Crocetta del Montello
Crocetta del Montello lies at the foot of the Montello, the hill ridge running parallel to the Piave river, about three kilometres...
Updated 12 July 2026
The story
The story of Crocetta del Montello
On the Montello, between hills and the Piave river
Crocetta del Montello lies at the southern foot of the Montello, the long wooded hill ridge running parallel to the Piave for about fifteen kilometres. The town sits roughly three kilometres from the river, in a position that historically benefited from the crossing of several roads, as recalled by the settlement's original name, Crosetta.
Villa Ancilotto: from inn to spinning mill
Where Villa Ancilotto now stands, the Hosteria alla Crosetta inn stood in the seventeenth century, known for its location at the crossing of four roads, near a branch of the Brentella canal. In the early nineteenth century Giovanni Marcato bought the inn from the noble Sandi family; his son Giovan Battista, taking advantage of the canal's abundant water, had the first spinning mill built there, which grew into a significant industrial enterprise. When Giovanna Marcato married Count Riccardo Ancilotto, the complex became the family residence, giving it the name it carries today.
The La Terra e l'Uomo museum
The Ancilotto spinning mill closed in 1961, and in 1965 the municipality of Crocetta del Montello purchased the entire complex. Today Villa Ancilotto houses the municipal library, exhibition rooms and, since 1978, the paleontology museum La Terra e l'Uomo, which gathers finds related to the natural history of the area.
The Montello in the Great War
During the First World War, after the retreat of Caporetto, the front stabilised along the Piave, and the Montello became a strategic position for the Italian defence, the scene of fierce fighting, notably during the Battle of the Solstice in June 1918. Traces of trenches and fortifications can still be seen along the paths crossing the ridge, and the memory of the Great War remains a strong part of local identity for the Montello's municipalities.
The Montello forest and the Republic of Venice
Before becoming a battlefield, the Montello had for centuries been a forest reserve of the Republic of Venice, its timber used for the Arsenal shipyards. Today the woodland, reduced from its historic extent, is crossed by well-used hiking and cycling routes, which pass through Crocetta del Montello and the neighbouring towns along the hill ridge.
Experiences not to miss
- Visit Villa Ancilotto and the La Terra e l'Uomo paleontology museum
- Trace the history of the spinning mill along the Brentella canal
- Walk or cycle the wooded trails of the Montello
- Look for traces of Great War trenches on the ridge
- Reach the banks of the Piave, a few kilometres from the town centre
To see
What to see in Crocetta del Montello
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Crocetta del Montello
Jobs · JobFlow
