Asiago


Asiago is the name of both a major Italian Protected Designation of Origin as well as a cheese, and a minor township in the surrounding plateau region in the Province of Vicenza in the Veneto region of Northeastern Italy. It is near the border between the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol regions in the foothills of the Alps, and about equidistant from the major cities of Trento to the west and Vicenza to the south.
The Asiago region is the origin of Asiago cheese. The town was the site of a major battle between Austrian and Italian forces on the Alpine Front of World War I. It is a major ski resort destination as well as the site of the Astrophysical Observatory of Asiago, operated by the University of Padua.

Geography

Climate

Culture

Until the middle of the nineteenth century many of the people of Asiago spoke Cimbrian, an ancient German dialect.
Asiago is the birthplace of author Mario Rigoni Stern, and features prominently in his stories. It is also described in Emilio Lussu's A Year on the Altopiano.

Battle of Asiago

The Battle of Asiago was a counter-offensive launched by the Austro-Hungarians on the Italian Front in May 1916, during World War I. It was an unexpected attack that took place near Asiago. Commemorating this battle and the fallen soldiers of World War I is the Asiago War Memorial, a monument and museum that is a popular site for visitors to the area.
Ernest Hemingway fought here. In a later engagement in 1918, Edward Brittain, brother of Vera Brittain, was killed and was buried in the Granezza British military cemetery on the plateau. In 1970 Vera's ashes were scattered on his grave.
The Barenthal, Boscon, Granezza, Magnaboschi and Cavalletto Military Cemeteries at Asiago were designed by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1920.

Sport

The city is home to HC Asiago, a professional ice hockey team currently playing in the country's top division, Serie A1.
The Asiago Vipers, also based in Asiago, are a professional inline hockey team. The team plays in the highest Italian inline league.
The Asiago Award is known as the Oscar of the Philatelic World. Since 1970 the "Circolo Filatelico Numismatico Sette Comuni Asiago" has been awarding the prize for the best designed postage stamp of the year.