Road of the Zattieri

Road of the Zattieri

Who are the Zattieri? The raft belonged to guilds or families that exploited, until the mid-nineteenth century, the navigable rivers for the transport of goods using rafts built with wood coming from alpine areas or in any case mountainous and rich in woods. The rafts themselves, once the voyage was completed, became objects of trade.

A walk that begins in the center of the city of Belluno, from its main square: the Piazza dei Martiri from here, runs along the “old” part of the city, beyond the ancient castle of Belluno, now remembered by a ruin site feet of the post office, recently restored. Continue along via Sottocastello going along the ancient city walls with a panoramic view of the valley, crossed by the river sacred to the homeland, La Piave, once navigable by rafts. At the end of the street, down a staircase, you reach the Ponte della Vittoria (1926), the work of the engineer. Eugenio Miozzi (1889-1979) with the liberty decorations of the architect Riccardo Alfarè (1882-1969);

Continuing, the Ponte Vecchio appears on the right, built during the Austrian domination between 1837 and 1841. The three arches collapsed in the mid-19th century and the reconstruction project stopped until the First World War, with the Austrian government in the city, where the part that had sold using wood was rebuilt. Precisely in the retreat of the Austrians themselves on November 1, 1918, the bridge was destroyed again. Currently of the ancient bridge only the first arch on the side of the city remains.

Continue and arrive in the ancient Borgo Piave, where once there was the docking of rafts for the rapid transport on the Piave of people, goods and timber to the Venetian plain. Get lost in the village and if you want, look for Casa Doglioni among the low pastel-colored buildings, which on the capital above the loggia exhibits the klamera, symbol of the raftsmen. Nearby, the church of S. Nicolò, protector of the raftsmen, is 700 years old.

Going up the steps of the Borgo, you arrive at Via Uniera dei Zatér. This is the street where the raftsmen once lived. Do not miss the murals by the artist Marta Farina, right at the entrance to her aunt, which tell the story of the Belluno rafters.

The tour through the streets of the city to discover the history of the zattireri is coming to an end. We return inside the city walls, leave the houses of the raftsmen and continue our walk to reach, after a while, the Fontana Nova (1855). We take via Rugo and enter the city walls, crossing Porta Rugo, an ancient southern access to the ancient city.

Not to be missed…

The route is very easy to follow, suitable also for families with children. All external route. All churches are open to the public. It is possible that the cloisters cannot be visited at all hours.

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