A BRIEF HISTORY - Schio hotel

The Industrial Civilisation in Schio
Religious Itinerary
Mount Novegno, nature and history
Nature, Excursions, Gastronomy
Schio displays some interesting evidence of its Industrial Archaeology
that is still visible today and linked mainly to the manufacturing and
social activities of the Rossi family.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Francesco Rossi set up an exemplary
process of industrialisation, but it was his son Alessandro who developed
the local manufacturing business to very high levels during the 1800s.
The itinerary to discover Schio’s Industrial Archaeology begins in Piazza
Alessandro Rossi, where the ”Omo” stands, a monument dedicated by
Rossi to his weavers (Giulio Monteverde,1879).
Continuing along the town’s industrial archaeology trail, at the crossroads
between Via Pasubio and Via XX Settembre, we come across the former
Conte Wool Mill, the early part of which along the Roggia Maestra
artificial canal dates back to 1757; a charming exhibition room can be
visited on the first floor of the restored building.
Returning along Via Pasubio, we head towards the Francesco Rossi
Wool Mill, that was remodelled by Alessandro Rossi in 1849 on the
foundations of his father’s factory (1817).
Through the entrance door, the grandiose Fabbrica Alta can be seen,
which was designed in 1862 by the Belgian architect Auguste Vivroux.
Today in disuse, the building is five storeys high and each storey used to
house a different phase of the wool production. Between 1966 and 1967
the production cycle was transferred to the town’s new industrial area.
In front of the factory, we find the Jacquard Garden – a delightful and
romantic “oasis”, the work of the architect Antonio Caregaro Negrin
from Vicenza. The garden is bounded on one side by the Jacquard
Theatre with its façade adorned by twelve medallions representing illustrious
citizens of Schio. A semicircular greenhouse can be seen in the
centre of the garden and behind this extends a series of grottoes, paths
and balcony viewpoints populated by mythological sculptures.
Returning towards the centre, we find the Nursery School dedicated
to A. Rossi and set up in 1872 for the workers’ children.
We go up Via XX Settembre opposite the nursery school and continue
along the road until we reach Via Pietro Maraschin, the main axis of
the New Workers’ District with its different types of housing. At the
edge of the district stands the prestigious Civic Theatre, built in 1906
and designed by the architect Ferruccio Chemello.
The itinerary to discover the religious heritage of Schio begins in Piazza
Alessandro Rossi, dominated by St. Peter’s Cathedral, the original eighteenth
century nucleus of which was remodelled and enriched during the
1800s. Together with the artistic decoration typical of the early twentieth
century, the interior houses valuable works of art including four paintings
by Alessandro Maganza and one by Palma il Vecchio.
Continuing in the area surrounding the cathedral, the Church of St. James
is located in Via Cavour: inside, we find an excellent series of large canvases
depicting the Sorrows of the Virgin, painted between 1868 and 1902
by Valentino Pupin and Tomaso Pasquotti. When we reach Via Fusinato
we come across the Temple of the Holy Family (Bartolomeo Folladore,
1850): modelled on the Pantheon in Rome, inside it houses the urn containing
the relics of Saint Giuseppina Bakhita and it has become a destination for
the faithful who also come to visit the small museum dedicated to the Saint.
Another Church that should not be missed is the one of St. Francis,
founded in 1400 by the Friars Minor of the Observance. The church houses
the famous altarpiece by Francesco Verla dedicated to the wedding of
St. Catherine of Alexandria (1512). In the immediate vicinity, a pleasant
walk through the Grumi dei Frati public gardens leads to the votive chapel of
St. Mary in the Valley, to the former church of St. Mary of the Snow
that stands on the old site of the “Castle”, to the small church of St. Roch
and, finally to the Church of St. Nicholas “of the Capuchins”, which
has been annexed to a Capuchin monastery since 1536.
