It is located in Valmareno, also called Valsana, along the Corso del Soligo, between the cities of Vittorio Veneto and that of Follina, another small and charming village not to be missed.
Its territory is also part of the DOCG of the Prosecco Superiore cellars, which in 2019 have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, thanks to a unique landscape, where the work of the winemakers has helped transform this exceptional territory.
The greenery that surrounds it is a real paradise for the senses, where you can find castles and Venetian villas, all embellished by ancient craft practices, which give life to numerous markets throughout the territory and to the many bubbles produced at zero km.
Among the characteristic streets of the center of Cison di Valmarino there are pretty paths, mixed with history, such as the Via dell'Acqua, which runs alongside the Rujo stream among the green hills, leading to old mills and other works of agro-industrial archeology, defined by the poet Andrea Zanzotto as "a postcard sent by the gods".
In particular, what characterizes the village is the Church of Saints Giovanni Battista and Maria Assunta with its double façade, one facing west, the oldest and the other facing east with the statue of San Giovanni. It has a baroque nave frescoed by Egidio dall'Oglio.
Another point of great interest is Castelbrando, which at the time was a manor, built on a slope of Castello mount, to govern the villages of Valmareno and Cison. A territory inhabited since prehistoric times and here, in Roman times, a castrum was built, a stable camp of the Roman army, with a watchtower, to defend the Via Imperiale Claudia Augusta opened in 46 BC. Over the centuries the Lombards arrived, who raised a fortress here, to defend themselves from the invasions of the Hungarians.
In the twelfth century it became a fiefdom of the da Camino family, who enlarged the fortification, adding many rooms and a new part of the building. Subsequently it ended up in the hands of several administrators, up to the Republic of Venice, which donated it to two captains of fortune in exchange for the services rendered, the first was Erasmus of Narni, the Gattamelata, who, however, sold the fiefdom to continue fighting, until reach the rank of captain general of the Serenissima Republic.
The fortress thus became the property of Brando IV Bagnacavallo, called Brandolini, and managed all his heirs until 1998. Today, Brandolini Castle is one of the largest complexes in Europe, transformed into a luxury hotel with restaurants, beauty farms, cellar and wine bar.
Its sixteenth and seventeenth century halls are accessible only with guided tours, and it is also possible to access the museum section which includes the exhibition of weapons and armor, the one on the customs of the doges and emperors, the room of musical instruments, the hall of historical carriages and a historical-iconographic route on the famous Via Claudia Augusta.
Do not miss the opportunity to visit this pretty village, where you can immerse yourself in history, walking along the ancient Via Maestra or on the water ways and savor quality products in a typical tavern, such as the spit, the meats, the cheeses. , mushrooms and polenta.
