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6 Reasons to Visit Conegliano on Your Next Italian Vacation

November 18, 2015 By Jessica McAvoy Leave a Comment

Travelers to Italy’s Veneto region often pass through on a mission to Venice, missing out on the beauty and splendor of the area. This makes Conegliano all the more worth a stop. It is unspoiled and quiet with very few tourists. With a compact historic center, a pedestrian-friendly sprawl surrounding, and a convenient train station, Conegliano is an excellent place to plant yourself and take a few days trips, or just absorb Italian life. There are many reasons that this gem is one of my favorite cities in Italy.

Here are my top six reasons to visit Conegliano on your next Italian Vacation.

6. Conegliano Art

A town in the grips of the powerhouse Venice in its prime, Conegliano has a rich history which means lots of investments in the arts and culture. It is the birthplace of painter Giovanni Battista, known as Cima da Conegliano. Renaissance painter of many religious stories, one masterpiece remains in town, Madonna with Child Enthroned with Saints (La Madonna in Trono e Santi), located in the 15th century Duomo di Santa Maria Annunziata e San Leonardo. To the left of the Duomo is the Scuola dei Battuti, home to the Sala dei Battuti and an engulfing space covered in frescoes. The hours to visit are finicky, and usually only open on Sundays, however outside the door is a phone number you can call to make a reservation.

Frescoes have defied time and mother nature here. You can still see portions on the exteriors of many of the buildings throughout the historic center. That’s right, on the exteriors! Up the hill and overlooking the town is a tower which is all that remains of the castle. Now home to a small Civic Museum, it contains a few gem paintings, fresco fragments, and some archaeological finds. The view of the region from up top is outstanding so take the fifteen-minute walk up and stop in the bar at the top for a glass of Prosecco. If the Prosecco doesn’t already reward you, the 360-degree view at the top of the tower will.

Fresco on the exterior facade of Conegliano’s Duomo di Santa Maria Annunziata e San Leonardo

5. Veneto Wine Region – Strada del Prosecco and Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene

The Veneto, my friends, is the land of Prosecco, a beautiful DOCG (highest quality classification) wine which comes in three varieties – tranquillo or still, frizzante or slightly sparkling, and spumante or full of sparkle. Conegliano is home to Italy’s most prestigious school of wine, and a viticultural institute where many grape varieties have been bred and a number of native varieties have been saved. It is also from here that you can start the meandering Strada del Prosecco and Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene. These two intoxicating (only for the passenger) drives take you right through the heart of the Prosecco growing vineyards. As with most regions in Italy, in general, wineries take guests by appointment so make sure and grab a map from your hotel and ask them to assist you in planning the day. If you find yourself without reservations anywhere don’t fret, the drive is beautiful, and in every cafe and restaurant, you are sure to be offered a lovely glass of the local pour.

View of the Veneto region from the top of the tower.

4. Conegliano for Festivals and Events

Throughout the year the people of Conegliano are always finding joy in life and a reason to celebrate. Of course, due to the Prosecco, almost monthly you can find an event in the region celebrating this beautiful wine. All the wine festivities culminate the last week of September with the “Autumn Coneglianese” or a grape festival featuring hundreds of wines and the region’s most distinguished vineyards present for tasting. Each June you can bare witness to the “Living Draughts Game,” or a live chess game with people playing the part of the pieces. During the festival, a Renaissance atmosphere is throughout town. There are also tons of small events happening almost weekly such as a Jazz fest throughout the winter, and music, performance, craft, and food festivals throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Whichever season you find yourself in the neighborhood there is sure to be a reason to celebrate life with the locals.

Lion fresco on the Belvedere Dal Vera entry into the historic center of Conegliano.

3. Amazing Drives and Day-trips Near Conegliano

As I mentioned above, Conegliano is the starting point for the Strada del Prosecco and Colli Conegliano Valdobbiadene taking you on a lovely drive through some of the world’s most beautiful wine country. Located at the foothills of the great Dolomite Mountains, when you head out from Conegliano you can quickly find yourself on scenic drives that would put anyone in awe. Full of grand vistas, grazing cows, switchbacks by the dozens, and the opportunity to stop in beautiful little mountain side villages for a bite to eat and an afternoon caffè corretto (espresso with a shot of grappa) these rides are well worth some of your time. Within half an hour to an hour drive, you can find yourself in the more tourist-filled towns of the Veneto region such as Verona, the many towns on the east side of Lake Garda, Padua, and of course, Venice.

