Lentiai

Lentiai rises on the left bank of the Piave River, near the Busche lake, in the southern section of the province of Belluno. This ancient Roman fief is surrounded by lush meadows and forests, and its territory is scattered with villas and other interesting historical dwellings, like the Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, a national monument. If you love nature, don't miss the bloom of narcissi in Pian de Coltura, and if you love active holidays the area offers a lot of hiking and mountain biking trails, and even Nordic walking routes, in the Stride Walk Fit Park.

Lentiai: what to see

Lentiai and its many administrative divisions (Cesana, Villapiana, Canai, Ronchena, Marziai, Boschi, Stabie and Colderù) boast an ancient history. The name lentiai has its origins in the traditional linen manufacturing. The territory is known also as Contea di Cesana (the name comes from the Gens Caesia). Here there once was a castle, and even if no trace of it is left, there are things that still talk of its past existence, such as the prefect's palace and the headstones of the graves of the local counts. In the Middle Ages, under the reign of the Ezzelini, the place was torn by wars for supremacy.

Lentiai: churches and monuments

In the center of Lentiai rises the beautiful Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta, a national monument boasting a lot of artistic treasures: the wonderful ceiling by Cesare Vecellio and paintings credited to Paolo Veronese, Palma il Giovane, Tiziano vecellio, Francesco Fragimelica and Luigi Cima. In San Donato you can admire the hermitage of San Donato with the crenellated tower, in Colderù the Chiesa di San Giacomo, and in Villapiana the Chiesa di San Bartolomeo. Worth a visit are also the many 500 and 600 century villas scattered on the territory: Villa Zanatta, Villa De Mozzi-Mione and Villa Cristini. If you want to know more about Lentiai, a village rich in art and history, homeland of the contemporary landscape painter Toni Piccolotto, you should visit the Museo civico ed etnografico, with over 1,000 pieces on show.

And then there are of course shops, playgrounds, football fields and tennis courts.

This lively village hosts events all year round, like the Gran Gala in January, the local festival in July and the corn festival in September.

Lentiai: the bloom of the narcissi, nordic walking, tours in the nature

Just above Lentiai stretches Pian de Coltura, a beautiful plateau covered every year in spring by a fragrant blanket of narcissi (no flower picking!). The territory of Lentiai goes from the valley floor up to the 1,330 meters of Monte Garda, and here you find hiking trails of every level of difficulty: the easy walks along the Piave River and near the Busche lake, a fairly crowded destination in summer, or on the valley floor; the Nordic walking routes in the Stride Walk Fit Park, with well-marked trails running from Mel to Lentiai; or the more difficult trails of Monte Artent and Monte Garda, with a wonderful panoramic view on the whole Val Belluna valley and a mountain farm selling dairy products and open to public for tasting events. Not far from the farm rises a small shrine built in 1500 and recently refurbished to sign the border between Lentiai and Valdobbiadene.

There are other interesting trails, like the Sentiero dei 12 capitelli and the Sentiero Natura between San Gervasio and Colderù. With your mountain bike you can explore the Anello delle Malghe and the Giro delle valli tra i Narcisi. And then there are also trails for horseback riding and a canyoneering route on stream Rimonta.