Belluno

Belluno (Italian: Belluno, Ladin: Belum, Venetian: Belùn), is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Belluno is the capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomiti's region. With its roughly 35,000 inhabitants, it the largest populated area of Valbelluna. It is one of the 15 municipalities of the Parco Nazionale delle Dolomiti Bellunesi.

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, it was ruled by the Lombards (6th century) and the Carolingians (8th century); the famous Belluno Treasure in the British Museum dates from this period. From the late 9th century it was ruled by a count-bishop and it received a castle and a line of walls. Later it was a possession of the Ghibelline family of the Ezzelino. After having longly contended the nearby territory with Treviso, in the end Belluno gave itself to the Republic of Venice (1404). The city was thenceforth an important hub for the transport of lumber from the Cadore through the Piave river. It remained Venetian until 1797. After the fall of the Republic, Belluno was an Austrian possession, until it was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

The cathedral was much damaged by the earthquake of 1873, which destroyed a considerable portion of the town, though the campanile stood firm.

Main sights

• The Duomo (Cathedral , 16th century), with the 18th-century bell tower designed by Filippo Juvarra. The church's plan is attributed to the Venetian architect Tullio Lombardo
• Palazzo dei Rettori (1491)
• The red edifice of the Communal Palace
• The Bishop's Palace, erected in 1190 by the count-bishop Gerardo de' Taccoli
• The Fountain of Piazza del Duomo
• Baroque church of San Pietro (1326), originally in Gothic style. It includes five paintings by Andrea Schiavone, three by Sebastiano Ricci.
• Palazzo del Capitano.
• The 16th-century church of San Rocco.
• The church of Santo Stefano, housing several 15th-century paintings by local masters. It includes also an Adoration of the Magi from Tiziano's workshop.
• The Romanesque church of San Biagio.
• The Porta Dojona and Porta Rugo gates in the ancient walls.
• The 16th-century church of Santa Maria dei Battuti.