Discover what to do in Piombino Dese: the great forest of Fontanassi, the Feast of Saint Joseph, the Treviso-Ostiglia cycle-pedestrian path. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Piombino Dese?
The municipality of Piombino Dese borders to the north with Vedelago, to the northeast with Istrana, to the south with Trebaseleghe, to the east with Morgano and Zero Branco, to the west with Resana, Loreggia and Camposampiero.
The Great Forest of Fontanassi
To reach the great forest of Fontanassi you can leave your car at the entrance of the natural oasis Porta dell’acqua at Via S. Brigida, 64, 31050 Vedelago (TV). From the car park, proceed south along Via S. Brigida skirting a poplar grove. After passing a house next to a cornfield, take the white lane on your left.
After about 200 metres, turn left again and walk along a long avenue shaded by poplars and willows that leads to the park entrance, marked by signs illustrating the itinerary of the protected area.
The path winds through lush tree and shrub vegetation fed by the cold spring pools from which the Sile river originates, called fontanassi in the local dialect.
Underground watercourses of pluvial origin, combined with icy mountain streams and the hypogeum currents of the Piave river, emerge at Vedelago and Torreselle due to the silty, peat-rich surface that characterises the soil in these places, the high permeability of which causes the water table to rise, generating a suggestive gurgle.
The biodiversity heritage of this delicate ecosystem includes majestic oaks, beeches, hornbeams, black poplars, alders and dense formations of rushes that sprout from the soft, quivering carpet of crystal-clear springs.
If you are wondering what to do in Piombino Dese and are looking for a peaceful place to contemplate a splendid green lung lapped by clear, pure springs, the great forest of Fontanassi offers unforgettable scenic views of an uncontaminated, timeless environment.
The Feast of Saint Joseph
The day dedicated to Saint Joseph is 19 March but the celebration in his honour also takes place on the days before and after this date. The 2023 edition took place from Friday 17 to Sunday 26 March at the archpriest church of San Biagio Vescovo.
On the occasion of the traditional recurrence, the main streets and squares of the town host large food areas where the aroma of sizzling grilled meat, slices of toasted polenta and steaming plates of spaghetti with ragù (just to mention some of the dishes from the event’s rich menu) spread, which you can enjoy with mugs of beer and local wines,
The Piombino centre will also be enlivened by bright electric-light rides, outdoor markets, the classic charity lottery, comedies in the Venetian dialect and engaging performances by musical groups.
If you are wondering what to do in Piombino Dese and wish to spend the beginning of spring in the pleasant and fun atmosphere of an old-time festival in the serene rural setting of the upper Padua area, attending the Feast of Saint Joseph might be just the thing for you!
Treviso-Ostiglia Cycle-Pedestrian Path
To reach the Treviso-Ostiglia cycle path you can leave your car at the town hall in Piazza Andrea Palladio, 1. Proceed east along Via Roma until you reach the Church of San Biagio Vescovo, then turn right into Via Regina Cornaro. Walk along Via Regina Cornaro for 950 metres, then keep right into Via G. Marconi. The cycle path is 200 metres away.
The itinerary follows the route of an old military railway that for about 70 km crosses the rural landscape of the Veneto plain furrowed by lively streams, marked by flourishing vineyards, dotted with fruit trees and covered by cornfields framed by thick hedges of poplars, willows, acacias, elms, maples, plane trees and cypresses, among whose crowns rise the bell towers of picturesque countryside villages.
