Bolzano Vicentino: Art, River Landscapes and Trails

Bolzano Vicentino combines paths through the landscape, religious art and the local fish speciality Avannotto di Bolzano Vicentino. If you want to explore Veneto independently while choosing a smaller town with specific cultural and landscape connections, you will find different ways to discover it here: a 16.5-kilometre stage, the 5-kilometre route of the Marcia dei 4 Mulini, which is accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs, frescoes and drawings by Ubaldo Oppi, and the fish speciality Avannotto di Bolzano Vicentino.

Paths between the Tesina and Astico

The Cammino Rigoni Stern includes a 16.5-kilometre stage from Bolzano Vicentino to Breganze. It runs mainly along the banks or embankments of the Tesina and Astico rivers, as well as on municipal roads and paths. The 5-kilometre route of the Marcia dei 4 Mulini offers a different format. This route is accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs. For your choice, this means a clear distinction between a longer stage of the Cammino Rigoni Stern and a shorter route with explicitly stated accessibility.

Frescoes, Drawings and Religious Art

The Pieve di Santa Maria has a long documented history: its origins are thought to date back to the 5th or 6th century. At the same time, it preserves frescoes by Ubaldo Oppi, created in 1934–1935. At the Galleria Municipale Ubaldo Oppi, a permanent exhibition displays the artist's collections of preparatory drawings made in charcoal for his frescoes. The focus there is therefore not only on completed wall paintings, but also on their preparation in drawing. The Chiesa Arcipretale di Santa Maria preserves Ubaldo Oppi's only fully intact fresco cycle. This focus is complemented by the Museo diffuso d'arte religiosa “Ubaldo Oppi”, a decentralised museum dedicated to religious art. The individual connections to Oppi's work thus lie in frescoes, preparatory drawings and a decentralised museum concept.

Villa, River and Local History

Villa Valmarana Rossi was designed by Palladio for Gianfrancesco Valmarana around 1563. Villa Chiericati Terreran provides a connection to the landscape: it is located in the countryside of Bolzano Vicentino, just a few steps from the Tesina River. The river crosses the municipal area from north to south and rises from a spring near the municipality of Bressanvido. The town's history is also connected with a transport route. A road crossed Bolzano Vicentino along its entire length and contributed to the development of a lively market, particularly with Vicenza. This historical connection adds an economic dimension to the cultural and landscape reference points visible today.

A Speciality from the Surrounding Area

Avannotto di Bolzano Vicentino is a local fish speciality. The young fish are either fried in a pan or, at the age of 12 months or when they reach a size of 10–15 centimetres, prepared as “saor”. This is a sweet-and-sour marinade in the Venetian style. For further orientation during your trip, you will also find Monticello Conte Otto, Chiampo, Romano D'ezzelino, Canova di Cereda, Gambellara, Sarego, Sovizzo and Roana.

For the higher-level travel overview: Vicenza.