Villanova: Vajont History and the Piave Cycle Route

Villanova combines an economic character with the history of Vajont and a cycle route along the Piave river embankment. If you are looking for a hotel, you can first consider what brings you to the area: are you interested in local and regional history, the cycle route, or the development of the industrial zone?

The Piave Riverside, Cycle Route and Industry

The large alluvial plain between Castellavazzo and Villanova includes the Longarone exhibition grounds, as well as schools and municipal sports facilities. An embankment protects these facilities. The “La lunga via delle Dolomiti” cycle route runs along the Piave river embankment, beside Longarone’s public and sports facilities. A municipal side road provides access to the area; it runs parallel to the Piave embankment and approaches from the extensive Zona Industriale Villanova di Longarone. The Zona Industriale Villanova di Longarone is one of the major production centres in the province of Belluno; industrial conditions may change over time.

History Between Vajont and 1917

A description from 2023 recounts the exhibition at the Museo Longarone Vajont – Attimi di Storia: the history of the Vajont disaster is presented there chronologically through photographs, artefacts and multimedia panels. If you plan to visit the museum, check the current visitor arrangements in advance.

The Vajont disaster claimed 1,450 lives along the Piave Valley, between the centre of Longarone and the nearby hamlets of Rivalta, Pirago, Faè and Villanova. The village centre of Villanova was destroyed in the disaster. These two details highlight different scales: the death toll refers to the specified stretch of the Piave Valley, while the destruction refers to the village centre of Villanova.

An earlier chapter takes us back to 1917. In his diary entry dated 9 November, Erwin Rommel describes Villanova, together with Longarone, Dogna, Rivalta, Pirago, the Torrente Maè and the Faè estate, as one of the places involved in his operation to block the retreat of Italian troops from the Dolomites and north-western Friuli. Villanova thus features in a specific military context alongside several named places; the diary entry predates the Vajont disaster by many years.

Reconstruction and Landscape

After the Vajont disaster, Villanova became an extensive area and an important economic centre of reference for the province. As part of the reconstruction, plans were made to establish industrial businesses in Villanova. This planned establishment and the economic role of the Zona Industriale are distinct aspects of Villanova’s development.

The Villanova-Faè plain also has a history of its own: it was drained and later became known as “campagna Protti.” The name links the plain to a history of the landscape, offering another perspective on Villanova alongside reconstruction, industry and the memory of the Vajont disaster.

Discover more destinations: Longarone, Salzen, Pian del Cansiglio, Canale D'agordo, Rocca Pietore, Ponte Nelle Alpi, Montebello, Chies D'alpago

For the broader travel overview: Belluno.