Treviso
Photographic Gallery of the city of Treviso.
Treviso:
This Pale Venetian village dating from the pre-roman era sits on the higher ground close to a bend in the river Sile in a territory rich in water resources. The ancient Tarvisium became a Municipality following the conquest of the Gallia Cisalpina by the Romans. Its nearness to some important commercial routes such as the Via Postumia and the waterways, have made it from the very early times, a lively commercial centre of the Venetia et Histria.
The Barbarian era and the beginning of the Middle ages:
The decadence of the late Roman period was felt also in Treviso although, following the fall of the Western Roman Empire and during the reign of Theodore, the city was still an important centre for provisions. Fought over during the VI century between the Ostrogoths and the Byzantines, according to tradition the city gave birth to Totila, the glorious Germanic military chief who beat the Byzantines at the gates of Treviso. Conquered by the Long bards, a seat of one of the thirty six dukedoms of the kingdom was established along with a very important coin mint. This mint continued to flourish also under the Carolingians (under the Carolingians the local Bishop was given the title of Count), and also under the Serenissima it minted the bagattino (coin).
The era of the commune:
It was however with the re birth, in the year One Thousand, that Treviso was given the municipal status after defeating the emperor Federico Barbarossa and the cities of the leagues of Veronese and Lombardy. It experienced a notable development enlarging its size and enriching itself with monuments and palaces that earned it the nickname of urbs picta. The Treviso lifestyle became synonymous with a hedonistic lifestyle and the city was in love with festivals and celebrations, amongst which was the Castle of Love. Mentioned by Dante Alighieri who passed some of his exile here and by Fazio of the Uberti in his Dittamondo, the city grew evermore rich and auspicious throughout the XII e XIII centuries founding one of the first universities (1321) and contending with the neighbouring cities of Padua and Verona for the role of principle city of an area which at the time was called the Marca Trivigiana and included the major part of what is now called Veneto.
From Dominion to the Venetian Republic:
As with all the principle cities of Northern Italy, also Treviso assisted with the crisis of the government of the municipality and its successive passage to dominion. But we must take into account, however, that from the beginning power was in the hands of a restricted aristocratic oligarchy, among which featured families such as the Tempesta family. The first family to take possession of Treviso was the Ezzelini, who controlled it between 1237 and 1260 through Ezzelino III and Alberico. The city then fell prey to new internal fighting between the pro-papal Guelfi and the Ghibellini, supporters of a realignment with the Empire, so much so that only in 1283, following the victory of the Guelfi, it assisted in a decisive economic and cultural renewal that lasted until 1312. Dominated after by Collalto and by Da Camino, the Marca found itself again involved in war and pillage from 1329 until 1388. Occupied first by the Scaligeri (1329-1339), who in 1339 spontaneously gave it to the Serenissima, going on to become its first possession on terraferma. Involved therefore in the war for control of the Italian peninsula, the city was ruled by the Duke of Austria between 1381 and 1384 only to pass to the Carraresi in 1384 until 1388. Only then did the city return once and for all to the Venetian Republic.
The Venetian Period:
Finally under Venice, Treviso was able to enjoy a long period of stability and relative wellbeing, except for the interlude of the war of the Cambrai League that saw the construction of the present fortifications (1509, and the Imperial and French siege, relieved in 1511.