Beautiful sky during a scenic drive in the Veneto region near Conegliano.

2. Venice – Close Enough, Yet Far Enough Away from Conegliano

Venice is magical and if you have not stayed over night, you must at least once… preferably during the off-season (November until right before Carnevale except for between Christmas and New Years). After one stay you can leave the over inflated prices to the masses. From that point on day-tripping is the way to go and Conegliano is the last stop of a direct train line into Venice which makes it a painless45-minute train ride and just a few bucks. Recently we took a train around 7:45 am, arrived in Venice by 8:30 am, visited the Gallerie dell’Accademia and Scuola San Rocco nearly by ourselves, and stopped for a cafe and dolce. We dropped by the Guggenheim, and by the time we were finished the crowds became crushing, and we were ready to head out. We grabbed a quick slice of pizza, and we were on our way back before most people even disembarked their cruise ship. The train is so quick and easy you could base yourself in Conegliano for a few days and drop in and out of Venice many times to see the sights without blowing your entire trip’s budget on accommodation and dining. We were back in Conegliano in the late afternoon to enjoy a delicious dinner of authentic food at realistic prices.

Venice at night is magical once, after that leave the overpriced accommodation and food to the masses.

1. Cuisine

Which brings me to my favorite part of Conegliano – the cuisine. Everywhere we select seems to be fantastic. Wander down the portico covered walkways and peek into any restaurant and your senses come to life. Most of the area spots pride themselves on the use of fresh, local ingredients. We have two particular favorites. Al Salisa is located at Via XX Settembre 2/4 and focuses on typical regional cuisine. To note is the house-made burrata with a firm mozzarella exterior and soft, supple, creamy center, and the tagliatelle alla selvaggina with wonderful homemade pasta and a ragu full of the flavors of all the game meats incorporated.

Our second favorite is Trattoria Citta’ Di Venezia, a lovely seafood restaurant and osteria located at Via XX Settembre 77/79. Fresh ingredients and beautiful presentation along with friendly staff make this a favorite stop for us. The mix vegetable side dish is outstanding in the summer with fresh herbs bringing the flavors to life and always a treat is the mini octopus starter.

Burrata at Al Salisa

Where Do We Stay?

Hotel Cannon d’Oro, a Best Western hotel located in the heart of the old city is our favorite spot to stay. Family owned and operated, all of the staff are just lovely and helpful. There is gated parking onsite with some spots under overhangs making them great for travelers by motorcycle. They are also a “cycle” hotel with amenities that gear specifically to travelers on bicycles such as a bicycle wash, maintenance area, safe bicycle lock space, and a hearty breakfast with meats, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, pastries, fruits, and cereals. The rooms and beds are super comfortable and clean.

Frescoes in Italy: Orvieto

May 20, 2015 By Jessica McAvoy Leave a Comment

Lavishly decorated and with no inch untouched, construction of the Duomo di Orvieto (Cathedral of Orvieto) began in 1290 and spanned several centuries. The cathedral is a bounty of artistic and architectural beauty that began in the Romanesque style and was completed in the Gothic style. The facade glistens in the sun and is balanced by 20th century bronze doors, a rose window, and bas-relief carvings. You enter through the main facade which gives you a true sense of scale. This space, like most of Italy’s cathedrals, was designed to make you feel humble and in awe. It does not disappoint on either front.

Facade of the Duomo of Orvieto dedicated to the Our Lady of the Assumption.

Once inside you can drop some Euro into a a machine that looks like an old payphone and view details of the cathedral along with commentary. When you get your fill of the digital era, you can walk right up and view the frescoes (I recommend saving your money and just doing this in the first place). Each chapel is covered with frescoes, all worth a look. The star of the visit for me though is the Cappella di San Brizio, also known as the Signorelli Chapel or the Cappella Nuova.

