Asolo and Possagno - The Temple of Canova, the Museo Canova and Gypsoteca, and Possagno meringue

The charm of the “town of a hundred horizons”: Asolo is a small farming town not far from Treviso, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.

For centuries, the delightful setting of Asolo among the hills has drawn artists and scholars from across the whole of Europe, a scene painted by many artists including Giorgione.
The scholars included Giosuè Carducci, who called it the “town of a hundred horizons”, English poet Robert Browning, Pietro Bembo, one of the most famous intellectuals of the 1500s, and musician Gian Francesco Malipiero, who found inspiration in Asolo for some of his compositions. Eleonora Duse, the famous actress and lover of Gabriele D’Annunzio, spent the final years of her life in an stately home here and was buried in the small, picturesque cemetery of Sant’Anna, facing Monte Grappa.

The symbol of Asolo is the Rocca, a fortress which dominates the landscape from the summit of Monte Ricco, offering spectacular views. From here, you can see the historic centre of the town: Piazza Garibaldi, with its 16th century fountain, the castle, which houses the Teatro Duse, and the ancient cathedral, which contains the beautiful painting of Our Lady of the Assumption by Lorenzo Lotto. Also worth a visit are the civic museum, inside the 15th century Palazzo della Ragione, the 16th century Villa degli Armeni and the elegant council offices in Palazzo Beltramini. 

Just outside the centre of the village, fans of golf can put themselves to the test on the challenging and charming 18-hole course.

Continuing on to Possagno:

The Temple of Canova was built on a sunny hill just a few hundred metres from the Gypsoteca.It is an imposing neoclassical construction, built on three wide steps of differing widths and a huge area of white and black cobblestones, taken from the Piave river and arranged artistically in geometric patterns. The Temple of Possagno was designed by Antonio Canova and completed by Pietro Bosio, with help from architect Antonio Selva. 

At the end of your visit, try the famous Possagno meringue from the patisserie next door. The famous Possagno dessert reflects the art of Canova with its purity of flavours and refined fragrance. A nest of soft meringue, filled with light, velvety cream.