The Town, Geography

(Veduta del paese di Possagno)

Possagno is a small commune nearby Treviso, at the foot of Monte Grappa, in the western part of the Valcavasia. Its surface is 12 sqkm, it has ca 2000 inhabitants. Only one-third of the territory is formed by flat land, two-thirds are instead formed by a hilly one. The maximun height is 1601 mt ( Monte Meate in the Grappa Massif), the lowest spot (220 mt above sea-level) is in the south of the built-up area, along the bed of the Musile torrent running down the Coe hills.

Possagno borders on the following: Alano di Piave (nearby Belluno) on the north, Cavaso del Tomba on the east, Castelcucco on the south and Fietta and Paderno on the west.

Possagno is crossed by the provincial road n.26 and handy roads link it up to the Feltrina trunk road (eastwards in the Commune of Pederobba from where it is possible to reach Treviso/Venice or Feltra/Belluno, or Valdobbiadene/Vittorio Veneto), to the Valsugana trunk road (westwards, in the Commune of Bassano del Grappa from where it is possible to go on Trento/Bolzano or Vicenza/Verona) and to the lovely town of Asolo (southwards from where it is possible to go on to Castelfranco Veneto, Padova, Ferrara).

The climate is temperate and it seldoms snows. Rains are instead more frequent during spring and autumn time; the air is generally dry while fog is nearly absent.

(Veduta del paese di Possagno)

The vegetation in Possagno as well as in the whole mountain area of the Grappa is a varied one, according to the height: it is especially rich in chestnut trees but acacia, beech, ash, elm and kernel trees also grow. Above 900 mt in height, beechwoods as well as pine forests gladden those who are fond of naturalist walks; on the peaks, instead, vast grasslands provide the herds, climbing the Alpine summer pastures, with feed.

The whole built-up area is concentrated in the level area, to reach Canova’s Museum. The mountain rising above the Museum is still uncontaminated. Market gardens and fruit trees grow among the houses, gathered in centuries-old quarters (the so called “colmelli”). The most typical ones are Masiere, Cunial, Vardanega, Fornaci, Pastega, Marconi, Bironi: in each of them the visitor can admire the small square embellished by the fountain, the small church of the village, a rural and plain life, as it was many years ago.

A flourishing brick industry, developed in the southern regions along the Coe hills, makes Possagno the most important Italian centre in the production of bent tiles, exported not only in Italy but also abroad and well appreciated for their wearability and beauty, as well.