Colle Umberto: Churches, Villas and Cycling History

Hills, Plain and Historic Contours

Colle Umberto and the hamlet of San Martino are located on two hills in the eastern Venetian Pre-Alps, at approximately 145 metres above sea level. The landscape combines moraine hills, gentle slopes and a green plain. The Meschio watercourse runs along the northern edge of the area, while the Mellarè runs along the southern edge.

The buildings also give the town a distinct historical profile. The parish church of Colle Umberto has a Pugina organ, which was inaugurated on 24 October 1924. Its neoclassical façade and single broad interior are associated with a design by Sebastiano De Boni. In the Chiesa Arcipretale di S. Martino di Colle Umberto, a Renaissance portico extends across the entire façade. The church also preserves frescoes by the 16th-century painter Francesco Pagani, who was known by the nickname Da Milano.

Villas with Different Historical Layers

Several villas add to this architectural picture. Villa Morosini-Lucheschi is a neoclassical patrician villa and belongs to the Venetian villas. Villa Fabris is also known as Casa del Tiziano and was built around 1545. Villa Verecondi-Scortecci bears the name Casino di Caccia Onesti and was built towards the end of the 16th century as a hunting lodge near a medieval tower that still exists.

Villa San Tommaso, an 18th-century building, stands beside the church of S. Tommaso in Colle Umberto. The original flooring has been preserved on the first floor. This gives you various cultural focal points: sacred architecture, Renaissance and neoclassical forms, and historic villas can be considered independent themes for discovering the town, without limiting Colle Umberto to a single period.

Cycling History in San Martino

San Martino di Colle Umberto is closely associated with the cyclist Ottavio Bottecchia. He was born there and won the Tour de France in 1924 and 1925. The Museo Ottavio Bottecchia is located in San Martino di Colle Umberto, in a historic mill and forge. It displays original memorabilia associated with the cyclist. The museum room is the first museum room in Italy dedicated entirely to Ottavio Bottecchia.

The annual event “Inseguendo Bottecchia” leads to places associated with him. These include his house, his monument and his grave in the cemetery of San Martino di Colle Umberto. In addition to the museum, cycling history therefore offers a local sequence of stops.

Route through Villages and Landscape

The route “Un piccolo viaggio nel passato tra borghi e colline moreniche” begins at the parish church of San Tomaso in Colle Umberto and leads through the town centre, Borgo Concie, Borgo Pigatti and San Martino. It continues as far as the Terraglio, which is considered to be the former site of a Paleo-Venetian hillfort.

Getting There and Personal Selection

Colle Umberto can be reached by car and by train via the FS railway station in Conegliano. When choosing a hotel for your stay, you can align your priorities with the town’s specific themes: churches and villas appeal to those interested in cultural history, the Museo Ottavio Bottecchia and “Inseguendo Bottecchia” to those exploring cycling history, while the route and hilly landscape suggest another way of discovering the town. Which combination you prefer depends on your own travel pace and interests.

Further Places for Travel Planning

Crespano Del Grappa, Maser, Levada, Fungaia, Borso Del Grappa, Pieve Di Soligo, Negrisia, Crocetta-Nogaré

For the overarching travel overview: Treviso.