Discover Oderzo

Archaeology between the Forum and the Museum

Oderzo is a destination for you if you want to trace ancient urban history not only through individual exhibits, but also through visible architectural and archaeological remains. The Museo Archeologico Eno Bellis opened to the public in 1881 and is now housed in the Barchessa of Palazzo Foscolo. Its tour brings together evidence from different periods.

In the pre-Roman section, you can see Venetic inscriptions, votive bronzes and zoomorphic terracottas. There is also iron and bronze horse equipment from a horse burial. The Roman section displays finds from Roman wells, stone funerary monuments from the Opitergine necropolis, valuable grave goods, bronzes and household furnishings. The tour ends with polychrome Late Antique mosaics. They once decorated the floor of a wealthy urban domus and therefore expressly form part of the historical furnishings of a former house.

A second focal point is the Area del Foro Romano e Domus via Mazzini. Visible remains of a forum dating from the Augustan period have been preserved there. The paved square has a documented width of 40 metres and a length of at least 98.7 metres. The complex also includes remains associated with the town basilica, as well as the foundations of a monumental staircase. This is probably attributed to the city’s Capitoline temple, a temple dedicated to the Capitoline Triad. The Domus via Mazzini preserves mosaic floors and the remains of a room heated by a hypocaust, which is assigned to the house’s thermal area.

Art and historical orientation

Religious art is also represented in Oderzo by several distinct sites. The Duomo di San Giovanni Battista preserves works by Palma il Giovane, Pomponio Amalteo and Andrea Bellunello. The Museo del Duomo presents sacred artworks and liturgical furnishings from the 16th to the 20th century. This museum also houses a cycle of five paintings depicting scenes from the life of John the Baptist. Pomponio Amalteo created it in 1546 as oil paintings on canvas.

Other notable landmarks are located at specific squares and entrances. Casa Ottoboni-Saccomani, located on Piazza Grande, is decorated with 16th-century frescoes. The preserved historic entrance Porta di Treviso is also known as Toresin or Torresin. If you want to organise your stay by theme, you can use these sites to distinguish archaeological finds, sacred art and preserved historic architecture as separate sightseeing focuses.

Walking routes along the Monticano and time in the green

For a quieter complement to the cultural sites, the Monticano River runs along Oderzo’s historic centre. Its embankment offers a walking path from which several routes can be explored.

Families will find a public municipal park in the Giardini Ca’ Diedo for walking, relaxing, doing sport and playing with children. Its facilities include swings, climbing structures, wooden rocking horses and benches. The park complements the archaeological and art-historical attractions with a place expressly oriented towards exercise, spending time outdoors and play.

Practical information point and further destinations

The Ufficio IAT Oderzo tourist information office is located at Via Garibaldi 65 in Palazzo Foscolo. For further orientation, you can also compare Oderzo with Susegana, Valdobbiadene, Ponte Di Piave, Loria, Gaiarine, Fonte, Casier and Musestre.

For the overarching travel overview: Treviso.