San Donà di Piave
Encyclopedia
San Donà di Piave or, simply, San Donà, is the largest town in Eastern Veneto and comune
of province of Venice
, Veneto
, in the North East region of Italy
.
approximately 40 km north-east of Venice
and 30 km (18.6 mi) east of Treviso
.
, San Donà and the close village of Musile di Piave
were two small communities of the wetland situated north-east of Venetian Lagoon
. The "friendship pact" between the two communities combines historical fact and legend. In 1258 (according to the historian Plateo) or in 1383 (according to other scholar) the Piave
River changed its course naturally. At that time the river marked the boundary between two dioceses: the Patriarch of Aquileia
on the eastern side and the diocese of Torcello
(Venice
) on the other one. The church of San Donato (Saint Donatus), which was previously on the eastern side of the river Piave, and therefore on the side of San Donà, after the flood was on the western side of the river in the current territory of Musile di Piave
. Thus the village of San Donà (whose name is the truncated form of San Donato) lost its identity symbol. Hence the compromise: San Donà kept the name of the saint, but its population must reward that one of Musile with two capons (“gallos eviratos duos”) on August 7th of each year. Moreover the community of Musile retained the right to make the traditional feast in honor of the parish patron saint.
This is the synthesis of "friendship pact": every year on August 7th, the payment of tribute is repeated. The tradition has been restored in a rich ceremony with a great attention to the historical details under the patronage of the Veneto
Region.
, France
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of province of Venice
Province of Venice
The Province of Venice is a province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Its capital is the city of Venice.It has an area of 2,467 km², and a total population of 829,418 . There are 44 comuni in the province . As of 2005, the main comuni by population are:-External links:* * : photos of...
, Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, in the North East region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Geography
San Donà lies on the river PiavePiave
Piave can refer to:* Francesco Maria Piave, Italian librettist and composer* Piave * Piave * Battle of the Piave River* 10 Motorised Division Piave An Italian division of World War II...
approximately 40 km north-east of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and 30 km (18.6 mi) east of Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
.
The friendship pact
Seven centuries ago, during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, San Donà and the close village of Musile di Piave
Musile di Piave
Musile di Piave is a town and comune in the province of Venezia, Veneto, northern Italy.Piave River flows through the town.Musile di Piave has been an important town in the first mondial war, for it is near de river Piave, and in 1918 it has been occupated by the Austrians.- Main sights:* Giardino...
were two small communities of the wetland situated north-east of Venetian Lagoon
Venetian Lagoon
The Venetian Lagoon is the enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Venetian language, Laguna Veneta— cognate of Latin lacus, "lake"— has provided the international name for an enclosed, shallow embayment of saltwater, a lagoon.The Venetian Lagoon...
. The "friendship pact" between the two communities combines historical fact and legend. In 1258 (according to the historian Plateo) or in 1383 (according to other scholar) the Piave
Piave
Piave can refer to:* Francesco Maria Piave, Italian librettist and composer* Piave * Piave * Battle of the Piave River* 10 Motorised Division Piave An Italian division of World War II...
River changed its course naturally. At that time the river marked the boundary between two dioceses: the Patriarch of Aquileia
Aquileia
Aquileia is an ancient Roman city in what is now Italy, at the head of the Adriatic at the edge of the lagoons, about 10 km from the sea, on the river Natiso , the course of which has changed somewhat since Roman times...
on the eastern side and the diocese of Torcello
Torcello
Torcello is a quiet and sparsely populated island at the northern end of the Venetian Lagoon. It is considered the oldest continuously populated region of Venice, and once held the largest population of the Republic of Venice.-History:...
(Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
) on the other one. The church of San Donato (Saint Donatus), which was previously on the eastern side of the river Piave, and therefore on the side of San Donà, after the flood was on the western side of the river in the current territory of Musile di Piave
Musile di Piave
Musile di Piave is a town and comune in the province of Venezia, Veneto, northern Italy.Piave River flows through the town.Musile di Piave has been an important town in the first mondial war, for it is near de river Piave, and in 1918 it has been occupated by the Austrians.- Main sights:* Giardino...
. Thus the village of San Donà (whose name is the truncated form of San Donato) lost its identity symbol. Hence the compromise: San Donà kept the name of the saint, but its population must reward that one of Musile with two capons (“gallos eviratos duos”) on August 7th of each year. Moreover the community of Musile retained the right to make the traditional feast in honor of the parish patron saint.
This is the synthesis of "friendship pact": every year on August 7th, the payment of tribute is repeated. The tradition has been restored in a rich ceremony with a great attention to the historical details under the patronage of the Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
Region.
Main sights
- Duomo of Blessed Virgin Mary (XIX century, rebuilt after the World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
) - Church of Chiesanuova
- Villa Ancillotto and its ornamental historical park (XVIII-XX century)
Museums
- Museo della Bonifica (Land Reclamation Museum) http://museobonifica.sandonadipiave.net/index.php?l=INGLESE
- Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea (City Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art)
- Parco della Scultura in Architettura (Park of Sculpture in Architecture) http://www.dimensionedisegno.it/eng/azienda.php
Twin towns
Villeneuve-sur-LotVilleneuve-sur-Lot
Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a town and commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France. The commune was formerly named Villeneuve-d'Agen....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...