Borgo Valbelluna

The village of Mel stands on a hill in the center of Valbelluna; off in the distance, you can see the majestic outline of the Dolomites, while from the ridge of the Prealps, the view stretches to the lagoon of Venice. Mel derives from the Latin “gemellae”, and may refer to the “twin castles” of Zumelle and Castelvint. Zumelle is the best-preserved medieval fortified site in the Valbelluna, open to the public for visits. Castelvint, on the other hand, has disappeared, but not without leaving behind interesting traces of its past: a silver patera, dating to the 6th century, and a Lombard nobleman’s tomb containing precious objects. To get to know the area’s history in depth,visitors can explore the Civic Museum, which holds the tomb goods sourced from the Paleovenetian necropolis and early looks at initial studies on the pre-Roman and Roman settlement. Several noble palaces embellish the historic center and reflect four centuries of domination by the Republic of Venice. Namely, there’s the sixteenth-century palace of the Magnifica Comunità, which today serves as the town hall. Its main salon contains frescoes depicting episodes from Orlando Furioso.