The chapel nave contains frescoes by Fra Angelico and Benozzo Gonzzoli. Shortly after production began, these two gentlemen were called to the Vatican by the Pope and the chapel frescoes went unfinished. Luca Signorelli was contracted approximately 50 years later to complete the task. He (and his studio) went on to create an intricate illustration of preaching, the Last Judgement, entry to Hell and more.

When I visit cathedrals I take notice of how the artists created the works to specifically relate to the lighting situations found in the surrounding space. Now these pieces are all artificially lit with spotlights, however I view the light coming in the space through the surrounding windows and understand how that light in particular (along with few candle offerings) was the only source of light highlighting the work for centuries. Artists at the time were aware of how to maximize the dramatic effect of their works by consciously designing the highlighted locations within in the frescoes to enable the natural light to make the most impact visually. The photo below shows the unfortunate spotlight located at the left lower side of the window and the strong afternoon light flooding in.

The Signorelli Chapel in the Orvieto Cathedral illustrating the spotlight as well as the natural light filling the space.

The lighting and shadow in the frescoes are addressed in relationship to the direction of the light flooding in the space from the window. This photo was taken in the afternoon. Take notice of the “line” of light haphazardly created by the spotlight. While I am grateful that lighting allows us to fully appreciate the works, there was a time when you had to drop a coin in a box to turn the light on in many cathedrals. This allowed you to view the frescoes both naturally and artificially.

The chapel has a time limit of 15 minutes for viewing with a set maximum number of people that can enter at a time. If you see a tour group inside just hold off for a few minutes and enter after they exit. In my experience the guards will allow you to look longer if you are visiting at off-peak times (first thing in the morning or after 3 pm). To really study all the frescoes inside the cathedral I would allow at least two hours. For a brief gaze a half hour to hour should suffice. For more information visit http://www.opsm.it/.

Frescoes in Italy: Assisi

May 16, 2015 By Jessica McAvoy Leave a Comment

The first thing you notice when you are approaching Assisi is how beautiful it is perched in the distance. Then, after being welcomed in many languages on various electronic signs, you notice how beautiful it is right in front of you. Take note of how well manicured all the gardens are and how clean the sidewalks are. This my friend is for you, the tourist, the person who has come to visit the Basilica di San Francesco (St. Francis).

St Francis of Assisi Bascilica

The building of Assisi’s pride and joy began in mid to late 1220s shortly after the canonization of St. Francis. He was secretly laid to rest here for fear his remains would be looted. The exact location of his final rest was only re-discovered in the early 1800s.

As you enter the nave of the upper basilica you are hugged by beauty. Frescoes surround you. There will undoubtedly be a tour group or a few in the space. Be patient as they will only look for a minute and move on. The upper section is believed to be the work of Giacomo, Jacopo Torriti, Pietro Cavallini, and Giotto (or not).

The lower section contains 28 frescoes of the life of St. Francis and art historians have quarreled for years if these are from hands of Giotto. Really, it does not matter. They are beautiful and exquisite.

In 1997 the upper Basilica was heavily damaged by an earthquake. Four lives were lost in the nave that day when a Cimabue fresco came crashing down. Walking through this space gazing up and around it is hard to not contemplate how the years of painstaking restoration following the earthquake may have forever altered for good or bad the frescoes. According to reports by the BBC over 300,00 fragments, many smaller than a fingernail, have been pieced back together. Photographer Ghigo Roli had just completed photographing all the frescoes inside the Basilica hours before the earthquake hit. His photos ended up to be priceless for the reconstruction efforts. Images of before and after can be seen in the book The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi : glory and destruction.

Earlier this year I read an Artnet News article that referred to claims an Italian newspaper made that the frescoes were destroyed by the restoration process. There will always be a risk in preservation leading to destruction, but we must ask ourselves is the alternative, simply just allowing destruction to occur, a better course of action?

Giotto & Cimabue

The lower basilica is outstanding as well. There are three entrances, one which brings you right in front of a magical wall. Giotto and Cimabue, side by side. Teacher and student. I often avoid places that are over-run by tour groups. Assisi is one place I will never avoid. If you plan to truly look at each fresco allow yourself half to a whole day to visit. To just breeze through and enjoy gazing I suggest budgeting 1 to 2 hours.

For more information about Assisi visit assisionline.com.