Feltre. November, Friday 1st

piazza maggiore, with San Rocco and San Sebastiano church, and the Castle of Alboin

november 1st is all saints' day, a national holiday in Italy. the tradition is to visit the graves of deceades relatives, pray and light candles. this holiday is not what i would call merry, but it's not a mouring day either. i love to see it as a time to celebrate family and roots. that's why marco and i decided to go to Feltre, the town where my grandma comes from.

the weather is still surprisingly warm, so we went by lambretta! i'm happy the scooter season is so long this year. Feltre is a town located in an alpine area in the middle of a wide valley, bordered to the north by the Dolomites, the Feltre peaks {vette feltrine} and the Piave river.

piazza Maggiore

a walk in Feltre's old town is a journey into renaissance elegance, the autumn colors of the trees match the beautifully frescoed walls of the houses, there are cozy cafès and hosterias, stylish clothes shops, delicatessens stores. it culminates in the wide piazza maggiore, a large square dominated by San Rocco and San Sebastiano church {1576 - 1632}. old gates and the Castle of Alboin, which can be seen near the church, are the witnesses of the ancient roman defensive structure.

contrade: duomo, santo stefano, castello, portoria

on the square's pavement, four emblems are painted in bright colors: they are the symbols of contrade, districts in which the town is divided. the contrade face each other every year, in an historical competition called Palio. the Palio di Feltre is held at the end of july, and includes horse race, tug of war, archery and relay race. it seems that the Palio's origins date back to the 14th century.

a gourmet tip: take a break at the best bakery in town, pasticceria Garbujo {via Tezze 16}. my grandma told me that when she was a schoolgirl, during war time, sometimes she pampered herself with Garbujo's raisin bread or gelato. nowadays the speciality is strudel, but all the pastries are delicious. they also sells fine chocolate.

wandering in the streets

arcade in via mezzaterra | a gourmet shop

one of the many cafes

a painted wall

the next stop of our visit was just outside the city center, where in a mountain rocky spur lies a charming shrine devoted to Saints Victor and Corona. the grey sky gives to the place a gloomy look, and the surrounding forest was a haven of peace and quiet.

shrine of the saints victor and corona

before leaving Feltre, i wanted to show marco my grandma's birthplace, in a hamlet called Villapaiera. her parents house is still there, with a wide courtyard and garden. i remembered a big nut-tree, and i wanted to harvest some walnuts. unfortunately, the tree was there but there were no walnuts. the neighbors told us it has been a bad year for the harvest. so we just took a picture.

Villapaiera's church

in the courtyard of my grandma's parents house.