Distance and Time required: 3.8 Km | 1 h

Elevation gain: 42mt

Difficulty: Facile

Starting Point: Parking in Via Giotto (near the schools) in Castelfranco Veneto

Short description: Discover the charm of Castelfranco Veneto, the birthplace of the painter Giorgione. Enjoy a relaxing walk through the public gardens and inside the beautifully preserved medieval walls, filled with traditional shops and cozy osterie

Stroller/Wheelchair accessible: Yes

Il percorso

It’s Friday morning, market day, so we decide to park a bit further away from the well-known hospital parking lot to avoid the wait for a spot.

After a quick drive around, we find plenty of spaces in Via Giotto, near the high schools. We hop out and head towards the center, walking along Via Avenale and then Via San Pio X.

Via San Pio X almost feels like the financial district of this "castellana" town, with its many banks and insurance offices. A few more steps and, peeking between the buildings, we spot the Clock Tower.

Via San Pio X

Clock Tower

The sun is hitting a bit hard today, so we decide to walk on the left side; at the traffic light, we cross and step under the porticoes. The delicious smell of freshly baked bread wafts under our noses, soon mixing with the scent of flowers from a nearby florist.

Before long, we are welcomed by the city walls, which serve as the backdrop for the statue of Giorgione—definitely the most photographed spot in town. To our left, there are plenty of businesses: clothing shops, cafes, pastry shops, jewelers, and newsstands. In front of us, in Piazza Giorgione, the market is in full swing with about 100 stalls.

It’s so crowded that in some spots we struggle to squeeze through with the stroller... especially when we cross paths with other strollers :P. Once we reach the traffic light, we cross the road near the Clock Tower, but we don’t enter the historic center just yet. We turn right instead and step into the public gardens, which are truly well-kept.

Public Gardens

Statue of Giorgione

We follow the pedestrian path to the end and enter the historic center through Via Giuseppe Garibaldi. After about a hundred meters, we turn left into Vicolo Montebelluna, a charming little side street with very picturesque houses; we even spot a beautiful fresco on one of the walls.

At the end of Vicolo Montebelluna, we turn right until we reach the Cathedral (Duomo). After a visit inside to admire Giorgione’s altarpiece and the other frescoes, we continue our walk.

Vicolo Montebelluna

The Cathedral of Castelfranco Veneto

We take the small side street that passes between the Cathedral and the Church of Christ the King (Chiesa di Cristo Re), and suddenly we find ourselves outside the city walls.

Sebastian immediately notices the wooden walkway and starts running; we race to see who gets there first, but as soon as he reaches the stream, he stops because he spots the ducks. We head to the right and cross the wooden bridge. Walking along the sidewalk, we follow the city walls to the right. On the water, there are many ducks playing, eating, and fluttering about. One even flies just a few inches above my head!

The Alley alongside the Cathedral

Watching the ducks

Sebastian is so happy, while Marco Albino has been fast asleep in the stroller since the very beginning of our walk through Castelfranco. We follow the entire path along the stream until we reach a different entrance to the city (Porta del Musile) on Via Francesco Maria Preti. We say goodbye to the ducks... although Sebastian isn’t quite ready to leave them behind.

We head back into the city and walk toward the Clock Tower right in front of us. We pass the Cathedral again and stop to buy some sugar-coated almonds (confetti) that look just like little bird eggs.

West Entrance (Porta del Musile)

Carraresi Frescoes

We pass through Porta Treviso, under the tower with its vaulted ceilings decorated with Carraresi symbols. We then turn left, walking along the moat until we cross the street further ahead. Following the porticoes, we head back to the car taking the same route as before... so, straight ahead all the way to Via Avenale.

Photo Gallery

Statua del Giorgione

Mercato in piazza Giorgione

Duomo di Calstelfranco Veneto

Pala del Giorgione

Ponte e giardini lato sud

Le mura di Castelfranco Veneto

Track Gps

What to see

The Cathedral An 18th-century masterpiece. Inside, you can find works by the famous Giorgione, as well as paintings by Palma il Giovane, Giambattista Ponchino, and Domenico Pellegrini.

Clock Tower or Civic Tower (Torre dell'Orologio) Built between the 12th and 13th centuries, this tower can be visited inside and is the most important part of the city's entire fortified complex.

Refreshment Points

Fountain in the public gardens

Many local Bars and Restaurant

Curiosities

The Castelfranco Altarpiece (Pala di Castelfranco), located inside the Cathedral, is one of the few works that can be attributed with certainty to Giorgione. It was commissioned by Tuzio Costanzo, a professional soldier (condottiero) originally from Messina who settled in Castelfranco. Initially intended to celebrate his family, it later became a memorial for his son, also a soldier, who died in Ravenna during a war for the control of the Casentino region.