Crocetta del Montello (or Croseta del Montel in the local
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
dialect), formerly Crocetta Trevigiana, is a ''
comune'' (municipality) in the
Province of Treviso in the
Italian region
Veneto, located about northwest of
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
and about northwest of
Treviso. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 5,807 and an area of .
[All demographics and other statistics: Italian statistical institute Istat.]
The town lies about southwest of the
Piave River, and borders the municipalities of
Cornuda
Cornuda is a ''comune'' with 6,325 inhabitants in the province of Treviso. Physical geography
The territory of Cornuda, which extends to the right of the Piave, is largely hilly. The inhabited area insists on a roughly flat area, whose altitudes va ...
,
Montebelluna,
Moriago della Battaglia
Moriago della Battaglia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about northwest of Venice and about northwest of Treviso.
Moriago della Battaglia borders the following municipalities: Croce ...
,
Pederobba,
Vidor
Vidor is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Treviso, Veneto, north-eastern Italy.
Twin towns
Vidor is twinned with:
* Petritoli
Petritoli is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Fermo in the Italian region Marche, located abo ...
, and
Volpago del Montello
Volpago del Montello is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about northwest of Venice and about northwest of Treviso on the southern slopes of Montello.
History
The fall of the Republic of ...
. The present name literally means "Little Cross of the Little Hill", and refers to the
Montello, an isolated hillock, in size and in elevation, that rises from the Piave's
alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a largely flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms. A floodplain is part of the process, being the sma ...
at the west edge of the town.
History
Prehistory and antiquity
Traces of human occupation dating from the
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
have been found along the north-east edge of the Montello, above the boroughs of Ciano and Santa Margherita, which at the time were on the Piave river. The main finds are
chipped stone tools that appear to be
fishing spear points.
Ciano takes its name from an ancient
Roman temple devoted to the cult of
Cyane. The temple's focus was the Buoro di Ciano spring, which presently lies at the end of a long
grotto
A grotto is a natural or artificial cave used by humans in both modern times and antiquity, and historically or prehistorically. Naturally occurring grottoes are often small caves near water that are usually flooded or often flooded at high ti ...
, and whose water was reputed to be beneficial to the health.
Rural beginnings
In the
Middle Ages the temple was replaced by a
chapel dedicated to
Saint Mamertus
Mamertus (died c. 475) was the bishop of Vienne in Gaul, venerated as a saint. His primary contribution to ecclesiastical practice was the introduction of litanies prior to Ascension Day as an intercession against earthquakes and other disasters, ...
, patron of
harvest
Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...
.
Up to the 11th century, the area was still a sparsely settled woodland, plagued by lack of water and periodic flooding by the Piave. In the 15th century the Brentella Canal] or Bretella Canal (''Brantea'' in Venetian) was built to draw irrigation water from the Piave. The Bentella, which presently bisects the town in the north-south direction alongside Via Gugliemo Marconi and via Erizzo, was to become a major landmark and economic benesse for Crocetta and its surrounds three centuries later.
After
Republic of Venice turned the Montello into an off-limits
timber reserve, the displaced
hunter
Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...
s and
woodsmen
Woodsman (also, woodsmen, pl.) is a competitive, co-ed intercollegiate sport in the United States, Canada and elsewhere based on various skills traditionally part of forestry educational and technical training programs. In North America, the sp ...
who used to live there became a class of landless, homeless and jobless miserables, the ', who survived on odd jobs and occasionally crimes.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the area was occupied by a few large
manorial properties belonging to the
Venetian
Venetian often means from or related to:
* Venice, a city in Italy
* Veneto, a region of Italy
* Republic of Venice (697–1797), a historical nation in that area
Venetian and the like may also refer to:
* Venetian language, a Romance language s ...
nobility, many small family farms producing
wheat,
maize,
rye
Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is a member of the wheat tribe (Triticeae) and is closely related to both wheat (''Triticum'') and barley (genus ''Hordeum''). Rye grain is u ...
and
oats, and a few small
vineyards
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...
on the hill slopes. Some
wicker
Wicker is the oldest furniture making method known to history, dating as far back as 5,000 years ago. It was first documented in ancient Egypt using pliable plant material, but in modern times it is made from any pliable, easily woven material. ...
work was produced at Ciano, and the town had a few
smiths and
coopers. A
sawmill, powered by the Brentella, operated near Via Rimembranza.
