Guided tours of Bassano del Grappa

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The most funny thing that binds me to Bassano del Grappa… is the memory of the many runs I made in gym class when I went to school there. And now, when I’m touring the city as a local tour guide of Bassano del Grappa, I always smile at the thought of that light-heartedness.

We left from our high school, the Liceo Brocchi in Via Beata Giovanna, and we arrived in Prato Santa Caterina, where we did gymnastics. Our teacher used to say that, to stretch our arms and legs and free our mind, we certainly needed a big green area at the open air!

Crossing the Old Town

That’s why, once we reached Porta Dieda with the big Lion of Saint Mark and the Visconti symbols, we run along Via Roma. A look at Piazza Garibaldi, the ancient Piazza Erbe, and a glance at Piazza Libertà, with the coloured clock of the Loggia del Podestà. Impressive were to us the orange palaces of the printers Remondini and the Church of Saint John the Baptist. Some locals told me even then that it was called the busìa (lie) and I’ll tell you why during our tour.

The two columns reminded me always of those in Piazzetta San Marco in Venice or in Piazza dei Signori in Vicenza. One with the Venetian winged lion on top and the other one with Saint Bassiano protecting a baby deer. He is the legendary founder of the city and its patron saint.

Following via Matteotti, where the historic Bottega del Baccalà (a codfish shop!) always enthralls me with its intense perfume, we arrived in Viale dei Martiri. It was so shocking to see the trees shaped like helmets to remember the young partisans hanged during the Second World War. A sacred place that deserved complete silence. From then, down to the Prato (a big field), that is part now of the Parco dei Ragazzi del ’99.

From the Castle to the Old Bridge

During our walking tour we have a look at all these places, adding of course the Castle and its towers, where the history of the city began, and the famous Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge) over the Brenta river. The great architect Andrea Palladio designed a project of the bridge in the XVI century. Now it is known as the Alpini Bridge because it was reconstructed by the alpine troops after the bombings of the Second World War.

The workshop of the painter Jacopo Da Ponte, called the Bassano, was here, close to the bridge. Many of his works of art are exposed in the Civic Museum at the Church of Saint Francis. It is also nice to discover what remains about frescos of members of his family of artists in some corners of the historic centre.

The local grappa

If you desire, we can stop for a while to enjoy the aperitif mezzoemezzo at the Nardini Grapperia or we can visit the Poli Grappa Museum. We can look for some ceramic crafts or for a nice designed printed paper at Tassotti’s! I will be pleased to give you more suggestions as a local tour guide of Bassano del Grappa!

Contact me for a guided tour of Bassano del Grappa!