Asolo hills: where the art challenges the seasons

The Asolo hills are a group of hills in the province of Treviso and appear as a chain of seven mountains divided by small valleys. The maximum altitude is reached from the Collalto mountain with 496 meters and the lowest from the hill San Martino with 379 meters. The northern slope is connected to the southern one by the Mostacin Forcella, the pass that is located towards the halfway of the chain. They present themselves as the first impact of transition from the Veneto plain to the Treviso mountain area.The medieval village of Asolo, located at the foot of the Rocca Braida, a fortress dated between the 12th and 13th centuries, is the main center and the guide from the western side of the entire hill chain.The Venetian Caterina Cornaro, formerly Queen of Cyprus, was named Lady of Asolo from the Serenissima Republic of Venice in 1489 and lived in the castle, which now bears her name, preserving the title and rank of queen. At her court Caterina attracted artists and writers, including Giorgione, Lorenzo Lotto and Pietro Bembo, who here composed and set "Gli Asolani", his most famous work.The favorable climate and the serenity of the places attracted over the years numerous illustrious men including the British Robert Browning, where he composed his last lyric "Asolando", the English traveler Freya Stark and the Italian actress Eleonora Duse, who chose Asolo to live forever, oriented towards the Monte Grappa.