In the second half of the 19th century,
silk production became popular across northern Italy, and the raising of
silkworm
The domestic silk moth (''Bombyx mori''), is an insect from the moth family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. It is an economically imp ...
s became an option for local farmers. The first silk spinning shop, the Filanda Marcato Ancilotto, was established in 1870.
The Canapificio Veneto
In 1882, Andrea Antonini, who owned a
hemp
Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants o ...
rope mill in Venice, joined with fellow businessmen Pacifico Ceresa and Angelo Zorzetto to build the Canapificio Veneto Antonini Ceresa, on the west bank of the Brentella, which opened its doors in May 1883. The Canapificio dominated the town's economy for more than seven decades (1882–1958), and Antonini, its main owner and manager, became one of the most influential personalities in the town's history.
The first workers were recruited among the ''bisenti'', but as the mill grew it attracted workers from the neighboring towns as well. Antonini sponsored the construction of popular housing for those workers along Via Sant'Anna (1890) and Piazza Cadorna (1896), and the establishment of basic services.
The first two
electricity generators of the town, driven by the Brentella, were installed in 1883 by the Canapificio.
Antonini first had his own residence built inside the Canapificio, but in 1898 he started the construction of a new house, Villa Antonini, which is now a landmark of Crocetta. His old residence became the worker's
ballroom
A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially historic man ...
.
Independence from Cornuda

Throughout the 19th century, Crocetta was only a suburb of the municipality of Cornuda. It only became an independent municipality on July 2, 1902 by detaching the hamlets Ciano and Nogarè. The split was an initiative of Lodovico Boschieri, then mayor of Cornuda, who became the first mayor of Crocetta.
In the years following the split, Crocetta gained a
post office, an
asylum, a
pharmacy
Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...
, a
barber shop, a cooperative
drugstore, and an
aqueduct. Schools were opened at some of its boroughs. A dormitory for the girls who worked on the silk mill was also built at that time. Antonini himself established a semi-industrial
bakery and a spinnery in Crocetta (1904), a
brick kiln at Ciano (1905), and a
lime kiln at Crocetta (1910). Another electric plant was built upstream at Croce del Gallo, and a third one downstream from the Canapificio (1911).
A
worker's union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...
(the ''Società Operaia di Mutuo Soccorso'', "Worker's Society for Mutual Help"), was established in 1910. In 1913, workers went on a 20-day
worker's strike for better living conditions, which ended with a promise by Antonini to build a
professional school
Professional development is learning to earn or maintain professional credentials such as academic degrees to formal coursework, attending conferences, and informal learning opportunities situated in practice. It has been described as intensive ...
.
Between the two wars
Mortar shells outside Ciano Church during World War One.
Crocetta found itself on the front line of
World War I. The Montello hill was the stage of the Battle of the Solstice between Italian and
Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
troops (June 15–23, 1918). Many buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged, including the Canapificio and all the town's
churches.
In the years after the war, some of the local business gradually resumed their activities, including the Canapificio. In 1920 a merger turned it into the Linificio e Canapificio Nazionale, with Ceresa as one of the directors, while Antonini chose to sell all its holdings. Crocetta's bakery and lime kiln, however, closed their doors.
The town's original name Crocetta Trevigiana was changed in 1928 by the
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...
government, to honor the soldiers who died fighting for control of the Montello hill during World War I. An
orphanage, the Orfanotrofio Pontello, was built in the same year.
Over the following decade, the
fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
regime took control of all freetime activities of the country's population through its ''
Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro
The National Afterwork Club (''Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro'', or OND) was the Italian Fascist leisure and recreational organization for adults.
History
In April 1925, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini agreed to the Fascist unions’ demands to s ...
