The best traffic-free bike rides around Fontanelle

The sanctuary was built in 1577, but the first construction dates back to 1525, as expressly stated in the will of Antonio Condulmer, who left his heirs the obligation to build a chapel and a convent for the Dominican Friars. In 1692 the church was destroyed due to the flood of the Livenza river. Miraculously, the altar dedicated to the Virgin was saved. In 1904 the sacred building was rebuilt to a design by architect Max Ongaro, assuming its current appearance.

The Ponte di Tezze, which connects the banks of the Livenza river between the provinces of Treviso and Pordenone, represents a fundamental infrastructure for local mobility and history. The current structure, characterized by spans that elegantly reflect on the river's waters, stands at a historically strategic point for trade and movement between the Veneto and Friuli regions. The surrounding area is of considerable landscape value: the banks of the Livenza here offer suggestive natural views, with lush vegetation that changes color with the seasons. The bridge is not just a functional link, but a privileged viewpoint for admiring the slow flow of the river, a symbol of a territory that has managed to integrate modern development with the protection of the river environment.

The historic center of San Stino di Livenza develops along the banks of the homonymous river, an element that has shaped its identity and economy over the centuries. The heart of the town is dominated by the bulk of the Castello di Passo di Torre, an ancient defensive structure that testifies to the strategic importance of the area as a crossing point between land and water. Strolling through the central streets, you will encounter the Parish Church of Santo Stefano Protomartire, which houses valuable works. The pedestrian area and the squares offer a typical glimpse of the Venetian mainland villages, where civil architecture blends with the riverine nature, creating a serene atmosphere that invites the discovery of local traditions and the history of the eastern Veneto territory.

“Flumen Liquentia ex montibus Opiterginis…” among the rivers mentioned by Pliny is the Livenza, in the feminine form. Almost always, however, in current language it is used as if it were masculine, due to the appellation “river” that precedes it. Regarding the origin of its name, there are two versions: some derive it from livens, from the verb livere (to be livid in color); others from liquens, from the verb liqui (to be liquid, to melt). By the ancients it was always called Liquentia and this is also because its waters teem, clear, cold and silent at the foot of the mountain above the pebbles, as if these and those were liquefying. Sacile's peculiar river is certainly one of the most beautiful waterways encountered in the plains of northern Italy. A means of communication, the ultimate defense of the nascent Veneto Domain, a source of life for its water flow and fish richness, the Livenza has always been cited by Greek and Latin authors.

Temple of the Templars that I visited in times past, while today.... I went straight on

A glimpse from inside the small oratory of Oderzo.

Small and charming oratory located near the center of Oderzo.

The Torresin - Originating from the ancient Trevisana Gate, through which the Callalta from Treviso entered the medieval fortified center. Under the rule of the Venetian Republic, it was the residence of the podestà. The current building, however, is a reconstruction from the 1930s.