Water has given form and character to Treviso and its urban planning.
The City's water ways remind us of the City's origins: they provided its defence, and conditioned its development and form taken. Economically too, water had a major influence: the Trevisans were in the main mill workers, dyers, boatmen and fishermen.
Two rivers cross Treviso: the main river is the Sile which enters from the west, creating the picturesque riviera of St. Margherita before heading off to the sea. Following the riviera one comes to Ponte Dante, so called in honour of the great Florentine poet, who chose to immortalise the city of Treviso in his IX canto of Paradiso, describing it as "la' dove Sile e Cagnan s'accompagna" (there, where the Sile and Cagnan rivers meet). In this verse he refers to this place where the two rivers cross.
The other river crossing the City is the Botteniga (or Cagnan), which enters from the north, flowing past the Ponte de Pria where it branches into three main "Cagnani": the Buranelli; the Siletto; and the Pescheria.
From here, the river splits further into canals and ditches, some of which are no longer visible, having long disappeared underground.
Both the Sile and Botteniga rivers spring only a few kilometres from Treviso: gentle springs without the characteristics of the torrents. They add their sweetness and peacefulness to the City's atmosphere and offer many picturesque and evocative spots.
As part of the defence strategy of Fra' Giocondo, the Cagnan and Sile rivers were diverted into the City's encircling moat, which today provides a long and lush green belt around most of the wall.

LA PESCHERIA (THE FISH MARKET)

Between the two branches of the Cagnan Grande lies the small island of La Pescheria, formed by the silt brought down by the rivers.
Works in 1855 joined this little island to the "mainland" via two bridges and here we find the fish market which opens, even today, every morning and is of the most lively and animated spots in the City: a continuous shouting of voices, far from the noise of cars .
Now thanks to the Cassamarca Foundation it is also a focal point for artistic and cultural gatherings on an international level. And again thanks to the Foundation, the Ca' dei Carraresi has been restored: a beautiful, medieval building on the banks of the Cagnan Grande.
The elegance of this building suggests that it was the house of a noble Trevisan family: it was named after the coat-et-arms fresco on its facade which is that of the house of the Carraresi.
Adjacent to one of the two little bridges which join the island to the "maintand", stands the complex of the "Molinetto",so called because it stands on the site of an old mill. A water-wheel remains as a reminder of this, turning still, powered by the water's force.
Walking through the City or past the walls other, old water-wells can be seen.

THE BURANELLI

Treviso's waterways have played a part in the City's life and its events throughtout centuries.
The costruction of the Buranelli is proof of this. The name is derived from the fish sellers of the Venetian island Burano (called the Buranelli) who in the 16th century built and established their homes here.
The 16th century complex with its large portico, is reflected in the Cagnan river which, at his point, is called  "Canal of the Buranelli".