Bassano del Grappa

Bassano del Grappa (bäs-sä`nō dĕl gräp`pä), city (1991 pop. 38,871), Venetia, NE Italy, on the Brenta River. It is an agricultural, commercial, and industrial center. Its products include grappa (a kind of brandy), metals, and textiles. First mentioned c.998, the city came under several lords before passing to Venice in 1404. In Sept., 1796, Napoleon I defeated the Austrians there. The Da Ponte family of painters, called the Bassano family after the city, had a flourishing school there in the 16th cent., and many of their works remain in the city. In the 17th and 18th cent. the Remondini printing plant was famous throughout Europe. Of note are a 13th-century castle, a wooden covered bridge (13th cent., rebuilt numerous times including 1945), and a number of fine old churches and villas.