The Historic Center
A decree issued by the Signori di Polcenigo in 1200, encouraged the building of new houses within the town walls in order to attract new residents in the village. Over time a small village developed at the foot of the castle.
Traders, artisans, notaries, tailors, barbers, furriers and smiths settled in the village while local activities, such as farming and stock rearing flourished together with tavern inns, bakeries, groceries and markets.
Other small settlements grew around the original centre: Slas, Coltura, San Rocco and the village called the Middle one, on the road leading to San Giovanni.
Polcenigo turned into a little town whose location was seen as a great asset.
As early as the XIII century, on the hill that hosts the castle, a Franciscan convent was built, next to a pre- existing church dedicated to St. James.
The convent, first reported in 1262, soon became a major social, economic, and religious centre that was inhabited by the Friars till the end of the XVIII century, when the Franciscans were made to leave.
Between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
In the XIV and the XV century two more religious buildings were erected in Polcenigo: Our Lady of Health’s (1371) and St Rocco’s. The former, which was originally regarded as the Parish Church, underwent massive restructuring in the XVI century when it was enlarged and reoriented: the high altar was removed from the east to the west. The latter was built on the outskirts of the village, where it stood, as a heavenly sentry, to prevent the plague and other infectious diseases from entering the village. Its squat belfry is probably an ancient tower belonging to the defence walls.
A precise division of the territory emphasised the gap between the rich and the poor. The Nobility lived in the castle or in the luxurious palaces located in Via Coltura and Via Roma. The middle class, together with notaries and shopkeepers, lived in the town centre, whereas farmers and artisans lived in humble houses in the suburbs. In the XVII century a few wealthy families, like the Manins and the Fullinis, settled in Polcenigo where they purchased buildings, land and nobility titles.
The maintenance of the great urban heritage belonging to the counts and to the aristocracy was granted by the labour of the humble people that had to work for free. That was not enough to prevent the decay of the old castle.
In the early 18th century the whole structure was in such poor conditions that the counts commissioned the Venetian architect Matteo Lucchesi to design a new comfortable villa (1738), a stately mansion in Venetian style that became their new residence on the hill for about one hundred years.
The Palaces
If you take a walk in the historic town centre you can appreciate the majesty of a few palaces that are worth a look for their historical and architectural relevance like Palazzo Scolari-Salice (XVI century), Palazzo Fullini-Zaia (second half XVII century), Palazzo Manin-Zaro (XVI- XVII century), Palazzo Polcenigo (XVI century) and Palazzo Pezzutti (XVII century).
The Scolari-Salice Palace first belonged to the Fabris family then to the Mainardis and, in the 19th century to Pietro Quaglia, who handed it down to his daughter married to Professor Francesco Saverio Scolari, a patriot and member of Parliament. The small portico on the outside boasts ancient columns with coats of arms, while the inside shows fine stone finishing and antique furniture. The inner yard admits to a lovely terraced Italian garden, designed by Pietro Quaglia himself. It still preserves the old narrow paths that lead uphill as well as hedges, plants and rare hundred-year-old trees.
The Fullini-Zaia Palace, probably designed by Domenico Rossi is a stately building overlooking Piazza Plebiscito. The palace boasts two great mullioned windows with three lights, an ashlar work arcade and odd masks. It still preserves delicate XIX century stuccos, ancient pieces of furniture, paintings and a beautiful staircase. In 1809, on the eve of the Camolli battle, won by the Austrians, the palace hosted Napoleon’s stepson and Italy’s viceroy, Eugenie de Beauharnais.
Other magnificent buildings
The Manin-Zaro Palace is an example of late Venetian style. It is adorned with marble and stucco ornaments and a great central three- mullioned window that embellishes the façade overlooking Via Coltura.
The movie theatre is a massive building that was probably used as a warehouse by the counts of Polcenigo. In the second half of the 19th century it hosted concerts and theatrical performances by local amateurs. Nowadays, after major renovations, visitors can enjoy the cosy atmosphere of the new movie theatre on the ground floor and learn about the history of the chefs from the Pedemontana area at the Museum of Cooking Arts.
Noteworthy are also St Lawrence’s (early XIII century) in Coltura and St John’s (XIV-XVIII century), in San Giovanni.
We can’t forget Mezzomonte, the little hamlet once called Nuvolone, that develops on the mountain slope behind Polcenigo at an altitude of 477mts. Itisamarvellousbalconyoverlookingtheplainbelow.The village has a fascinating architecture of stone houses clustered at different heights.