Right in the historical centre of the town, going down Via Pasini, we come
across the Convent of the Augustinians, which has been there since the
late 1400s and the Church of St. Anthony Abbot, in Lombard Byzantinestyle
(Antonio Caregaro Negrin, 1879). Close to the town centre, in the
area of Aste, stands the charming Church of St. Martin, founded in the
seventh century and then remodelled in Romanic style, with frescoes dating
from 1400. No longer used for worship nowadays and open only on
special occasions, the church is a traditional destination for pilgrims and
devotees of the Virgin Mary.
Finally, in the district of Giavenale, we find the small country church of St.
Justine, that was probably of Lombard origin and restructured in 1581, at
the wish of the Dal Ferro brothers, who were owners of the nearby Villa
Barettoni (attributed to Scamozzi).
A combination of nature and history set amongst the first spurs of the
Vicenza Pre-Alps. It is Mount Novegno that rises like a natural placid altar
next to the harsher massif of Pasubio, just near Schio. In winter, on the
summit the snow covers the wide basin which, since ancient times, has
been the destination of farmers who take their cattle there to graze in the
summer months. From its highest peak, Mount Rione (1691 m.), the First
World War Fort of the same name stands out.
The Vicenza backdrop of mountains and foothills is imbued with the
memory of the Great War. The Novegno bears witness to the theatre
of events that have become a part of Italy’s history. Numerous traces of the
past still mark the face of the mountain today including roads, tunnels,
trenches, caves and fortified positions.
The symbol of all these vestiges is the Rione Fort, a small defence building
that played a key role in the battles of June 1916, during the decisive hours
of the Strafexpedition. The Austrians were making one last dire attempt
to cross the Novegno, that they called the Letzer Berg: it was the only
obstacle preventing them from descending upon Schio and invading the
Vicenza plain.
The battle reached its climax on 12th and 13th June, when 72 Austrian
battalions backed by 264 pieces of artillery attacked the Italian line which
was defended by 14 battalions of infantry belonging to the already exhausted
35th Division. The trenches of Novegno, Mount Giove and the Campedello
pass came under extremely heavy artillery fire for hours, a prelude
to the repeated assaults led by the 3rd and 4th Kaiserjäger Regiment that
lasted for two consecutive days, but the line did not succumb.
The bloody battles that were fought over 90 years ago left a lasting mark
on the environment. Today the Novegno is a perfect symbiosis of nature
and remembrance, an open-air workshop and a destination for
history lovers, naturalists, mountain ramblers and mountain enthusiasts.
The ruins of small mountain shelters and the remains of Alpine paths are
the legacies of an old mountain economy that is still visible to visitors
attracted by the typical pre-Alpine flora that grows spontaneously in the
meadows and in the thick woods. The Novegno is also inhabited by a discrete
quantity of fauna: in fact marmots, roe deer and chamois are quite
commonly seen.
The area towards the north, on the outskirts of Schio, is distinguished by
the hilly area of Tretto, with the characteristic districts of Santa Maria,
San Rocco, Sant’Ulderico, Santa Caterina and Bosco. The name “Tretto”
comes from the word “trei” in old Bavarian dialect meaning path and
from the Medieval Latin word “tretum”. Once an autonomous municipality,
in 1968 it became a part of the Municipality of Schio.
The first settlements in this area date back to the year one thousand,
when a large number of immigrants of German origin were sent here by
the Maltraversi counts who were landowners bound to the German Emperor.
The district of Tretto boasted a rich subsoil: between 1440 and 1600
there were as many as 111 silver, copper, iron and lead mines and, above
all, kaolin mines, the “white earth” used in the production of porcelain, in
the paper industry and for washing wool. In some periods of history, the
kaolin of Tretto was the most highly prized and widely marketed in Italy;
however, during the 20th century the mining activity gradually declined
until all the mines were closed.
The typical dwelling places of Tretto are in “contrada” meaning hill-side
villages (contrà): in this hilly area there are about 70 of them and, together
with the old washing troughs, wayside chapels and casoni (typical
structures used to dry the kaolin), they represent an ideal destination for
walks and excursions along the delightful paths on foot, mountain bike
or horseback. Tretto also offers numerous possibilities for more demanding
excursions like the ascent of Mount Novegno.
