“If you get simple beauty and naught else, you get the best God invents.” Robert Browning
The enchanting medieval town of Asolo is known as the pearl of the province of Treviso, Italy. Robert Browning fell in love with Asolo and it’s simple beauty and moved there to write. He was inspired by the simple beauty of Asolo. This beautiful village is 45 miles Northwest from Venice and is situated not far from the base of the majestic Dolomites.
We stayed at the Albergo Al Sole, www.albergoalsoleasolo.com, on a recent visit to Asolo. It is the perfect place to stay.
This charming hotel is run by two amazing sisters, Silvia and Elena. Together they renovated a 16th century home into an elegant and luxurious boutique hotel and combined simple beauty and exquisite design in every room, capturing the essense of this beautiful Italian village with grace. The Small Luxury Hotel Chain, www.slh.com recognized Albergo Al Sole as the place to stay in this area, and we agree! We felt like houseguests of a dear stylish old friend with the warm open hospitality of the hotel staff.
Silvia and Elena shared the history of Asolo with us – see their website for more information, In brief, “during the “Serenissima Repubblica di San Marco”, under the rule of Caterina Cornaro (Queen of Cyprus, who received the dominion of Asolo from Venice exchanging it with Cyprus), this “town of a hundred horizons” became one of the most refined destinations in Italy, visited by the most famous artists, among them Pietro Bembo, the great Venetian humanist author of the “Asolani”. In the middle of the XVIIth century Asolo was discovered by the English, by the poet Robert Browning, who bought a house here and here wrote the famous “Asolando”, and next by the American Eugene Benson, and then by the mythical Freya Stark at the beginning of the last century. The divine Eleonora Duse lived here for many years and asked to be buried in the Sant’Anna cemetery. Gianfrancesco Malipiero also choose Asolo as his shelter in life and death.”
From cooking lessons using local recipes for ravioli, risotto and tiramisu, to a tour and wine tasting of a local Prosecco vineyard, Pat del Colmel, www.patdelcolmel.it,
and then the tours of Palladio’s masterpieces Villa Barbero and Villa Emo,
Silvia and Elena made excellent arrangements to explore the Villas and Vistas, as well as enjoy the fabulous local cuisine in the area. We borrowed the hotel bicycles to ride from Asolo to see one of Palladio’s masterpieces Villa Barbero – about 7 km away, and passed other villas along the way.
The hotel restaurant, La Terrase has a panoramic view of Asolo and is perfect spot to experience this charming village. Whether relaxing over Prosecco at sunset, enjoying a feast at breakfast with fresh meats, fruits, produce and dairy products (the best yogurt and artisan cheeses in Italy), or a dinner of homemade pasta, fish or any number of culinary creations, you will taste the passion, love and tranquility that the kitchen pours into each dish.
Here is a short list of their recommended “Things to Do” while in Asolo:
To see
– Villa Barbaro and Villa Emo by A.Palladio
Villa Emo, www.villaemo.org
– Antique market monthly in Asolo
– Gallery and Temple by A.Canova
– Contemporary artists exhibitions at Albergo Al Sole
– The Chess game with living characters in Marostica
– The Grappa Museum and the Bridge in Bassano
To do
– Enjoy a walk to the Rocca of Asolo
– Attend a concert at the end of summer
– Book a gourmet dinner in the Cave of Bacco
– Take an excursion to the Monte Grappa
– Shopping in the old town or at local Outlets
– A horse ride through the green of the hills of Asolo
– Take a trip along the Street of Prosecco
– Enjoy an exciting cooking lesson with our Chef
– Enjoy a visit to a local winery for a tasting such as Pat del Colmel, www.patdelcolmel.it, where Matteo, carries on his family’s tradition and love for the land with passion, and manages the “Pat del Colmel” wine today.
Car Service: if you need a car service to get around the Asolo area, contact Massimiliano Spagnolo at: info@carbusinesservice.it or visit his site: www.carbusinesservice.it
