Treviso is a town (population 83,598 as of 1991) in the Veneto region of Italy. It is the capital of Treviso province. In ancient times it was known as Tarvisium.
It is the home of the headquarters of designer clothing company Benetton. The company owns and sponsors Italian rugby union team Benetton Rugby and basketball club Benetton Basket, both of which play in Treviso.
Location
It is situated on the plain between the Gulf of Venice and the Alps, at the confluence of the Sile with the Botteniga.
History
Ancient Tarvisium was a municipium. It lay off the main roads, and is hardly mentioned by ancient writers, though Pliny speaks of the Silis as flowing cx montibus Tarvisanis. In the 6th century it appears as an important place and was the seat of a Lombard duke. Charlemagne made it the capital of a marquisate. It joined the Lombard league, and was independent after the peace of Constance (1183) until in 1339, it came under Venetian influence. From 1318 it was for a short time the seat of a university. In the 15th century its walls and ramparts (still existant) were renewed under the direction of Fra Giocondo, two of the gates being built by the Lombardi. Treviso was taken in 1797 by the French under Mortier (duke of Treviso). In March 1848 the Austrian garrison was driven from the town by the revolutionary party, but in the following June the town was bombarded and compelled to capitulate.