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Feltre, the Painted
City |
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Feltre owes the
epithet “Urbs Picta”,
Painted City, to the
wealth of palazzi in
the Centro Storico
with superbly
decorated facades.
After the
destruction of
1509-1510, the
desire to rebuild
and reaffirm the
identity of the town
led to the creation
of many buildings
which united Nordic
tastes and Venetian
influences. |
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A stroll
through the historic
center is like a
visit to an open air
museum as we admire
the facades of the
various palazzi:
Crico-Tauro,
Salce-Aldovini-Mezzanotte,
Cantoni, Muffoni, de
Mezzan, Bizzarini,
Zucco and Bellati. |
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Where to begin? |
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The main
access
to the
citadel
is
through
the 16th
Century
Porta
Imperiale,
whose
name is
suspended
between
myth and
memory
and
bears
witness
to the
solemn
passage
of
ancient
sovereigns. |
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The
foundations
of the
Porta
are of
medieval
origin,
but it
was
altered
in 1489
as part
of the
construction
work
carried
out on
the
Renaissance
walls by
Dionysio
da
Viterbo,
an
engineer
from the
Venetian
Republic.
It is
likely
that at
that
time the
the site
of the
Porta
was
moved
for
strategic
reasons,
away
from the
axis of
Via
Mezzaterra. |
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The
defensive
structure
was
further
altered
in 1500
and must
have
suffered
damage
during
the fire
of 1510,
insofar
as
restoration
work is
recorded
in 1547,
and its
definitive
inauguration
took
place in
1595,
when its
defensive
functions
had been
replaced
by a
purely
symbolic
role. |
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Having
passed
through
the
Porta,
the
little
square
of
Mercato
Vecchio,
known
today as
Piazzetta
Trento o
Triestre,
opens
out. The
Piazzetta
is
characterized
by two
opposing
faces:
the one
on the
left is
strictly
Renaissance,
relieved
by a
short
painted
portico;
the one
on the
right,
once
fitted
with
specular
porticoes,
dates
from the
middle
of the
19th
Century
and its
distinguished
by the
more
imposing
masses
of
Pazzo
Zugni
and
Palazzo
Berton,
which
look out
over
Largo
Castaldi.
The
Palazzi
are the
fruit of
the
outstanding
construction
work and
town
planning
of
Giuseppe
Segusini. |
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Via
Mezzaterra
starts
here. It
is an
ancient
strata
maior
which
passes
through
the
whole
length
of the
old town
centre
and
culminates
in
Piazza
Maggiore,
before
becoming
Via
Luzzo
and
descending
toward
Porta
Oria.
Precious
architectural
wings
rise up
along
the
short
and
scenic
slope.
In
clearly
Venetian
style,
these
housed
the
rooms
set
aside
for the
shops
and
workshops
on the
ground
floor,
while
the
living
quarters
were
situated
on the
upper
floors. |
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The
town's
renaissance
image
has
remained
substantially
unchanged
and,
were it
not for
the
cars,
the
effect
would be
like
travelling
through
time. |
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Palazzo
Crico
rises up
on the
left, at
the
beginning
of the
slope.
The
Palazzo
is a
notable
example
of 16th
Century
construction
and was
built by
Andrea
Crico, a
merchant
belonging
to the
Arte
della
Lana
(woolcraft)
guild.
It is
friezed
with
refined
sculptured
details,
such as
the
elegant
little
balcony
in
fretworked
stone,
and with
an
important
frescoed
decoration,
the work
of
Lorenzo
Luzzo,
perhaps
the most
important
of
Feltre's
painters. |
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the
fresco
represents
L'dultera
davanti
a Cristo
(The
AAdulterer
before
Christ)
and Il
Sacrificio
di
Isacco (
The
Sacrifice
of
Isaac)
amidst
sophisticated
mock
architecture
crowned
bu
lunetts
with
allegorical
figures
of the
Virtu'
(Virtues).
The
fashion
for
frescoed
facades
is
visible
on all
sides,
at every
step
along
the
path,
sometimes
emerging
timidly
from
under
peeling
plaster,
at
others
imposing
itself
by force
in ample
and
varied
decorative
cycles.
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After
passing
the
entrance
to
Via
Bilesimo,
with its
lovely
view of
the
Palazzo
of the
same
name,
there is
a small
building
on the
left, at
the end
of the
portico,
which is
marked
by the
coat of
arms of
the
Venetian
Podesta'
Antonio
Boldu';
a little
further
on,
along
Salita
Torresino
da
Corte,
can be
seen a
frescoed
fragment
of a
radiant
sun, the
symbol
of Beato
Bernardino
Tomitano,
borrowed
from the
more
famous
one of
Saint
Bernardino
da
Siena. |
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PAGE UNDER
DEVELOPMENT.
If you have any
questions, please
email us at
info@vafeltre.com
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Region |
Veneto |
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Province |
Belluno. |
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Elevation |
325 m |
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Population |
20,560 |
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Demonym |
Feltrini |
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Time |
CET(UTC+1) |
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Postal |
32032 |
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Dialing |
0439 |
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Patron |
St.
Victor |
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