In the rigor of the Treviso winter the most renowned and characteristic product of the Treviso countryside is born: the radicchio (chicory), as if by magic.

Between Treviso and Castelfranco, the principal production pole of the Treviso chicories, a green countryside extends dotted with important signs left by history and art, along the upper course of the river Sile. In this corner of the province the Strada del Radicchio runs, a tourist itinerary that leads the visitor to the discovery of typical products, monuments and the most beautiful treasures of nature.

The town centres of two small cities Treviso e Castelfranco, are the major artistic attraction for tourists. In the provincial capital the waters of the Sile tributaries form a maze of rivulets and alleys, the heart of the antique city, full of views and characteristic sites. More impressive are the Piazza dei Signori with the Palazzo dei Trecento, the Duomo and the church of San Nicolò, places full of history and precious works of art. In the antique market place of Castelfranco prestigious period buildings arise amongst which the Teatro Accademico and the eighteenth century Duomo within which the Pala di Giorgione and other frescoes by Veronese are preserved.

Leaving the two cities one follows the course of the Sile, characterised by landscapes of rare beauty one after the other, where the presence of local flora and fauna invite one to take a walk, on foot or on a bicycle, in the quiet of the paths along the banks. The Sile River is a key element in the process of whitening the chicory obtained by emerging the heads in its waters. A vegetable that looks like a flower, with its white and red veining and particular form and that characterises the winter production season of the province of Treviso.

There are three varieties of chicory cultivated in this part of Veneto that have obtained Protected Geographic Indication certification: 1) the Radicchio Rosso di Treviso Tardivo (the late Red Treviso Chicory), is the sword, that more commonly associated with the typical Treviso production, and most used in gastronomy. It presents a long and narrow head with close and enveloping leaves of a red winey colour with a thick rib without evident secondary nerving; when broken it is crispy and slightly bitter. It can be enjoyed in salads, with various seasonings, and moreover cooked: fried, grilled, boiled and in risottos. 2) the Radicchio Rosso di Treviso Precoce (Precocious Red Treviso Chicory), distinguishes itself not only because it arrives on the market before the late variety (from September instead of December), but also due to the large long heads with less fleshy wide enveloping leave of a bright pink colour, with the central white rib branching on the leaf itself. 3) the Radicchio Variegato di Castelfranco (Variegated Chicory of Castelfranco), has a completely different form, with open wide and soft rococo leaves, it presents smooth and rippled leaves, with colour hints that go from yellow to pale green, striped with purple and yellow. The flavour goes from sweet to delicately pleasing bitter.

The Treviso chicories are the result of the patient process of whitening-forcing to which they are subjected after harvest, that derives from the antique search by farmers to preserve the chicories produced in the fields for as long as possible in the winter period. All the three varieties are a real delicacy that the connoisseur can enjoy directly at the site of production, maybe combined with Prosecco and the other Controlled Denomination of Origin wines of Piedmont and Piave or in the restaurants that for decades have exalted them in risottos and salads, in meat and fish based dishes and even in deserts.