San Biagio di Callalta and surrounding areas

Origins
Municipality situated in Treviso province, and whose origins date back to the Paleovenetian period, as witnessed by archaeological finds. The name comes from Saint Biagio, bishop and martyr, and from the military road ‘Callis Alta’, built in the late Roman period (3rd and 4th centuries AC.) which these days is now the 'Postumia' main road, During this period, the Via Postumia became the main axis for economic traffic, but it also became the principal access route for the continuous barbarian invasions until 1314 when the new road known as ‘Callis Alta' was built. This is a military road, laid on an earthwork embankment, and also serving against flooding from the Piave river. The town took the name of 'Sancti Blasi de Cornudella' to indicate a fork in the road. In the following years, the Benedictine monks contributed to the area’s growth and development, particularly in the outlying towns of Rovarè and Fagarè. During the rule of the Republic of Venice, there was a period of peace, even if both land and people were afflicted by famine.

What to see
The areas around San Biagio di Callalta are full of interesting places for tourists to visit: the Parish Church of Spercenigo, with artworks dating from the 5th century inside, the church of San Biaggio home to valuable frescoes, and the Military Memorial Chapel at Fagarè della Battaglia, dedicated to the fallen of the First World War. The rule of the Republic of Venice saw the construction of splendid country villas. Some of these are still lived in and may be visited, such as the Villa Navagero-Erizzo, in Rovarè, built at the end of the 1600s, Villa Mariani and Villa Marzotto-Caotorta in Spercenigo and Villa De Rossi a Cavrié. Sadly, the loveliest example has been lost to us following a fire in 1800: this was the Villa da Lezze in Rovarè, constructed between 1670 and 1739, designed by the architect Baldassarre Longhena and commissioned by a wealthy family of traders and ship owners from Lecce who had bought up a noble Venetian title