Piovene Rocchette
Piovene Rocchette is a municipality in the foothills of the Vicenza area, located at the entrance to the Val d'Astico, at the meet...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Piovene Rocchette
At the gateway to the Val d'Astico
The territory of Piovene Rocchette occupies a hinge position between the Vicenza plain and the Val d'Astico, the valley that climbs towards Arsiero and the Asiago plateau. This location has historically made it an unavoidable point of passage for those travelling from the plain towards the pre-Alpine valleys.
A history of textiles and industry
Between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the upper Vicenza area, and with it Piovene Rocchette, became a region of strong industrial development linked to wool processing. The Rossi family's mills, with plants between the Val Leogra and the Val d'Astico, were among the drivers of this growth, which gradually transformed the territory from agricultural to industrial.
The rack railway to Asiago
To connect the industries of the upper Vicenza area with the Asiago plateau, the Rocchette-Asiago railway was built, with government approval obtained in 1907, partly using a rack system. The line, opened in 1912, passed through Rocchette station and remained in operation until 1958, when it was decommissioned due to competition from road transport.
The foothill territory today
Piovene Rocchette today retains an identity linked both to its industrial past and to its foothill position, with a settlement stretching from the plain up to the first heights that lead into the Val d'Astico. The town remains a reference point for those travelling up the valley towards Arsiero and the plateau.
Experiences not to miss
- Trace the history of the Rocchette-Asiago railway
- Visit the historic centre between Piovene and Rocchette
- Discover the traces of the local textile industry
- Travel up the Val d'Astico towards Arsiero
- Admire the foothill landscape from the first heights
To see
What to see in Piovene Rocchette
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Piovene Rocchette
Jobs · JobFlow
