The Origins

     In the first settlements at the foothills, where the Brenta river flows into the lowlands, remains of a necropolis of St. George in Angarano, dating back to XI-IX centuries, have been discovered.The Roman influence probably dates back to the II century B.C and the name of the city “Bassano” probably derives from Bassianus, term used to define a roman farmer, owner of a fundus, a farm estate.

A cinerary urn discovered in the
area where the ancient necropolis
of St. George in Angarano once
stood.

The Middle Age, the Ezzelini and the Viscont families (568-1404)
     Few traces of the Longobard (568-774) and Franc (774-888) dominations remain. The period that follows (998) signs the introduction of documentation of the “pieve” of St. Maria, a sanctuary, along with a castle, both mentioned for the first time in 1150, which formed the first inhabited nucleus of Bassano.
     Vicenza, aware of the strategical importance of the new settlement, imposed its dominion on Bassano, obliging an assembly of 800 inhabitants an oath of loyalty and obedience (1175).
     In the following decades the history of Bassano intertwined with the political and military events of the Ezzelinis, a powerful family of land owners, whose wealth increased with the blessing of the Bishop of Vicenza with the institution of taxes known as “decime”. Other proceeds derived from duties known as “mude” which were paid at the entrance of the village. The supremacy of the Ezzelinis limited the autonomy of the municipality on one hand, but on the other hand, the experience they acquired through the administration of their territories,  brought to the innovation of the first town Court.
     In 1259, upon the death of Ezzelino III, the inhabitants of  Bassano required the protection of Padova. The patrimony and rights which had once belonged to the Ezzelinis now belonged to the comunity of Bassano with the creation of a statute to govern internal matters of the comunity itself.
     After the brief domination of Vicenza (1260-1268), Bassano went through a difficult period. Padova ruled, then Verona and then Padova once again up until 1388 with a new domination of the Viscounts. The city, during the Viscount domination, enjoyed a period of relative autonomy, evidenced by the issuing of the last version of the statute in 1389.

  G. Chiuppani, ideal map of Bassano in
  Ezzelini era.

The Venetian Domination (1404-1797)

     On June 10^th 1404 Bassano was taken over by Venetian rule. However, the renewed statute and the customs of the comunity were maintained. Bassano was governed by Venetian jurisdiction. The Venetian Senate appointed from Venetian aristocracy a Podestà, equivalent to a modern day mayor, and a Capitanio, equivalent to a modern day captain, to govern.
     The territory of Bassano stretched to the east towards Pove, Cassola and Rossano, to the south towards Tezze sul Brenta, northwards to Primolano, while westwards to the Brenta river .
     During the four centuries of the Venetian domination, Bassano finally enjoys a long period of  peace, interrupted however, between 1509 and 1513, by the war against the Cambrai Alliance. At that time Bassano had become the centre of trade and manufacturing of wool, silk, leather and gold. In the XVI century the Dal Ponte dynasty is celebrated for its artistic talents; in the XVIII century, the Remondini family, renown in the publishing field, affirms its supremacy on the European market as far as the editing of books and the issuing of prints are concerned. On december 27^th 1760, the Venetian Senate upgrades Bassano to the ranks of “City”.

Jacopo da Ponte, The prodigious catch
of fish ( a detail with a view of Bassano)

     The Bridge that connects the inhabitants of Bassano and Angarano was first mentioned in an article written by Gerardo Maurisio in 1209. In the centuries that followed, the bridge, of vital importance for the comunity, was often destroyed by the wars which stroke this area and by the floods of the Brenta river. However, its reconstruction, in wood or stone, has always been carried out.
     In 1569, after one of its last collapses, the Council entrusted the reconstruction of a wooden bridge to the architect Andrea Palladio. It seems however that this famous architect did not design the project from scratch, but started off from a previous plan dated 1557.
     In 1748, the “Palladio” bridge was destroyed by another flood and rebuilt in 1751 by Bartolomeo Ferracina, who made adjustments to the structure.

Andrea Palladio, the Bridge of Bassano

The fall of the Serenissima domination and  the Napoleonic Empire (1797-1813)

     The victory of Napoleon on the Austrians in the battle which took place in Bassano on September 8^th 1796 signed the beginning of a tumultuous period, characterized by changes in the government and by deep economic and civil trasformations. In May 1797 the Serenissima domination fell and the democratic governments of the municipality took over. At the end of 1797, the Campoformido Treaty sanctioned the passage under the Austrian supremacy, which ruled from 1798 to 1805. Then the Veneto region became part of the Reign of Italy. In this period Bassano became the seat of the regional government.

L. F.Couché, the Battle of Bassano

     On April 7^th, 1815 Bassano became part of the Lombardo Veneto Reign and was annexed to the Province of Vicenza; the following year Bassano was given the status of chief town of province without being one. It was the only city in the Veneto region to have this status.
     The period of economic and political peace was soon interrupted by the brief revolution of 1848: the temporary government established in Bassano on March 25^th soon ended with the domination of the Austrians which took place on June 5^th. During the 50 years of the Austrian domination the following main events occurred: in 1831, the hospital was transferred from the Monastery of  St. Francesco to the Monastery of the Reformed Religious order, donated to the city from the Emperor Francesco 1^st, in 1836 the cholera epidemic broke out, between 1840 and 1843 the Library and the Museum were inaugurated. In this period great importance was attributed to the creation of charitable istitutions and organisms of public education and the reconstruction of roads and squares was carried out.

S. Lovison, a view of the Brenta river from
the Bridge of Bassano, 1827.

M. Moro, main square in Bassano, 1852

     On July 14th, 1866 the Austrians, defeated during the Third War of Independence, abandoned the city and a few days later the Italian troups arrived lead by the General Medici. With a plebiscite, which took place on October 21^st, Bassano was annexed to Italy.
     A railway link connecting Bassano to Padova was buit in 1877, to Venice in 1908, to Trento and to Vicenza in 1910. In 1897 the municipal aqueduct was inaugurated and between 1913 and 1917 a new bridge was built on the Brenta river.

The First World War (1915-1918)

     As soon as the hostilities broke out, Bassano was considered a war zone and it remained so during the whole period of the conflict. As a consequence all the economic and social activities were paralized, mostly from 1916 on.

Military  ambulances in viale Venezia

     Further to the Caporetto defeat Bassano was placed to fight along the front-line. Therefore, the military and civil authorities decided to evacuate all the inhabited areas. In three days, at the end of December 1917, around 7000 persons left their homes. The war-bulletin counted 30 air-raids, 527 bombs released, 330 deceased, almost all soldiers, and 250 houses destroyed or damaged.

     The most considerable economic al social event in the post-war period was the foundation, in 1924, of  the metallurgic industry “Smalterie Venete”, which soon became one of the most important industries in Bassano. However, the productive role of small and medium industries, of craftsmen and little shop owners were not to be considered less important.
     From 1922 to 1943 Bassano was governed by the fascist regime. From 1926 the elections were no longer held and the Mayor was replaced by the Podestà, who was appointed by the government.
     The breaking out of the conflict caused a restriction in the consumption of food-stuffs. Further to the fall of the fascist regime and the arrival of the German troups, Bassano was once again placed in the front-line during the period of the Resistance: the mopping up operations of Mt. Grappa, which took place in September 1944, causing the death of around 500 people and the depotation of other 400, finished tragically. Infact, on September 26^th, 1944 31 young men were hung from the trees along the streets of the city.
     The city of Bassano del Grappa was awarded the “Gold Medal for Military Value” for all the sacrifices made during the last two years of the war.