THE CYCLE ROUTE OF NORTHERN ITALY'S MAIN CITIES

STAGE 6

(Treviso – Portobuffolè, 54 km)

The last leg of the AIDA itinerary in the Veneto, is characterised by the wide plain crossed by countless rivers and rivulets, the main of which, the Piave, is an outstanding natural feature, but also a historical testimony of World War I. Indeed, there are many mementos, along the route, of the men, events and history of the Great War, starting from the military memorial of Fagarè, built in one of the most exposed points after the “Retreat of Caporetto”. The itinerary is not difficult at all, and offers a wealth of inspiring features, also from an environmental point of view, for instance the spectacular floodplain of the river Livenza near Portobuffolè, historic stronghold on what was the border of the March of Treviso. To easily get back to the starting point, we recommend riding a little further on to Sacile on a pleasant route, also part of AIDA.

The starting point of our itinerary is the exit of the central train station of Treviso and we cannot but head to the centre of the old town, with its charming Piazza dei Signori (km 0.5). Slowly ride along via Calmaggiore, the ancient Cardo Maximum of the Roman-era “Tarvisium”, turn right at the Siloncello canal towards via Roggia (about 1 km from the start) and continue along via Filippini, on the left, until you come to the old town walls, which you follow east (via Burchiellati) until the 16th century Porta San Tommaso, St. Thomas' Gate (km 1.8). You leave the old town behind for good and, after going over the moat (La Botteniga) and the internal ring road, you continue along the wide cycle path on viale Vittorio Veneto and viale Brigata Treviso. At km 3.6 you leave the avenue and turn right into via Verci (the AIDA sticker will certainly be helpful), and continue on via della Madonnetta then, after the underpass of the Venice-Udine railway, take a sharp left and follow the railway on via Cal di Breda, to the grand new premises of the Treviso Provincial Authority. Just after that (km 5.8) you will ride past the entrance to the Storga Park, a protected area of 67 hectares that was established in the late 1990's (open every day from 7am to 8pm). Continue riding through the pleasant countryside on back roads, through the hamlet of Pezzan and over the A27 Alemagna motorway (km 8.0). After rolling down the flyover, take a right twice, then turn left off provincial road SP59 and take via Graere first, then after another left turn, via Cartiere (km 9.5). Continue on a pleasant country lane for about 1.3 km and at the crossroads with via Papa Roncalli (SP60) take a right towards Mignagola (named after the rivulet you have just ridden along), then turn left on via San Martino and right on via Griguoli (km 11.7) through a vast farmed area. The itinerary continues on via Canova and, after the underpass of the Treviso-Portogruaro railway, comes to the junction with the Postumia regional road (SR53) at km 13.9. An almost 9 km long two-way, segregated cycle path follows the regional road, through the town of San Biagio di Callalta and past the War Memorial of Fagarè della Battaglia (km 21.8), which holds the remains of over 10,000 Italian soldiers fallen during World War I, until the bridge over the river Piave. At km 22.7 the cycle path ends and you must ride on the road to cross the long bridge (approx. 300 metres) over the “sacred river to the Motherland” and reach the town of Ponte di Piave on the other side. In the small town, you should not miss Goffredo Parise's Museum Home, where the famous writer spent the last years of his life. You cross the town and at km 25.0 you leave the Postumia road and turn right into the hamlet of Vigonovo di Sopra, already in the municipality of Salgareda. Carry on, then turn left into via Chiodo (km 26.5), a low traffic road that for a few kilometres runs parallel to the much busier regional road. At km 30.0, when you come to the junction with the SP117 provincial road, the road name changes to via Postumia Rustignè and then to via per Levada. In Levada, a short distance from the junction we mentioned above, there is the church of Saint Boniface Martyr, one of the few historical buildings in the area that survived the ravages of time. The 11th century building features a beautiful fresco, the only surviving one of the original cycle, depicting the Madonna of the Swallow, and two magnificent altarpieces by Renaissance painter Francesco Bissolo (1470-1554). At the end of via per Levada (km 31.6), close to the town of Oderzo by now, you turn right into via Prà Gatta di Rustignè and carry on until via Sgarbariol (km 33.8), then turn left and, after about 1 km, left again into via Fornase Tronco 1. We are now at Oderzo's very gates and again on regional road SR53, which is now called via Brandolini (km 35.4). Turn right onto a fine cycle path that goes under the railway and takes you all the way into the old town. In via Garibaldi you will glimpse the 16th century Palazzo Foscolo, the icon and heart of the town's cultural life: it is the seat of the Modern Art Gallery, the Alberto Martini Picture Gallery and the Eno Bellis Archaeological Museum. The beautiful porticoed houses of the old town now frame our route, and at the end of a long straight stretch you turn left into via Umberto 1° then ride under the Torresin – a 1930 building that was built on the ancient Porta Trevisana gate – and finally come out onto the magnificent Piazza Grande, right in front of the Cathedral (km 37). The church dedicated to St. John the Baptist was erected in the 11th century on the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to the God Mars. Originally in Romanesque-Gothic style, it has been heavily modified over the centuries, although the last restoration in the last century sought to bring to light the original architectural features. It holds works by Pomponio Amalteo, Domenico Tintoretto and Palma il Giovane. You now leave the piazza and ride along the river Monticano, first on Riviera Monticano, then on via Gorgazzo and via Madonna della Salute. Some inexplicable "No vehicles allowed" signs (including bicycles) force you to walk your bicycle on parts of the way or to take excessively long detours, however after this little setback the journey is pleasant and the surrounding environment mellow. At km 39.5 you cross the river on a footbridge and “land” shortly after in the hamlet of Fratta, towered over by the church of the Saints Philip and James. You continue on via Comunale di Fratta and turn right at the junction with via Le Basse, which is surfaced to begin with then turns into a dirt track. You leave the track at km 41.8 and climb onto the left bank of the river Monticano and then, after just 500 metres, you cross the Postumia road again, in the borough of Gorgo al Monticano. Take via Giuseppe Garibaldi right across (pay attention as the crossing is unregulated) then go straight at the roundabout on via Casette, and take a left at the next junction (km 43.3). Continue for 3 km along the provincial road, cross the hamlet of Fossabiuba and turn left into the narrow and unsurfaced via Tremeacque (km 46.6) which takes you right into the spectacular floodplain of the river Livenza called Prà dei Gai, which is part of the European Community's Natura 2000 Network. As the whole area is subject to flooding, the official route turns right and takes you onto the SP119 provincial road again, then temporarily across the regional border between Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia on the Tremeacque bridge (km 48.4). However, in the dry season it is highly recommended to continue through the Prà, following the official signage of the Treviso Provincial Administration. You will arrive in Portobuffolè in just few kilometres. Otherwise, after crossing the bridge over the Livenza, turn left onto the gravel river embankment and continue until km 51.0, ride for a short while on the provincial road, cross back into the Veneto at km 52.0 and ride again on the Livenza embankment until you get to Portobuffolè, at the very end of the March of Treviso. The medieval town, which is listed as one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia", an association of small Italian towns of historical interest, has much to offer in terms of heritage – from the 16th century Cathedral to the residence of Gaia da Camino, a 13th century poetess and noblewoman, from the Tower housing the Museum of Peasant Culture, to the Servi and San Rocco churches, both dating to the 1500s.