Asolo
Asolo is one of the most celebrated hill towns in Veneto, described by the poet Giosuè Carducci as the city of a hundred horizons...
Updated 11 July 2026
The story
The story of Asolo
History and origins
Asolo has Roman origins, when it was known as Acelum, a municipium of some importance along the communication routes of the foothill area. In the Middle Ages it became a fortified centre, but it was during the Renaissance that it reached its height, when Venice granted the town as the court of Caterina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, who had been forced to cede the island to the Serenissima in 1489. Around her, a circle of intellectuals and artists gathered for years, laying the foundations of the cultural fame that would accompany Asolo in the centuries to follow.
The Rocca and the historic centre
The medieval Rocca dominates the town from the hilltop and offers the panorama that earned Asolo the nickname city of a hundred horizons, with views stretching across the surrounding hills to the Prealps on clear days. The historic centre unfolds around porticoed streets, small frescoed palaces and the Castello della Regina Cornaro, which hosted the Renaissance court and today houses cultural events, while the cathedral and the Museo Civico complete a route that can be covered entirely on foot.
The women who loved Asolo
After Caterina Cornaro, Asolo continued to attract prominent women. The actress Eleonora Duse, one of the most celebrated Italian stage performers between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, chose this town as a place close to her heart and is buried here. In the twentieth century, the British writer and explorer Freya Stark, known for her travels in the Middle East, also lived in Asolo for decades, making the town a fixed point in her life. This cultured, cosmopolitan female presence remains an integral part of the town's cultural identity.
Robert Browning and cultural life
The English poet Robert Browning knew and loved Asolo, to the point of dedicating his last collection of poems, Asolando, published in 1889, to the town. The bond between Asolo and nineteenth-century English culture helped spread the town's fame well beyond Italy's borders, a legacy still felt today through exhibitions, literary initiatives and cultural events that enliven the town throughout the year.
Food and wine
The hills around Asolo fall within the Asolo Prosecco DOCG designation, distinct from the better-known Conegliano and Valdobbiadene area but of equal quality, with numerous wineries offering tastings among the vine rows. Local cuisine follows the Treviso tradition, with radicchio, mountain-pasture cheeses and simple dishes that pair well with the area's wines, in a food culture that is refined without being showy.
Local life and economy
Asolo lives largely on cultural and wine tourism, with a network of shops, galleries and venues catering to both residents and visitors. It is a destination visited year-round, not only in summer, thanks to the charm of its architecture and the variety of cultural initiatives, and it remains a reference point for the surrounding hill villages as well.
Experiences not to miss
- Salire alla Rocca per il panorama sulla città dai cento orizzonti
- Climb up to the Rocca for the panorama over the city of a hundred horizons
To see
What to see in Asolo
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Asolo
Jobs · JobFlow
