Travel Guide Feltre

Feltre, a graceful little art town, seems to cling to a rocky spur, surrounded by an arc of mountains, the Dolomites Bellunesi. The influence of Venice is very noticeable here, and is reflected in the charm of its architecture and the accent of its inhabitants. A Roman municipality of some importance between the 10th and 13th centuries, Feltre was placed under the authority of the local Count-Bishop, who fortified it. In 1248 it was conquered by the terrible Ezzelino Da Romano, and then passed into the hands of various lords: first the Da Camino, then the Carrresi, the Della Scala of Verona and finally the Milanese Visconti. In 1404, on the death of the Duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzo Visconti was unable to defend himself against the new invaders and Feltre preferred to place itself under the authority of Venice. In 1509, the city had to face again the incursions of the imperial army of Maximilian I, leading the League of Cambrai against the Serenissima. However, the devastated city was rebuilt by Venice and the result is the little Renaissance jewel that we admire today. In 1797, after the fall of Venice, the city was invaded by Napoleon's troops and occupied by the French. It finally became Austrian following the Treaty of Campo Formio which put an end to the war between the two empires