Feltre

Feltre Province Belluno

The wide, sunny basin of the Valbelluna, marked to the north by the Feltrine mountains and to the south by Mount Tomatico, contains the town of Feltre.

Roman in origin, it has been contested for through the centuries for its strategic position.
Prior to being spontaneously entrusted to Venice in 1404, Feltre experience the rule of aristocratic families such as Camino, Scaligeri, Carraresi and the dukes of Austria.

In the fourth century of Venetian government, interrupted only by the devastation of 1510 and the work the Massimiliano I d'Asburgo, Feltre saw a period of remarkable economic wealth due to the costitution of a rich merchant bourgeoisie. This wealth also transferred into the cultural and artistic life of the town. The palaces with the splendid frescoed façade gave Feltre the name "painted city".

In via Mezzaterra, axle of the historical town, protrude the Salce-Aldo-vini-Mezzanotte Palace and the Church of San Giacomo Maggiore, while in the parallel via del Paradiso, one can visit the Gallery of Modern Art Carlo Rizzarda, which documents local traditions of cast iron workmanship. The Civic Museum hosted works by Gentile Bellini, Cima da Conegliano, Lorenzo Luzzo, Palma il Giovane, and Pietro Marescalchi. The Cathedral stands out among the religious buildings, rebuilt in Renaissance style between 1514 and 1585.

A whole town that pays tribute to an illustrious and aristocratic past, Feltre is a jewel case of precious masterpieces.

There are also many personalities that imparted lustre to the town. We remember the jurist, Vittore Dolce, the Blessed Bernardino Tomitano, known preacher for the burning polemic against usury and the founder of Monti di Pietà, the painter Lorenzo Luzzo and Panfilo Castaldi, to whom the invention of moving typeface is attributed. (Foto By Capannelle)