LUSIANA - CONCO A terrace on the Venetian Plain
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A terrace on the Venetian Plain
Lusiana - Conco (“Lusaan” in Cimbrian ) is located in the South of the Plateau, in that part of the mountain that gently slopes down, overlooking the Venetian Plain.
The natural beauty and the long history of the region lead to the creation of an Ecomuseum.
The other sites worth seeing are: the Park of Sojo in the village of Covolo (with exhibitions of contemporary art between woods and lawns), the educational Valley of the Mills, the Ethnographic Museum, the Prehistoric Village of Mount Corgnon, the Alpine Botanical Garden of Mount Corno and the Trail of Limestone.
The parish church of Lusiana, dedicated to Saint James is built of the local marble and contains a lot of frescoes among which you can find “The Nativity” by Jacopo Da Ponte.
The church of Santa Caterina is also rich with works of art, the most significant of which is the painting by Jacopo Da Ponte depicting the Virgin Mary on the throne with Saint Catherine and Saint Zeno.
It is interesting to note that Lusiana has the oldest bell in the whole Plateau, and one of the oldest in the province of Vicenza. It was built around 1300 and is located in the small tower bell in the district Piazza - Campana.
For those who love cross-country skiing, the facilities of Mount Corno are open even at night and are equipped with lights.
The territory includes a variety of landscapes ranging from plains to the foothills of the Alps, and is influenced by different climates.
Here you can find, as everywhere on the Plateau, trails for walks and excursions and, in the village of Biancoia, facilities for downhill skiing.
Conco is famous for its reserves of marble and for some typical crops, including dandelion and celery cultivated in the surroundings of the village of Rubbio. Apart from Rubbio, the county of Conco includes also the villages of Fontanelle, Gomarolo, Tortima and Santa Caterina. Two of the most important sights to see are the Painted Quarry and the Inhabited Quarry, by the artist Tony Zarpellon.
The Palazzon, the so-called “fortified house”, has a peculiar architecture that is also worth seeing. It is located near the top of Mount Caina, a remote corner of the Asiago Plateau 1000 metres above sea level that looks like a bow of a big ship leaning towards the plain.
The place is very picturesque: from Mount Caina you can see Bassano del Grappa, a large part of the Valsugana Valley and a huge portion of the Venetian Plain; you can also see the Lessinian, the Euganean Hills, the lagoon of Venice and, on clear days, the Apennines. Monte Grappa is also located not far away from here.
The Palazzon represents an interesting historical site. Historians are almost certain that it used to be a fortified house at the time of Venetian domination, with a lookout post and a small garrison; the foundation could date back to the XIV or XV century. However, considering the extraordinary location, it is also reasonable to suppose a previous construction, dating back to the Roman times. This theory is supported by the presence, in San Nazario (not far from here), of the Roman fortification Pian di Castel. Actually, the few remains of Pian di Castel are today part of a very old house characterized by a particular architecture, with beautiful vaulted ceilings on the ground floor and a very unique porch. Inside one can see the columns made in traditional Roman style, which used to support ceiling of the barn. The building, once used as storage and later as a stable, belongs to a private person and unfortunately is in a poor state of preservation.
