Colle Umberto: Churches, Villas and Cycling History

Colle Umberto and the hamlet of San Martino lie on two hills at about 145 metres above sea level in the eastern Venetian Prealps. Morainic hills, gentle slopes and a green plain shape the landscape; the Meschio and Mellarè rivers skirt the northern and southern edges of the area, respectively. Churches, villas, a multi-stop route and the memory of cyclist Ottavio Bottecchia offer different starting points for planning your trip. You can focus on architectural history, cycling history or the landscape.

Churches and Villas in Colle Umberto

The parish church of Colle Umberto has a neoclassical façade and a single, spacious interior, both associated with a design by Sebastiano De Boni. Other features include a Pugina organ, inaugurated on 24 October 1924. The Chiesa Arcipretale di S. Martino di Colle Umberto makes a different architectural statement: its Renaissance portico extends across the entire façade. The church also preserves 16th-century frescoes by the painter Francesco Pagani, known by the nickname Da Milano. Neoclassical forms and the history of the organ thus stand alongside a Renaissance portico and frescoes.

The villas also offer a range of historical points of interest. The neoclassical Villa Morosini-Lucheschi is one of the Venetian villas. Villa Fabris, also known as Casa del Tiziano, was built around 1545. Towards the end of the 16th century, Villa Verecondi-Scortecci, also known as Casino di Caccia Onesti, was built as a hunting lodge near a surviving medieval tower. Villa San Tommaso is an 18th-century building near the church of S. Tommaso in Colle Umberto; its original flooring is preserved on the first floor. Together, these buildings reflect different styles and periods, from the neoclassical villa type to a hunting lodge with medieval connections.

Ottavio Bottecchia and Cycling History

Ottavio Bottecchia was born in San Martino di Colle Umberto and won the Tour de France in 1924 and 1925. The Museo Ottavio Bottecchia is housed in a historic mill and forge and displays original memorabilia associated with the cyclist. It is the first museum space in Italy devoted entirely to Ottavio Bottecchia. Another way to visit places connected with him is the annual “Inseguendo Bottecchia” event. Among other places, it takes participants to his house, his monument and his grave in the cemetery of San Martino di Colle Umberto. If you plan to attend, check the latest event dates and programme.

Route, Landscape and Getting There

The route “Un piccolo viaggio nel passato tra borghi e colline moreniche” begins at the parish church of San Tomaso in Colle Umberto. It passes through the town centre, Borgo Concie, Borgo Pigatti and San Martino before reaching the Terraglio. The Terraglio is believed to be the former site of a Palaeo-Venetian hillfort. The route therefore offers another way to explore Colle Umberto’s local and historical themes. Check the current condition of the route before setting out for a walk.

Colle Umberto can be reached by car and by train via the FS railway station in Conegliano. If you plan to travel by train, check the latest connections before your journey. The hilltop setting, the landscape described here and the historical stops offer different considerations when choosing where to stay: you can focus on architecture, Bottecchia’s history or a route through the town’s localities.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Santa Lucia Di Piave, Monastier Di Treviso, Codogne', Zona Industriale di Mosnigo, Pero, Crocetta-Nogaré, Vidor, Spresiano.

Return to the main travel overview: Treviso.