Oderzo Italy.
A charming Roman archaeological town
in Veneto
Oderzo Italy, (about 20,000 inhabitants) is a very ancient town located in the province of Treviso, in the region Veneto.
A visit to this beautiful town will make you discover an interesting archaeological center with a relevant artistic and architectural heritage.
Originally it was a pile dwelling settlement inhabited by the ancient Venetos. It became more and more important in the Roman era – its name in the 1st century before Christ was Opitergium- with the building of the via Postumia, an important communication route linking Genua with Aquileia (concerning northern Italy, it goes from the west coast to the east coast).
Things to see in Oderzo Italy
Piazza Grande(aka Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II)
It is one of the most famous squares of Veneto, from where you can also enjoy a view over the beautiful mountains in the background.
The square, which also boasts a rare sun-dial, is reachable through the arcade of the symbol of the town, that is the gothic clock tower called Torresin built over the ruins of a tower part of the Medieval rampart.
This charming piazza is lined with old buildings with frescoed facades, and it is overlooked by an originally late gothic cathedral.
Nowadays the facade of the cathedral shows a Renaissance portal, having been refurbished in the 1500s. Its interior is embellished with paintings.
Archaeological Areas in Oderzo Italy
In the Oderzo centre there are several open air archaeological sites: you can visit them by making an appointement with a professional guide working for the Veneto’s Archaeological Authorities.
There are four sites that are particularly worth seeing:
- the Forum area, containing the remains of a forum dating back to the Roman Imperial Age, plus an interesting big Roman house
- the area of the former jails, near the clock tower
- the via dei Mosaici area, with its well preserved mosaic paving of a noble house
- the area between Piazza Grande and Piazza Castello, where you can visit a tunnel built in order to show visitors the remains of a big Roman town road and a paved floor.
The Archaeological Museum
In the Archaeological Museum named Eno Bellis, one of the most important of Veneto, is located in the Palazzo Foscolo.
There you can admire the most important and interesting archaeological finds dating back to the pre-Roman and Roman times and to the Early Middle Ages discovered in the surrounding areas. It displays among others Roman mosaics with hunting scenes, tombstones, coins, animal-shaped terracotta statues, venetic inscriptions, and so on.
The Opitergium historical reenactement in Oderzo Italy
Every year, at the beginning of June, a spectacular reenactement of the Roman age performing scenes of everyday life takes place in the old town.
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