'' ("National Leisure Organization"), or OND. At Crocetta, the OND took over the Arts and Crafts school as its local headquarters. In 1935, the regime turned the Anonini Cultural Center into the ''Casa del Fascio'' ("House of Fascism").
Crocetta was badly hit by the global economic turmoil between the two World Wars, especially by the downturns of 1922 (the
Post-World War I recession), 1927 (the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
), 1933, and 1938. The Canapificio gradually reduced its operations and finally closed its doors in 1938, leaving many people without a job and triggering the
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
of many local business that depended on it.
The Second World War
The first years of
World War II affected Crocetta only indirectly, by conscription and shortages. However, after the
Allies
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
landed in southern Italy and fascism retreated to the
Republic of Salo, Crocetta found itself again in the crossfire. Allied bombing,
resistance guerrillas and
German reprisals took a heavy toll on the town and its inhabitants.
Geography
Since the 19th century, the main access roads to the region were the
Treviso-
Feltre
Feltre ( vec, Fèltre) is a town and ''comune'' of the province of Belluno in Veneto, northern Italy. A hill town in the southern reaches of the province, it is located on the Stizzon River, about from its junction with the Piave, and southwes ...
road (now the SR-348 regional highway), and the Via Erizzo road, built in 1817 (now the SP-2 provincial road).
The main road east from central Crocetta begins as Via Lodovico Boschieri and continues along the northern edge of the Montello ; it eventually turns south and reaches
Nervesa della Battaglia
Nervesa della Battaglia is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about north of Venice and about north of Treviso.
In February 1358 Nervesa was the scene of a battle in which the Republic of ...
as Via Decima SAS. It is locally known as the Panoramic Road for its views of the Piave valley. Along that road lie the eastern suburbs of Crocetta: Ciano (about 1.5 km), Botteselle (3 km), Sant'Urbano (3.5 km), Santa Margherita (4.0 km) and Santa Mama (4.5 km).
Centuries ago, Ciano and Santa Margherita were ports on the Piave, but the river has since shifted its course and now runs 2 km to the northwest of Ciano. To preserve their water supply, the Brentella was tapped near the borough of Croce del Gallo to create the Costelviero Canal, that runs along the Panoramic Road.
Westwards from central Crocetta, Via Lodovico Boschieri becomes Via Sant'Andrea and leads to the borough of Nogarè (2.5 km) and then to the Padova Industrial District (3.5 km).
Due to its position across the valley that connects Cornuda and Valdobiaddene at the north to Montebelluna, Treviso, and Venice in the southwest, Crocetta today suffers from heavy through-traffic that severely strains the local roads.
Culture
Crocetta del Montello has a very interesting civic museum, which houses a prehistoric horn of Mammoth and a small dinosaur skeleton, as well as many other archaeological finds. The museum was opened to the public in 1978 with the contribution of numerous archeology scholars, including prof. Giuliano Palmieri, teacher of Greek and Latin at the Antonio Canova state high school in Treviso until the early 2000s.
Economics
In the space of twenty years, from 1965 to 1985, thanks to the resourcefulness and intelligence of many entrepreneurs, about a hundred artisanal and industrial companies, including medium-large ones, entered the productive fabric of the Municipality, some of which are very significant: a dozen shoe factories, four to five mechanical companies, four packaging companies, three wineries, and others in the canning sector and in the industrial machinery sector.
Today, Crocetta's economy is based on a network of family agriculture, small industries and services.
Gravel
Gravel is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally throughout the world as a result of sedimentary and erosive geologic processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone.
Gravel is classifi ...
and
limestone are produced in the area. The town also benefits indirectly from wine production in nearby hills, notably the
Prosecco
Prosecco (; Italian: ) is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco which is in the province of Trieste, Italy. It ...
from
Valdobbiadene.
Demographic evolution
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Foreign ethnicities and minorities
As of December 31, 2021, foreigners residents in the municipality were , i.e. % of the population. The largest groups are shown below:
foreigners 2022
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Administration
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crocetta Del Montello
Cities and towns in Veneto