Asiago is the principal town of the “Seven Communes” on the historic Asiago plateau, famous for the Italian counter-offensive during the First World War. It is located northeast of Venice in the province of Vicenza, and is surrounded by the Astico and the Brenta mountain chains which protect the plateau against cold winds and help keep the air clear. It is a well-known summer and winter holiday resort, offering many sport choices including golf, horseback riding, fishing and skiing.

The skiing complex is divided into five centers at Larici, Maddarello, Bellocchio, Ekar and Kaberlaga and has lifts going up to 2019 meters. There are cross-country trails over a total distance of 36 kilometers and mountain routes for Alpine skiers. The traditional "Marciabianca," a famous annual cross-country ski competition, is held here.


Asiago is home to the "Sacrario Militare" - the impressive war memorial chapel containing the remains of over 51,000 soldiers killed in the area during the First World War, and its associated museum. Padua University’s astrophysics observatory, which has the largest telescope in Italy, is also located in Asiago.

The week-long international “Wood Sculpture” competition and the international philatelic art festival ("Premio Internazionale Asiago d'Arte Filatelica") are two of the many original festivals organized in the area.

And yes, Asiago is where Asiago cheese comes from! Asiago is one of the great Italian cheeses, chosen by connoisseurs and gourmets all over the world. It is produced with methods that respect the age-old traditions of cheese-making in zones established by law and with milk collected in those same areas. The pasture and feeding of the cows is also controlled. The Consorzio Tutela Formaggio Asiago, based in the city of Vicenza, was created up in 1979 to control the quality of Asiago cheeses, to ensure the correct use of brands, markings and seals, and to develop awareness-raising activities in Italy and other countries. The regulatory board now represents over fifty cheese makers and cheese-seasoning workshops.

Asiago cheese is produced only in certain areas, from pasture land in the Po Valley to Alpine meadows on the Asiago plateau and in the province of Trent. The milk collection areas and the zones of production lie within four provinces in northeastern Italy. These are the provinces of Trent and Vicenza, and parts of the lowland provinces of Padua and Treviso. In the year 2000 production of Asiago cheese exceeded 20,000 tons - up 33% from the previous three-year period. This raised the Asiago brand to the fifth position in the Italian national market for cheeses.

Vital Statistics

Region: Veneto
Province code: VI (Vicenza)
Zip code: 36012
Phone area code: 0424
Distance from Vicenza: 42 Kilometers (26 Miles)
Elevation: 445 meters (1464 feet)

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