FROM THE SERENISSIMA ON THE "QUEEN CORNARO CYCLE PATH"

(Venice - Asolo, 79 km)

This itinerary goes from the historical city of Venice to the Veneto foothills, and its destination is beautiful Asolo. The route is extremely interesting from both an artistic and environmental point of view, and crosses the Veneto mainland along the rivers Dese and Muson, going through Scorzè, Piombino Dese and Castelfranco Veneto, also including one section of the former Treviso-Ostiglia railway. Its common thread is the figure of “Queen Cornaro”, née Caterina Corner, an extraordinary figure of a Venetian noblewoman who, at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, was first queen of Cyprus and then, by decree of the Serenissima Republic, lady of Asolo with the same powers as the Doge, as well as an enlightened patron of the best artistic and literary talents of the Veneto at the time. The mixed route on quiet minor roads and segregated bike paths, either paved or compact gravel, can be tackled by all.

Our starting point is in Venice, in front of the Costituzione bridge, in piazzale Roma. From here, you cannot but head to the mainland – after about 300 metres, you start riding on the outstanding hanging cycle path that looks over the south lagoon. At the end of the bridge, after about 1.2 km, the cycle path continues until what the locals call Pili (km 4.2, named after the two large stone pylons placed at the start of the long bridge on the day it was inaugurated, 25 April 1933), on what used to be the service lane of the bridge across the lagoon. The two marble blocks are carved with two large winged lions on the land side, a replica of the "Lions of Trogir" that had been blown up with dynamite a few months before the bridge was inaugurated. The route continues on the new cycle path, past the industrial estate of Porto Marghera, and quickly arrives at the railway underpass in front of the VEGA (the VEnice GAteway for Science and Technology, km 6.8). When you come out of the underpass, turn left westwards and keep going until you come to the end part of via Cappuccina and, on the left, you will see the Venice Mestre railway station (km 9.2). Continue in the same direction, through a convenient cycle and foot underpass on the right, after which you continue in the only direction possible until via Miranese (km 10.2) You ride on a wide foot and cycle path past the twentieth-century Villa Ceresa, now a private residence, but with a large public garden, then go over to the north side of the road at the first crossing onto a long, one-way cycle lane. At km 11.4, a wide cycle path branches off on the right, built on the former Bassano-Venice railway tracks, before it was diverted to the municipality of Spinea nearby. At the end of the cycle path (km 13.6), you turn left and continue on via Asseggiano, go through the large roundabout and continue until via Rossignago (km 15.4), already in the municipality of Spinea. Go past a shrine and fountain on your right and take the first turning right into via Frassinelli to get to the foot and cycle underpass of the Venice-Bassano railway line. When you come out of the underpass, turn right, then right again into a dirt track that goes over the Scolo Dosa on a little bridge and takes you to via XXV Aprile. Turn left into via Frassinelli, in the municipality of Martellago now, until you turn right into via Manzoni (km 19). Turn left before the Rio Roviego canal, into a fine albeit short cycle path that takes you to via Stazione. Almost across the road is via Canaletto, at the end of which you turn right into via Guardi. When you come to via Roviego, turn left, then right just after a few metres into via Aldo Moro, until you get to the nice park spanning the river Marzenego. Cross over on a nice footbridge, then continue on a pink concrete cycle path until Provincial Road SP 38, which you cross carefully. After crossing over, take the small paved road opposite and carry on along it for quite a while, even when the tarmac gives way to dirt. A majestic oak indicates you are on the right track. The tarmac starts again near some stately mansions. When you come to via Trento (km 23), turn left, cross via Roma (traffic lights) and continue on via delle Motte until Parco del Passante, landscaping created along part of the motorway to reduce its environmental impact. Go through the park northbound, with the motorway on your left (pay attention to crossing regional road SR 245 half way through) until you come to a maze of roads overhead, which you go under. Go past the Martellago motorway toll station on a dirt road, then cross another environmental impact mitigation area, then a small private wood, and you come to the river Dese at Mulino Cosma, in the hamlet of Cappella di Scorzè (km 27.5). This mill was built in 1470 and was operational until 1995. A beautiful cycle/pedestrian path starts at the mill, built by the administration of Scorzè, which winds along the river Dese, and takes in about 5 km to the privately owned mill Mulino Todori, in the park of the same name. When you come out of the park, turn left into via Contea and continue along it as it bends to the right, then suddenly changes name and becomes via Ferrara as it crosses the boundary between the provinces of Venice and Padua. Now turn right into via Duini and you will come upon the river Dese again (km 34.5), which you leave on your right until you come to the traffic lights at the intersection with Provincial Road SP 44d. Go through the lights over to via Obbia Bassa, which you follow for about 1.2 km, then turn right into SP 44 and immediately turn left into via Lazzaretto until you cross via Montello