Treviso

Treviso (trāvē`zō), city (1991 pop. 83,598), capital of Treviso prov., Venetia, NE Italy. Situated in the center of the fertile Venetian plain, it is an agricultural market and industrial center. Manufactures include machinery, chemicals, metal products, ceramics, and construction materials. In the early Middle Ages, Treviso was the seat of a Lombard duchy, then of a Frankish march. It later became a free commune, submitted to various powers, and in 1339 fell to Venice. Severely damaged in the two world wars, Treviso remains picturesque, with canals, old houses, narrow winding streets, and fortifications of the 16th and 17th cent. Of special note are the cathedral (16th cent.) and the municipal museum, whose rich holdings include paintings by Pâris Bordone, born (1500) in Treviso.