Getting to Carlo Scarpa’s Brion-Vega Cemetery
12 years ago
Jonathan Choe
EuropePopularTravel

Getting to Carlo Scarpa’s Brion-Vega Cemetery

I was recently in Venice and made the pilgrimage out to see Carlo Scarpa’s legendary Brion-Vega Cemetery.
p1060704-2849111
“I would like to explain the Tomba Brion…I consider this work, if you permit me, to be rather good and which will get better over time. I have tried to put some poetic imagination into it, though not in order to create poetic architecture but to make a certain kind of architecture that could emanate a sense of formal poetry….The place for the dead is a garden….I wanted to show some ways in which you could approach death in a social and civic way; and further what meaning there was in death, in the ephemerality of life—other than these shoe-boxes.”
— Carlo Scarpa. “Can Architecture Be Poetry.” from Peter Nover, Ed. The Other City Carlo Scarpa: The Architect’s Working Method as Shown by the Brion Cemetery in San Vito D’Avitole. p17-18.
p1060777-1846267
p1060670-8234231
p1060680-7990089
p1060789-2504526
p1060894-4902161
p1060833-6398141

p1060662-4560919

p1070730-5356842
Carlo Scarpa drawings on display at MAXXII in Rome
I found it impossible to find directions to this place online, so I’ve posted them here for the benefit of future archi-tourists!
 1) Take the Regionale Train towards Bassona del Grappa (4.10 Euros each way)
Stop: Castelfranco Veneto 
2) Walk through the historic castle from the Castelfranco Veneto train stop to the non-attached bus stop (see map below)
p1060711-5389130
3) Take the Autolinea Bus #204 towards Cavaso del Tomba (3 Euros each way
Stop: San Vito di Altivole (see schedules below, thanks to ‘Reflected Ceiling Plan’ for the updated information and schedules in the comments!)

outward-3468297
Outbound

return-2097494
Return 

4) Short walk from the bus stop to the Cemetery. Follow the brown historical landmark signs.
5) If you have any problems, contact the custodian (see details below).
p1060700-5757367

Author

Architect, artist & skygardener in Singapore

You might also like

16 thoughts on “Getting to Carlo Scarpa’s Brion-Vega Cemetery”

  3. 😀 Thanks guys! When I wanted to go visit this building two years ago, I found it nearly impossible to find directions online and ended up on a crazy journey through rural Italy trying to find this place (it's not easy taking multiple modes of public transport through this region when you don't know where you're going and can't speak Italian!) – but it was INCREDIBLE in the end! So I decided to document the journey in detail for the benefit of future archi-travellers. Cheers!

  4. fyi Google Maps shows the train ride from Venice to Bassano del Grappa as taking over 12 hours. It actually takes only 1:10. Go to the train station or the ViRail website for accurate schedule info.

  5. hi this is great info jonathan
    does the custodian have some sort of email? we are a group of 30 who wish to visit this place… does he allow you to visit all the buildings?

    1. Hi Anonymous,

      Sorry but I'm not aware of the custodian's email. When I went, there was no custodian there but the complex was fully open and unlocked. Hope that you enjoy your trip!

  6. Hey Jonathan,
    Thank you so much for writing this post up! My friend and I were able to make this trip all thanks to you (October, 2015)!

    Just a note about after the bus…. After getting off the bus at S. Vito di Altivole, there were no brown historical signs to direct us to the cemetery. But what we had to do was: Right when you get off the bus (with your back against the road, your front facing the houses) turn right, and then take a left at a big road – Basically, you want to go towards the church (just look up, you should see a the bell tower in the distance) Now… don't go into the church though you know… you might think that makes sense… cemetery behind church… no! When facing the church, turn right, and at the next block, there should be the brown historical signage telling you to continue down the road.

    If confused, just ask anyone and repeat "tomba" a million times. They'll get it eventually. haha.

  7. Hi Jonathan, thanks so much for this information! I am planning to visit on a Sunday, and wondered if you know whether the bus service runs on a Sunday at all…? Many thanks, Niamh

    1. Hi Niamh, I'm not sure if the bus runs on a Sunday, but you could check at the information point at Santa Lucia Station in Venice, they are very helpful.

  8. Hi Jonathan thank you so much for this post, thanks to your helpful info I was able to get out to Brion this morning without any problems.

    Some updated info (Aug 2016) for the Castelfranco Veneto bus to San Vito di Altivo bus: the line number is now 204 not 4, and the outward and return bus timetables can be found here:

    Outward: http://tinypic.com/r/2lwgmu/9
    Return: http://tinypic.com/r/212xqc2/9

    Note the 'non scholastico' times (non school times)

    Happy Scarpa-ing everyone

  9. Just followed the directions today and with the recent updates, absolutely perfect.

    A note about the bus: buy your tickets at the bar facing the bus stops or at the MOM office on Via Vittorio Veneto just to the north (see the map), as you cannot pay cash on the bus itself.

  10. Hi Jonathan – thank you SO much. You deserve some sort of architectural medal for helping us all out.

    It’s April 2017, a good time of year to go (no mosquitos).

    A few notes and a map.

    Travelling from Venice on public transport: your trip is constrained by the lack of buses to and from Castelfranco to San Vito Altivolti (where the tomb is).
    We had to catch the 7.26am train to Castelfranco from platform 17 Venezia Santa Lucia. Buy the tickets from the machines but REMEMBER to get them validated, time-stamped using the validation machines (entrance to main platforms). We forgot and although we’d bought tickets we were fined 30 euros!
    Arrived Castelfranco 8.40 (14 mins late). Quick-walked to the bus station to catch the 9.00 204-bus to San Vito. Bought the return tickets in the bar – no time for coffee.
    Journey time: 23 minutes. Arrive at 9.23 – the first return bus is 4 hours later at 1.25.
    Local facilities: great coffee/cake shop called Sarti. A supermarket, other bars and a Trattoria too (closed the day we were there).
    We spent nearly 3 hours in the tomb.

    TAXI NOTE: I’ve added a photo of the taxi rank at Castelfranco station, and the phone number. If you were short of time you could possibly get a taxi to San Vito and get a bus back?

    PS
    I thought the Brion Tomb is a complex architectural lesson in love – it brought me to tears, by far the most visceral experience I've ever felt from an architectural space – utterly stunning! I'm still in shock with how much I loved it.

    A MAP OF SAN VITO – showing bus stops etc
    http://www.jaketilson.com/brion/JakeTilsonMap.jpg

    PHOTO/DETAILS of CASTELFRANCO taxi rank
    http://www.jaketilson.com/brion/taxi.jpg

    1. Jake,

      Thanks for the further advice getting there! It's one of the greatest architectural pilgrimages I've made as well. Almost 20k people have viewed this post and hope that this site has helped at least a few of them to make the onerous journey (especially if you don't speak Italian like me!)

Comments are closed.