I° tronco. Turn right and ride on the long pedestrian and cycle path that takes to the centre of Silvelle (km 39.7), a small hamlet in the municipality of Trebaseleghe. The parish church nearby, dedicated to St. Martin of Tours, is worth a visit, because among other works, it holds a fine 16th century altarpiece painted by Cosimo da Castelfranco (1560-1620), and a sixteenth-century marble baptismal font. Less than 300 metres north from the piazza of Silvelle is the foot and cycle path on the former Ostiglia-Treviso railway. You ride on the fine paved cycle path for 5 km, then turn right into via Marconi, then left into via Regina Cornaro and you will come to the centre of Piombino Dese, right in front of the parish church (1926), dedicated to St. Blaise of Sebaste (km 45.9). Go past the church on your right and continue along via Roma: here, on the right, is the majestic 16th century Villa Cornaro by celebrated architect Andrea Palladio. The villa has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage since 1996 and is now privately owned, and can only be visited by appointment. Continue for a few dozen yards after the villa and turn right into via della Vittoria, go under the railway on a convenient cycle path, then take a sharp turning left on a short single track, and soon you will ride along the railway. The street changes name several times – via Molinella, via del Vetro and via Dese – but it is almost always restricted to frontagers and residents. At km 50.3 you cross Provincial Road SP 19 (via Vittorio Veneto), turn left and you will quickly reach Resana's Town Hall. You now turn right into regional road SR 245 and you should pay attention as it is rather busy, however, shortly after there is a lovely two-way cycle path that allows you to negotiate the large roundabout ahead quite safely. Almost straight ahead across the roundabout, take via Antica Loreggia (km 51.7), which is also restricted to frontagers and residents, continue for about 3.5 km, then take via Alfieri after via Larga, and shortly after turn right into the narrow via Monti (km 54.5). Here you will find a new cycle path that runs along a recent peanut-shaped roundabout, then along via Forche through a railway underpass. We are already in Giorgione's town, Castelfranco. To get to the old town, enclosed by the outstanding medieval walls, turn left from via Forche into via Verdi on another two-way cycle path and carry on until the intersection with via Battisti. If you turn right then left on via Borgo Treviso and via Riccati you are in the old town in no time. However, because of the traffic, it is preferable to turn left then right into via Puccini, then right again into Borgo Pieve. You are now within view of the imposing Town Tower – which sports a 1499 Istrian stone St. Mark's lion on the main façade, the mark of Venetian rule – and of the Treviso Gate, one of the castle's two gates, which you will go through. You should not miss the Museum House of the celebrated painter, Giorgione (1478-1510) and the San Liberale Cathedral, built in 1723 by architect Francesco Maria Preti (1701-1774), which houses the celebrated Castelfranco Altarpiece (Madonna and Child Between St. Francis and St. Nicasius) painted by Giorgione in 1502. You exit the town walls through the Cittadella Gate, turn right into Borgata Vicenza, then left into via Redipuglia and you will come to SR 245 again. This time, there is a cycle path right away, you turn right and cross via Monte Grappa then the very busy SR 53 via a cycle underpass. Continue always on the cycle path along SR 245, until, in Villarazzo, you turn right into the Sentiero degli Ezzelini (km 59.6). This path follows the Muson stream and the traveller is guided by frequent waymarks. With few exceptions, the whole path is unpaved and goes through a very pleasant area, which is further embellished by outstanding architectural and environmental features. For instance, in the municipality of Castello di Godego, you ride past Villa Caprera (km 68.4), where Garibaldi himself is said to have stayed, and the small church of San Pietro and, in the municipality of Loria, you go through the Oasis of the Two Streams (km 66.0) and Nature park on the old Muson riverbed (km 68.4). At the foot of the only climb of the whole itinerary, in Pagnano (km 77.0), a visit to the characteristic trip hammer is not to be missed. Now owned by the municipality, this ancient blacksmith's workshop dating back to 1468 (as evidenced by a cornerstone) operated until as late as 1979. As mentioned before, the last mile of the itinerary is a steady climb that starts right in front of the ancient forge. You first take via Foresto di Pagnano, then via Santa Caterina (named after the fourteenth-century church dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria). Arriving after little more than 1.8 km to the centre of Asolo in Piazza Garibaldi (km 78.8) rewards us for this last effort. Asolo is a wonderful discovery, and you will savour its atmosphere of history and poetry, whether your visit lasts few hours or a few days. For those who are short on time, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is worth a quick visit. Mentioned in records as far back as 969 AD, it has been heavily reworked over time but houses two valuable altarpieces by Lorenzo Lotto (1480-1557) and Jacopo Da Ponte (1510-1592). You should also visit the 10th century Queen's Castle, which has also been restored, where Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus and Lady of Asolo, lived from 1489 until her death in 1510. However, a visit to the invaluable Town's Museum in the Palazzo del Vescovado and Loggia della Ragione takes a few hours.