Local History
[ Origins /Roman Age ] [
The Middle Age ] [Venice ] [The
austrian rule ] [The last century]
The Austrian rule
Following the short period of Napoleonic rule (1797-1815), in which Belluno was made "Department of Piave", Belluno was annexed by Austria.
During 1806, a French law was introduced, with a new territorial subdivision which drew the borders of the current province with the only exception of the area of Livinallongo (Colle S. Lucia and Cortina remained a part of Austria).
The first "Councillor of the Royal Government" officially
took his position, in the name of the Emperor of Austria, Franz I, in
February 1816.
The Habsburg rule lasted fifty years, until the third Independence War,
with the parenthesis of 1848, when even Belluno arose (especially in
Cadore, with Pier Fortunato Calvi) and proclaimed itself free town of
the reborn republic of Venice. The insurrection ended when Venice surrendered
in 1849.
"The people of Belluno made an Italian choice, because they felt that they belonged to the Italian nation and because they had soon understood that the Belluno province, in the eyes of the Empire, did not have great political, economic or military value, and was not therefore considered worthy of development plans. The people from Belluno felt they were being put aside." (Gigetto De Bortoli).
The Austrian rule was much more careful and vigilant than that of Venice: within certain limits, it respected the specific characters of the social administration of Belluno, decentralizing the tasks. "Old people regret the strict but swift Austrian administration." (G. De Bortoli).
Austria promoted public works; especially the development of means of communication between the different parts of the province and between the province itself and the planes of Veneto. Among the important constructions: Palazzo Cappellari in Campitello (accomodating nowadays the offices of ACI, the Italian Automobile Club), the social theater in Piazza della Legna (also known as Campedelet, nowadays Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II) and the new town hall (1836) - with the frescos by Giovanni De Min, a painter from Belluno. All these building were designed by the architect Giuseppe Segusini. During 1816, Belluno was granted the title of "città regia" (royal city): with this new rank, new embellishment projects were added to the existing building projects, like project for a large fountain (designed also by Segusini). The Campitello finally became a Piazza (square) and took the name of "Piazza del Papa" (square of the Pope), in celebration of Gregorio XVI, who was from Belluno.
In the meanwhile, a certain population growth took place, giving raise
to the emigration phenomenon that had its maximum in the last years
of the 19th century and lasted, with varying intensity, until the end
of the Italian "economic boom". Austria offered many opportunities
to work in the construction of railways and employed workers from Belluno
and Friuli alike. The people who worked at the construction of such
railways were known as "esanponari", from the German word
"eisenbahn", which means railway.
Because of the demographic growth, more and more houses were built in
the province, and many small towns appeared on the mountainside, even
in almost inaccessible areas.
The town of Belluno was strongly linked with its province by a series of urban transformations, including the construction of new bridges on the Piave (1841) and the Ardo (1831), the demolition of the outer walls (and the filling of the ditch). The old town was also linked to the northern districts (the old "Campedel", a small field which originally lied outside the walls), in which all commercial activities took place, while the administrative offices remained in the square of the Cathedral.
These two women from Belluno, wearing
the typical costum, with the artistic brooches, are two nannies, well
known in the whole Veneto and outside. This fame was well deserved,
but was the result of a painful and humiliating human condition. (Fabiani,
Sorge, Belluno and its province in the old postcards)
Giovanni Pividor, a print made in the occasion of the opening of the new theather of Belluno.
Piazza Campedel. The hause Cappellari is the last but one on the right
Campitello: market!
Stone bridge (designed by the engineer Zilli), the construcion of which began in March 1837. A flood of the Piave River destryed it in 1882.
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