The Terraglio

I have had to overcome a certain reluctance before including this route of the Terraglio with those of other bike paths, since so much of it runs along a very busy road, on which the cyclist has only one bike lane available, on the right; yet, between Mestre and Mogliano there are still several stretches of true bike path, which I hope will continue to extend further.

This route is primarily a straight road that connects Mestre to Treviso, now part of the historic Statale 13 – the Pontebbana – which runs from Venice all the way to the border with Austria(*).

[The border between Italy and Austria between 1866 and 1918 was located just past Pontebba, from which the name Pontebanna derived and has remained even after 1918 when the border was relocated to Tarvisio.]

In fact, the Terraglio is an ancient road; its name, from the Latin terraleum, suggests that it is a road built on an embankment or earthwork, and constructed from materials found on site.

When Venice began its expansion onto the mainland this road was chosen, along with the Riviera del Brenta, by many aristocratic Venetian families to construct their villas to be used for leisure.

Today the Terraglio has degenerated into an urbanized road heavy with traffic, with the majority of villas having been altered and undergone changes of use, mostly into hotels and restaurants, and therefore are no longer considered of particular artistic integrity. Only Villa Albrizzi at Preganziol is included among the Venetian villas as having particular artistic merit.

From the perspective of the cyclist the route is short and doesn’t present any particular difficulty with grade; the only real difficulty, as I have already mentioned, is the vehicular traffic.

Leave from the train station at Mestre and take Via Piave in front of the station; from this point there is only one way to go, straight to Treviso!

You reach a rotary where the road officially takes on the name Via Terraglio and shortly after you will find, on the left of the statale a bike path that is slightly elevated and which crosses under the tracks of the train to Trieste. After the underpass cross the Terraglio to the right, where yet again there is a bike lane; continue along, sometimes on the right, sometimes on the left, but keeping to the bike lanes. Just before an underpass, there is, on the right, Villa Algarotti.

At the border between the cities of Venice and Mogliano Veneto you will see, on the left, the monumental Villa Morosini-Gatterburg. Upon arriving to the center of Mogliano the bike lane ends and one is forced to continue along the shoulder of the statale.

Continue as far as Preganziol, passing by numerous villas, among which there is a Villa Foscarini, which has been converted into a hotel, and a Villa Marchesi, together on the left side of the Terraglio. At Preganziol, on the right, you will find the large structure of Villa Albrizzi, the best known along the Terraglio. After this villa continue for a few kilometers more and you will reach Treviso.

Photos

Villa Morosini-Gatterburg at Mogliano Villa Pisani-Maccatrozzo at Mogliano Villa Foscarini at Mogliano Villa Marchesi at Preganziol Villa Albrizzi at Preganziol Villa Albrizzi along the Terraglio The old locomotive

Captions

Just past the border between Venice and Mogliano this monumental villa leaps out at you. Mogliano Veneto: you will see on the right Villa Pisani, now called Maccatrozzo. This Villa Foscarini, on the left side of the Terraglio at Mogliano Veneto, has been converted to the Park Hotel. At Preganziol, on the left of the Terraglio, the nineteenth century Villa Marchesi presents itself. Villa Albrizzi at Preganziol. The main entrance of Villa Albrizzi, directly on the Terraglio; at both sides of the villa there are two imposing barchesse [farm support buildings]. Between Mogliano and Preganziol, on the right side of the Terraglio, this old Henschel T3 locomotive is on display, which was widely used for Italian local trains during the first half of the twentieth century.