Brenta (river)

The Brenta at Bassano del Grappa, upstream

The Brenta ( in German publications often feminine; German Name: Brandau ) is a 174 km long river in northern Italy. It rises south-east of the Trent uniting in Levico Terme Levico and outflows of the lakes of Levico and flows through the Valsugana in an easterly direction. In Bassano del Grappa, Brenta leaves the Southern Limestone Alps, its run continuing through the Venetian lowlands.

The alluvial material, which was washed into the lagoon of Venice, Venice led in the 16th century, the Brenta to dig a new river bed which opens to the south of Chioggia in the Adriatic Sea. The old riverbed was provided with some locks, received as an important inland waterway inland. Accompanied by numerous villas on the shore as the 17th and 18th centuries, which thus resulting Brenta canal was a frequented route between Padua and Venice.

The villas are often seeking to land seats nobleman who spent their summer holidays there. The check in was done in gondolas or comfortable boats, the so-called Burchielli. These transported with the aristocratic ladies and gentlemen of society adventurers, artists and comedians. On the banks of the Brenta arrived, the company drew pleasure from festival to festival, from villa to villa, what the - somewhat euphemistic - Italian term " andar per ville " brought forth. There are three different types of villas in essence, Azienda, Tempio and Reggia. Among its architects, there are such famous names such as Andrea Palladio, Girolamo Frigimelica, Francesco Maria Preti Vincenzo Scamozzi or. Some of these villas are partially decayed, other well preserved and accessible tourism. Leisurely boat rides with villas sightseeing and final landing right on St. Mark's Square are among the tourist attractions of the Veneto region.

In Bassano del Grappa, the river is crossed by the Ponte Vecchio, which is by the Italian Alpine troops also called Ponte degli Alpini. The covered bridge was built in 1569 to plans by Palladio both built after the destruction on both occasions.

On the banks of the Brenta proposed in 899 the Magyars ( Hungarians ) led by Prince Árpád the troops of the National King Berengar I of Friuli.