Festivals and events are organised in this hilly area to re-discover old
traditions and typical products and dishes of Val Leogra: the PDO sopressa,
a delicious sausage of pure pork, the goat’s cheeses, chestnuts, walnuts
and hazelnuts, mushrooms, cheeses and potatoes of Tretto, but also the
polenta made with “maranelo” corn, the “gargati col consiero” and the
rabbit “alla valleogrina” in a sweet and sour sauce.
Amongst the typical sweets of Schio visitors should not miss the “pandoli
de Schio”, the “bussolai” and the “gateau”: a cake consisting of layers of
meringue with zabaglione and chantilly creams.
SCHIO
MAP AND CITY GUIDE
TEXTS SUPERVISED BY:
> Event planning and management service
Municipality of Schio
>“Il monte Novegno, natura e storia”
by Luca Valente
COVER PHOTOGRAPH:
> Dino Sassi ”La fabbrica alta”
OTHER PHOTOGRAPHS:
> Dino Sassi
> Luca Sassi
> Renzo Matino
> Paolo Tomiello
> Photographic Archive, Municipality of Schio
> Maria Luisa Bottene - “Quante belle foto” award;
Luciano Grendene – covers for October 2007 and
January 2008 of comune.schio, Photographic
competition “Una Schio per tutte le stagioni”
> Associazione IV Novembre Schio
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Studio Matino & Boschetti
PRINTED BY
Tipolitografia Veronese
TRANSLATION BY
Prontoestero s.n.c.
SCHIO
MAP AND
CITY GUIDE
A brief history
Religious itineraries
Nature
Gastronomy
Comune di Schio
Comune di Schio
A BRIEF HISTORY
Schio is one of the municipalities in the province of Vicenza that is
surrounded by an amphitheatre formed by the hills and foothills of
the Alps, a setting of great charm, where the many hill-side villages
dotted throughout the area still bear witness to the old rural civilisation.
The origin of the place name Schio seems to have derived
from “ischi” – a type of oak – or “Ascledum” in the Romance
language of the time.
It is a borough of ancient origin and proof of this is given by the
items from the Neolithic age and the Paleo-Venetic settlements;
the geographical position, at the crossroads of ways of communication,
made it a spot predestined to become a place of settlement
right from prehistoric times; the “unpaved Veneto road” existed
even before the arrival of the Romans and by skirting the Colli
Berici hills, it reached as far as Vicenza and then joined up with the
Trentino road via Malo, Magrè, Schio and Piovene.
The first existing Medieval document referring to Schio dates back
to 983; it is a document in which the Bishop of Vicenza, Rodolfo,
in a voluntary deed, donated a “curtis in Scleo” to the Benedictine
monks of San Felice in Vicenza in the place known as Gorzone
where the actual Cathedral now stands. The location of the modern
day town centre originated from the transfer of the parish of
Belvicino, the houses of which had been swept away by a flood,
to Gorzone in Schio in 1123.
A free Municipality in 1228, and then the property of the Della
Scala and of the Visconti families, Schio was widely developed under
the dominion of the Serenissima and it became the main place
for wool production in the Republic. In fact, it was this very business
that gave the town the famous nickname of “little Manchester”;
it is true to say that the vocation for industry has very old origins
and has left the town a remarkable legacy consisting of precious
evidence to its Industrial Archaeology. The economic development
began in earnest and adopted more rational systems from the
eighteenth century onwards with the work of Nicolò Tron, who
founded a textile factory that attracted skilled workers from
England and introduced new machines and work methods as far
back as 1738. The art of wool-making reached its peak in the nineteenth
century thanks to the first products made by Francesco
Rossi and by virtue of the innovative entrepreneurial spirit of his
son Alessandro Rossi who was able to develop his father’s wool
mill until it became the most important Italian wool company
(Lanerossi). This pioneering aspect of industry proved to be a vital
element for local entrepreneurial culture and in time it has led to
the creation of a unique and extraordinary industrial area.

