Home to nine Unesco World Heritage Sites, Veneto is a landscape like no other
From the iconic canals of Venice to the sublime peaks of the Dolomites, Veneto is an Italian region with many special places of interest. Home to nine Unesco World Heritage Sites, it is a centre of wonder and intrigue, in the natural world and by the hands of artists and architects.
Read on to discover these nine Mediterranean marvels.
Botanical Garden of Padua
The world’s original botanical garden can be found in the city of Padua. Created in 1545 on land belonging to the Benedictine monks of St Justina, the Botanical Garden of Padua (Orto Botanico) is home to over 6,000 plants and 3,500 species and is widely considered the birthplace of botanical science.
Originally designed to cultivate rare, medicinal plants, the botanical garden continues its purpose as a centre of scientific research and now has the second most extensive herbarium in Italy.
Le Colline del Prosecco di Conegliano e Valdobbiadene
A mosaic of slanting vineyards, forests and villages, the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene are enchanting. A landscape shaped by a coexistence between winemaker and nature. Rows of vines line grassy terraces, known as ciglioni, running parallel to the slopes of the province of Treviso, an example of the way in which man has adapted to the terrain to create a “cultural landscape”.
Full of beauty and glera grapes (the main ingredient in the creation of Prosecco wine), the hillside was included in the Unesco World Heritage List in 2019.
Venice and its lagoon
Canals of glistening water, and Venetian Gothic architecture – Venice needs no introduction. Founded in the 5th century, the city is described as a Unesco Site and a “unique artistic achievement”; a snapshot of the Republic’s splendour that made waves in the architectural world across the globe.
The lagoon, which feeds the canals that serve as the pathways of the city, is another demonstration of the relationship between people and the ecosystem of their home. A city that floats upon its waters.
Palladian villas of Veneto
Setting down roots for what would become Palladianism, an architectural style known for its symmetry, Corinthian columns and tripartite Venetian windows, the Palladian villas of Veneto are a historic tranquil escape, a place for aristocratic nobles to immerse themselves in nature.
Twenty-four villas based on Roman architecture were designed by Andrea Palladio, a prominent Italian Renaissance architect, and his classical style is built into the very structure of these elegant buildings.
City of Verona
The city of Verona has the richest collection of Roman remains in northern Italy. Home to the Arena of Verona, Roman Theatre and Gavi Arch, “Little Rome”, as Verona is otherwise known, encapsulates Italy’s history and beauty, its street pattern and original Roman urban form suspending the city in time.
The Dolomites
Awe-inspiring sheer cliff faces, glacial formations and enchanting valleys, the Dolomites comprise an irresistible landscape with unparalleled views. With 18 peaks rising above 3,000 metres, the mountain range is a kaleidoscope of colour, the pale rock contrasting with the forests below, and a dynamic centre for natural events such as landslides, floods and avalanches.
Fresco cycles of Padua
Behind the walls of Padua lies an artistic record of the 14th century. Beneath the ceilings of eight religious buildings, Giotto, Guariento di Arpo, Giusto de’ Menabuoi, Altichiero da Zevio, Jacopo d’Avanzi and Jacopo da Verona are immortalised in the fresco cycles painted between 1302 and 1397.
Reflecting the exchange of ideas between science and astrology, the frescoes inspired the next generation of fresco work in the Italian Renaissance, illustrating the human experience and a depth of emotion previously unexplored.
Prehistoric pile dwellings
In the shadows of the Alps lives an untouched world from a previous era. Dating back to somewhere between 5,000 and 500BC is a community of prehistoric pile dwellings, preserved from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Elevated from the earth, with thatched roofs, these extant homes provide an insight into prehistoric village life, construction and trade (mainly in flint, shells, gold, amber and pottery). Some of the earliest wheels in the world and oldest textiles in Europe can be found by these riverside structures.
Venetian Works of Defence between 16th and 17th centuries
Defending its land from European powers, the Venetian Republic developed its most extensive defensive network with the latest in military engineering, including the fortress town of Peschiera del Garda on the southern shore of Lake Garda. Enclosed by a pentagon of walls and ramparts, the fortress is surrounded by canals and set at the feet of the Morainic Hills of Garda.
With six fortifications across Venice, Croatia and Montenegro, the Venetian Works of Defence was announced as a Unesco Site in 2017 as it is ‘an exceptional testimony of the “alla moderna” military culture’.
Experience the wonders of Veneto with our Taste of Veneto gift set – a selection of wines from the region that are sure to delight.