The Alpini bridge and grappa
At the foot of Monte Grappa, where the Brenta river leaves the mountains and enters the plain, Bassano del Grappa is one of the most charming towns of the Veneto, with arcaded squares, frescoed palaces and a long tradition of crafts, from ceramics to printing. Its symbol is the Ponte Vecchio, also called the Ponte degli Alpini, a covered wooden bridge across the Brenta designed by Andrea Palladio in 1569.
Palladio chose wood rather than stone so that the bridge could flex with the river's floods, and it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, always to his design. During the First World War Bassano was close to the front of Monte Grappa, and in the Second World War the bridge was blown up; it was rebuilt by the Alpini, the Italian mountain troops, to whom it is dedicated. Bassano is also the capital of grappa, the brandy distilled from grape pomace: at the head of the bridge, the historic Nardini distillery, founded in 1779, serves grappa and the "mezzo e mezzo" aperitif, and the Poli Grappa Museum tells its history. The town is also known for its white asparagus, celebrated in spring.
Tip: the Museo Civico has works by Jacopo Bassano and Canova; the Sacrario del Monte Grappa, a monumental First World War memorial, is a short drive up the mountain.
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