Galleria Petange
Galleria
Landshut
Galleria Kaposwar
VIA CIMATORI
V I A V E N E Z I A
VIA DANTE
VIA S.BOLOGNA
VIALE TRENTO TRIESTE
C.F.S
VIA FRÀ GIOVANNI DA SCHIO
V I
A
Civic Theatre
VIA MILANO
V E
N E Z I
FERROVIA SCHIO-VICENZA
A
C.C.
G.d.F.
Passaggio
Pedonale
F.F.S.S.
Railway station
VIA PIETRO MARASCHIN
VIA BACCARINI VIA PIETRO MARASCHIN
VIA CARDATORI
ROVERETO
Pretura
VIA C. E. DALLA COSTA
VIA PASINI
VIA BTG.VAL LEOGRA
VIA SAN G. BOSCO
Fabbrica Alta
VIA XX SETTEMBRE
Piazza
Alvise
Conte
Conte Wool Mill
VIA M. GIOVE
Post
Office
Giardino
Agostiniane
S.Antonio
Port.
Garbin
PT
VIA A. FOGAZZARO
Parcheggio
interrato
Piazza
Falcone
Borsellino
Town Hall
Piazza Statuto
Oratorio
Don Bosco
P.to dello
sport
Don Bosco
V I A M A R C O N I
VIA ROVERETO
Cinema
Teatro
Astra
VIA PASUBIO
Fogazzaro
Palace
LARGO DE PRETTO
VIA A. FOGAZZARO
V I A
V I A P A S U B I O
Pal.
Toaldi
Capra
Piazza IV
Novembre
Jacquard
Garden
S.Maria
Incoronata
M A R T I
VIA SAN ROCCO
Rossi Nursery
School
VIA G.B CONTE
S.Giacomo
Piazzetta
Garibaldi
VIA PORTA DI SOTTO
VIA D. MANIN
R I D
Castle
VIA CAVOUR
E L L
V I A
L L
C A S T E
VIA FRÀ MATTEO
Piazza A. Rossi
Cathedral
A L
O
I B E
Galleria al Duomo
V
VIA CASTELLANI
V. GORZONE
VIA CAP. SELLA
Piazzetta
S.Gaetano
R T À
I A ANTONIO TOALDI
Parco Grumi dei Frati
VIA BROLO D E L C ONTE
S.Maria
Piazza
A. Da Schio
Library
VIA S. GAETANO
POLEO
WC
VIA CARDUCCI
VIA DELLA VALLETTA
VIA GRUMI DEI FRATI
VIA GAMINELLA
VIA R. ROMPATO
VIA G. VERDI
PAY CAR PARK
VIA F.BARACCA
VIA BARATTO
VIA A. FUSINATO
VIA MAZZINI
PIANE
VIA LEONARDO DA VINCI
VIA DELLA POZZA
S.Bakhita
Palestra
Lanzi
VIA DELLA POTARA
S.Francesco
la C.A.S.A.
