Chiesa di Sant'Anna
A rough flight of stone steps leads you up from the road to a grassy forecourt, and then the small facade of Sant'Anna is simply there — pale, unadorned, standing against the Asolan sky without ceremony. The church was consecrated in 1592 by Capuchin friars on the Messano hill, and its interior has changed little in ambition: a single rectangular nave, exposed timber beams, a modest altar.
The cemetery behind the convent is why many people make the climb. Eleonora Duse, the Italian actress whose name the theatre in town carries, is buried here under a plain, unmarked stone. Freya Stark, who travelled the unmapped edges of the Middle East and wrote about them with precision, is buried here too. The surrounding forest has been convent land since 1953.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to arrive in the morning, before the day gets warm, and spend longer in the cemetery than they expected. The combination of Duse's unmarked stone and the encircling trees makes the place feel genuinely quiet rather than performed — a quality that's harder to find in Asolo's upper streets.
The story behind Chiesa di Sant'Anna
The convent was founded immediately after 1586, when Capuchin friars established it on a pre-existing sanctuary dedicated to the Holy Spirit, backed by a papal bull from Pope Sixtus V. By 1650 the community had grown to ten resident friars, fourteen cells, and two infirmaries. The Venetian Republic closed it in 1769; the municipality took ownership six years later.
The Capuchins returned on 14 November 1928, and the church was renamed Sant'Anna after an altar already inside. The cemetery — established under the Napoleonic requirement that burials move outside town centers — came under the friars' permanent custodianship, and in 1953 the municipality added a surrounding orchard and forest in perpetuity.
Good to know
No published opening hours exist; the church functions as an active Capuchin convent, so daylight hours are your best bet. Entry to the grounds and cemetery is free. Allow 30–45 minutes. Reach Asolo by bus from Bassano del Grappa or Treviso, then minibus line 70 to the old town — free on Sundays.
Summer days on the Messano hill reach around 28°C with warm evenings, making July and August the most comfortable months to visit. Winter drops close to freezing at night, and November is reliably wet; if you're coming in the colder months, a dry morning window is worth watching for.
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What travellers say about Chiesa di Sant'Anna
A place where you can find the strength to live thanks to the help and support of Saint Anne... Eleonora Duse still took refuge in this little church...exiting through the door of the Holy Spirit and arriving at the little church dedicated to Pentecost! Peace and Goodness!!
Half hidden from prying eyes from the plain or the main road, this jewel-like church is nestled on the western side of Asolo, adjacent to the convent of the Capuchin Friars Minor and the cemetery where an important Italian theatre actress rests.
On the small grassy space in front of the church, gazing at the splendid panorama that opened up before me, I experienced one of the most intense moments of peace in recent years. (Photo taken from the internet)
An ancient church annexed to a monastery. It stands secluded in a splendid panoramic position...
Small and cozy but always welcome!
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