Clock Tower, which is few meters from the Duomo, it often becomes a great place for exhibitions. The small and cozy Teatro Accademico, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi 11, +390423735660, designed by F.M. Preti  is a charming historic theater, one of the best in the Veneto region.

Villa Emo, via Stazione 5, Fanzolo, +390423476334, is a magnificent Palladian villa set in the coutryside of Treviso. Its frescoed halls and its well-kept garden is a must see if you are in the area. The monumental Brion Cemetery, via Brion, San Vito di Altivole – Free entrance, designed by the famous Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa is a masterpiece full of meanings and contrasts, such as the severity of reinforced concrete to the lightness of the waterways in full Zen philosophy.

Just few minutes from the Brion Cemetery stands what remains of Il Barco della Regina, via Barco 51 Altivole, a set of buildings built in the fifteenth century for the Queen Cornaro and adorned with large gardens, hunting grounds , canals and waterworks. What is left of the original building, can be visited only from outside. A little more distant, but a must see, lies in the small village of Badoere which features in its main square a wonderful semicircular barn of the seventeenth century called La Rotonda di Badoere. Not far from the center of Castelfranco Veneto, in the town of Cavasagra starts on the Park of the Sile River and right here you can see the source of Sile.
Where to eat?

The medieval walls are preserved almost entirely and are surrounded by a lovely garden and a moat. Just outside the old town, you can find a  number of shops and bars under the arcade.

Stop by the Bar Borsa, Piazza Giorgione 1, +390423493445, set in a lovely historic building and it offers great breakfasts and aperitifs, it is worth to try their sandwiches though. If you prefer a good coffee, at a short distance you will find the Caffetteria Goppion, Piazza Giorgione, +390423493502, using only blends supplied by Goppion, a famous roasting of Treviso.

Restaurant Antico Girone, via F.M. Preti 9, +390423737568, next to the entrance of the Clock Tower, it offers a menu based on the Venetian tradition, but with interesting interpretations and excellent results. Just outside the Castelfranco Veneto, in an area that can seem unattractive, there is the Ristorante da Barbesin, via Circonvallazione Est 41, +390423490446, wait until you cross the threshold and you will be greeted by a rustic and lovely place, while the kitchen proposal will treat you with the authentic flavors of the territory.

The Locanda alla Corona D’Oro, via Stazione 14, Albaredo, +390423451299, few minutes outside Castelfranco, offers a wide menu that ranges from pizzas, always excellent, to the most elaborate dishes of fish or meat. Restaurant Alla Colombera, via Alcide De Gasperi 2, Altivole, +390423569797, set in a very nice old country house. The cut meat, the gnocchi with four sauces and Baccala’ alla Vicentina (a traditional dish made of cod) are great. Michele, the owner, will help you to find the right choice.