VIA DON FACCIN
VIA CÀ MASOTTA
H
HOSPITAL
VIA SAN CAMILLO DE LELLIS
Piazzetta
delle
5 Fontane
V I A X X I X A P R I L E
Traffic
police
Piazzale
Divisione
Acqui
VIA SS. TRINITÀ
Campus
VIA TITO LIVIO
VIA DEL REDENTORE
VIA S.CROCE
VIA STRASSEGGIARE
Santa Croce
Piazzale
Summano
VIA GABRIELE D'ANNUNZIO
USEFUL NUMBERS
Town hall Via Pasini, 33 0445 691111
Public Relations Office Piazza dello Statuto 0445 691212
Tourist Information Piazza dello Statuto 0445 691285
Civic Library Via Carducci, 33 0445 527100
Young people’s help desk Via Pasini, 47 0445 691249
POLICE FORCES
Municipal Police Via Pasini, 74 0445 690111
Carabinieri Via P. Maraschin, 62 0445 508300
Traffic Police Via XXIX Aprile, 2 0445 697611
Fire Brigade Località Campagna, 5 0445 519002
HEALTH
First aid 0445 598156/59
Schio hospital Via C. De Lellis 0445 598111
switchboard and emergency doctor
TRANSPORT
Ftv and Conam (ticket office) 0445 530370
Railway station (ticket office) Via Baccarini 0445 529133
SPORTS AND LEISURE
Public Swimming Pool Via dello Sport, 6 0445 511111
Palacampagnola sports centre Viale dell’Industria 0445 673800
Environment Teaching Laboratory Sant’Ulderico - Tretto 0445 635010
RESTAURANTS and PIZZERIAS
in the historic centre
Caffè Cucina Bistrò
Via Pasubio, 102
tel. 0445/530154
Pizzeria Marechiaro
Via Trento Trieste, 13
tel. 0445/524645
Pizzeria Vesuvio
Gall. Duomo, 21
tel. 0445/520827
Pizzeria La Dolce Vita
Via Garibaldi, 10
0445/527245
Ristorante Emozioni
c/o centro Le Fontane
Via XXIX Aprile
0445/523269
Ristorante
La Muraglia Cinese
Via A. da Schio 4
tel. 0445/523433
Ristorante La Roza
Via Portego Sareo 7
tel. 0445/528700
Ristorante Pizzeria
Due Mori
Via Pasubio, 20
tel. 0445/ 539205
Osteria Due Spade
Via Carducci, 10
tel. 0445/532376
Trattoria Tre Morari
Via Baratto, 12
tel. 339/6265028
HOTELS IN SCHIO
Albergo Nuovo Miramonti****
Via Marconi, 3
tel. 0445.529900
www.hotelmiramonti.com - info@hotelmiramonti.com
Albergo Hotel Eden***
Viale dell’Industria, 33
tel. 0445.670044 - fax 0445.512967
www.hoteledenschio.com - info@hoteledenschio.com
Albergo Ristorante Ponte di Liviera***
Via Ponte di Liviera, 4
tel. 0445.671028 - fax 0445 671645
www.pontediliviera.com - info@pontediliviera.com
Hotel Noris***
Ristorante, Bar, sale riunioni
Viale dell'Industria, 125
tel. 0445- 575535 - fax: 0445-575549
www.hotelnoris.it - info@hotelnoris.it
Albergo Da Marco**
Via Cerbaro,1 (località Tretto)
tel. 0445.635051
Albergo Hotel Monteverdi**
Via Maraschin, 71
tel. 0445.521793 - fax. 0445.531097
www.hotelmonteverdi.it - info@hotelmonteverdi.it
Albergo Ristorante Ponte d’Oro**
Via Ponte d’Oro, 19/21
tel. 0445.670945
info@hotelnoris.it
Albergo Al Bosco*
Via Bosco di Tretto, 1
tel. 0445.635001 - fax 0445.635961
Albergo Dalla Costa*
Via Bosco di Tretto, 14
tel. 0445.635057
ristorantedallacosta@libero.it
Albergo/Ristorante Da Beppino*
Via Cementi, 26
tel. 0445.670139
ristbeppino@tiscali.it
Bed & Breakfast La Soffitta
Vicolo Leogretta, 6
tel. 0445/519084 328/0883567
www.bblasoffitta.it - info@bblasoffitta.it
VIA DEI NANI
V I A P A
R A I S O
FREE CAR PARK
CAR PARK WITH LIMITED PARKING TIME
For a complete list of restaurants, trattorias and pizzerias, consult:
www.comune.schio.vi.it on the page dedicated to tourism
VIA VICENZA
VICENZA
VIALE EUROPA UNITA VIALE DELL'INDUSTRIA
V I A L E D E L L ' I N D U S T R I A
Palasport
Area Campagnola
Swimming pools
Z. INDUSTRIALE
St. Peter’s Cathedral
Dedicated to St. Peter and
located on the Gorzone hill, it
was the centre of the whole of
the religious life in Schio from as
early as the 13th century.
Its current formation with three
naves, classical pronaos and
lateral steps is the result of
architectural work carried out at
different times between 1700
and 1800.
