The most characteristic corners of Jesolo Paese

by Manuel Pavanello

Our two-wheeled journey through the beauties of Jesolo continues. Arriving in the historic town centre, we recommend that once you exit Via Dragojesolo towards the Town Hall, turn left and take the Ponte della Vittoria (Victory Bridge) towards Piazza Matteotti. The Ponte della Vittoria is an important testament to the Great War and was inaugurated on the 9th of October 1927 at the request of the Duke of Aosta Emanuele Filiberto to commemorate the fallen sailors. In Piazza Matteotti, there is a commemorative monument (originally from the former war cemetery in Via Ca’ Gamba) dedicated to the naval gunners of the Great War, bearing an inscription by the soldier-poet Gabriele d’Annunzio. Just behind the square stands the city’s main church, built on 13th November 1910 and completed only in 1927. It was dedicated to St. John the Baptist the 29th of March 1932. Inside, there is a copy of the 14th-century “Christ of Cavazuccherina.” To the right of the church, the bell tower rises 75 meters tall.  Continuing our bike ride, we head towards Via Antiche Mura, riding until the end of the road to see, to our right, a private astronomical observatory at the Officina Montino, and a fort that served as a machine gun positioning during the Great War within the perimeter of the “Rodari” schools, to the left. We end the bike ride on Via Antiche Mura, passing by the eponymous archaeological site, which also includes a reinforced concrete fortification from the Second World War in the back area, and further ahead, near the site of the Church-Monastery of San Mauro, which has yielded interesting findings. Another round, another race? Follow us in the next issue of Jesolo Journal!