Cison di Valmarino, the village deforested by the Cistercian monks

Cison di Valmarino, among the “Most Beautiful Villages of Italy,” probably owes its name to the Latin caesum (“cut”), in reference to the land reclamation and deforestation carried out by the Cistercian monks. Its origins date back to Roman times, when a military outpost controlled the valley along the Claudia Augusta road. In the Middle Ages, it was a Lombard fief and, from 962, came under the bishop of Ceneda. In 1146 the Cistercians began agricultural works and wool processing, supported by the Da Camino family, who in 1198 built the castle. After various vicissitudes, the village passed to the Republic of Venice and, from 1436, to the Brandolini counts, who transformed the county into a flourishing center with mills and manufactures. With Napoleon (1797) the feudal privileges came to an end.

What to see in the village

Cison di Valmarino, the ancient political and administrative center of the county of Valmareno, is dominated by the majestic Brandolini Castle, once Castrum Costae and today transformed into a luxury hotel. Born as a fortified complex in the 12th century, it was enriched by the Brandolini counts with a Renaissance wing, bastions, and a park with a fountain, commissioned by Count Antonio Maria Brandolini.

The heart of the village is Piazza Roma, an elegant square overlooked by Palazzo Barbi, now the town hall, and the 17th-century Loggia, once a courthouse and now a theater. The archpriestal church of Santa Maria Assunta (1746) houses masterpieces such as the Assumption of the Virgin by Egidio Dall’Oglio, an organ by Gaetano Callido (1779), and precious symbolic statues on its two façades. Walking through the center, one notices the shutters painted in the typical “Brandolini red” and the evocative Calata, which retraces a stretch of the Claudia Augusta road.

The village is also unique for the “Vie dell’Acqua” (Waterways), an itinerary following the Rújo stream among mills and hydraulic works, a reminder of its productive vocation. The hamlets enrich the visit: Tovena, with its 18th-century fountain and Baroque church; Mura, with its stone houses; and above all Rolle, a hillside village among the Prosecco vineyards, celebrated by Andrea Zanzotto as “a postcard sent by the gods.”

Events and traditions

Cison di Valmarino is not only history and architecture: the village comes alive throughout the year with events that express its cultural and community spirit. On April 25, Il Bosco Incantato takes place, an open-air festival which, under the subtitle “Along the Waterways,” celebrates creativity with music, theater, poetry, art, and moments of community sharing. Summer reaches its peak from August 7 to 15 with Artigianato Vivo, one of the most important craft fairs in Italy: more than 200 exhibitors, including international ones, transform arcades, courtyards, and alleys into a large open-air workshop, enriched by concerts, exhibitions, and cultural events. Autumn brings, on October 29, the historic Fiera Franca di Tovena, once known as “fiera de San Simòn,” when farmers and shepherds exchanged products, livestock, and agricultural tools. Today the Pro Loco association revives that atmosphere with food stands, local wines, and the traditional sopa coe tripe, a symbol of conviviality. Finally, in December, two weeks before Christmas, the village lights up with magic during Stelle di Natale, a charming Christmas market that, with lights, scents, and decorations, transforms the historic center into a living nativity scene.

What to see around Cison di Valmarino

The surroundings of Cison di Valmarino offer landscapes, villages, and cultural attractions that make the area ideal for day trips or short stays. About 20 km away lies Vittorio Veneto, a historic city with a medieval center, the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista, and the Museum of the Battle, a testimony to the Great War. Not far away, in Follina, stands the Abbey of Santa Maria, a Cistercian complex immersed in the countryside, famous for its Gothic cloister and elegant monastic halls. The area of the Prosecco Superiore DOCG hills, between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, offers itineraries among vineyards, visitable wineries, and historic villages, as well as the Cima Museum in Conegliano. Nearby villages such as Tovena and Rolle, with their stone houses, vineyards, and woods, are perfect for panoramic walks and photography.

Cover photo credits: Mauro Carli