For information:
Parish of St. Peter the Apostle - Via
Cavour, 3 - tel. 0445.521103
Fogazzaro Palace
The palace which features a
Corinthian portico, an ashlar
basement and two wings
(barchesse) with turrets, was
built in 1810 to a design by
Carlo Barrera.
Renovated in 2004, today it is
used to hold cultural activities
such as exhibitions, conferences
and concerts.
For information:
cultura@comune.schio.vi.it
tel 0445.691406
“Renato Bortoli”
Civic Library
Housed in the renovated group
of historical buildings that were
formerly the “Ospedale Baratto”,
built in 1611, and the district prison
under Austrian rule, the library
offers numerous services including
a lending library, consultation,
newspaper and periodical library,
reading room, archive consultation,
children’s and teenagers’ section
and internet point.
For information:
biblioteca.consulenza@comune.schio.vi.it
tel. 0445. 527100
Civic Theatre
It was inaugurated on 9th June
1909 with a performance of
“Mefistofele” by Arrigo Boito.
Seriously damaged during the
war, it gradually fell into disuse.
Today, some of the rooms such as
the foyer and the Calendoli room
are used for exhibitions and conferences.
A work of architectural
restoration and conservation is
currently being developed.
For information:
info@teatrocivicoschio.it www.
teatrocivico.it tel 0445.504124
Fabbrica Alta
Built to the order of Alessandro
Rossi in 1862, it represents one
of the symbols of the first Italian
industrialisation. Inside there
are huge halls divided into three
bays with 125 cast iron columns.
Although it is not currently in
use, the building is at the centre
of a Recovery Plan involving the
whole surrounding area known
as Lanerossi.
For information:
eventi@comune.schio.vi.it, tel
0445.691285
Jacquard Garden
An exceptional monument of
industrial archaeology, as well
as landscape architecture, the
romantic garden of the Rossi
wool mill, known as Jacquard,
was created by Antonio Caregaro
Negrin between 1859 and 1878.
The Jacquard Garden is now
private property.
For information:
eventi@comune.schio.vi.iti
tel. 0445.691285
Conte Wool Mill
It is the oldest wool mill of the
town and was founded in 1757
by Giovanni Battista Conte and
then extended over time with
the building of new plants and
structures in reinforced concrete.
Following remarkable restoration
works, in 2007, on the occasion
of the 250th anniversary of its
foundation, it was reopened to
the public for exhibitions and as
a museum.
For information:
eventi@comune.schio.vi.iti
tel. 0445.691285
Castle
The so-called “Castle” of Schio is
really a former church (St. Mary
of the Snow) that stands on the
ruins of the old castle which
was destroyed by the Venetians
in 1512 following the troubled
events of the League of Cambrai.
In a panoramic position offering
a marvellous view of Schio, it is
today the home of the town’s
Photographic Circle.
For information:
info@circolofotografico.it
www.circolofotografico.it
Schio Town hall
Built in 1799 to a design by Carlo
Barrera and previously used as
the Garbin Palace and Wool Mill,
it has been home to the town
council since 1914. The simplicity
of the façade overlooking the
square contrasts with the more
articulate main prospect along
Via Pasini.
For information:
urp@comune.schio.vi.it
tel 0445.691212
Rossi Nursery School
Named after Alessandro Rossi
who entrusted the building work
to Antonio Caregaro Negrin in
1872, the nursery school looked
after the children of Lanerossi
wool mill workers until about
1990. Today, the building is
being restored and will become
a “music centre” with spaces
dedicated to musical groups and
town associations.
For information:
info@comune.schio.vi.it
tel 0445.691212
The Church of St. Francis
A fourteenth century church with
an adjacent monastery of the
Friars Minor of the Observance
(which was suppressed in 1810).
Extended during the 1500s,
it houses numerous works of
art inside and in the cloister,
including the great altarpiece
by Francesco Verla. Apart from
religious functions, concerts are
also held there.
For information:
Parish of St. Peter the Apostle
tel. 0445.521103