Belluno (Italian pronunciation:[belˈluːno]^ⓘ;Ladin:Belum;Venetian:Belùn) is a town and province in theVeneto region of northern Italy. Located about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north ofVenice, Belluno is thecapital of theprovince of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region. With its roughly 36,000 inhabitants, it is the largest populated area of Valbelluna. It is one of the 15 municipalities of theDolomiti Bellunesi National Park.

Belluno Belum (Ladin) Belùn (Venetian)
Comune
Città di Belluno
Panorama of Belluno
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Belluno
Belluno Location of Belluno in Italy Show map of Italy Belluno Belluno (Veneto) Show map of Veneto
Coordinates:46°08′25″N12°13′00″E / 46.14028°N 12.21667°E /46.14028; 12.21667
Country	Italy
Region	Veneto
Province	Belluno (BL)
Frazioni	seelist
Government
• Mayor	Oscar de Pellegrin
Area [1]
• Total	147.18 km2 (56.83 sq mi)
Elevation	390 m (1,280 ft)
Population  (January 2017)[2]
• Total	35,876
• Density	240/km2 (630/sq mi)
Demonym	Bellunesi
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	32100
Dialing code	0437
Patron saint	Saint Martin
Saint day	11 November
Website	Official website

The ancient city of Belluno rises above a cliff spur near the confluence of theTorrente Ardo and thePiave River. To the north is the imposingSchiara range of theDolomites, with the famousGusela del Vescovà (Bishopric's needle), and mountainsServa andTalvena rising above the city. To the south, theVenetian Prealps separate Belluno from theVenetian plain. Also to the south is theNevegal, in the Castionese area, a skiing resort.

The name of the city is derived fromCelticbelo-dunum which means "shining hill."^[3]

It is conjectured that the population of the area that became Belluno was largely Venetic with a strong Celtic minority. However, as the Romans expanded northward into the Alps, the Celtic either emigrated or were absorbed. The people of the area swore friendship to Rome in the 225 BC conflict with the Gauls and again during the invasion byHannibal in theSecond Punic War.

Founded perhaps around 220-200 BC the initial influence of Rome was military and commercial. Strategically located, the town protected cities to the south. Belluno also became a supplier ofiron andcopper. Already within the Roman sphere of influence, the town was juridically and politically incorporated into the Roman Republic by the second century BC.

Sometime between the death ofJulius Caesar and the ascent ofAugustus, Bellunum became a Romanmunicipium and its people were ascribed to the Roman tribePapiria. The town was ruled by quattorviri juri dicendo, by quattorviri aedilicia potestate, and by a Council of Elders. Under Augustus, it became part ofRegio X Venetia et Histria. Among its citizens were Caius Flavius Hostilius and his wife Domitia, whose 3rd century sarcophagus lies next to the church of San Stefano.

After the fall of theWestern Roman Empire, it was ruled by theLombards (6th century) and theCarolingians (8th century); the famousBelluno Treasure in the British Museum dates from this period. From the late 9th century it was ruled by a count-bishop and it received a castle and a line of walls. Later it was a possession of theGhibelline family of theEzzelino. After having long contended the nearby territory withTreviso, in the end Belluno gave itself to theRepublic of Venice during theWar of Padua (1404). The city was thenceforth an important hub for the transport of lumber from theCadore through thePiave river. It remained Venetian until 1797.^[4]

After thefall of the Venetian Republic, Belluno was anAustrian possession, until it was annexed to theKingdom of Italy in 1866.

The cathedral was severely damaged by theearthquake of 1873, which destroyed a considerable portion of the town, though the campanile stood firm.^[4]

• TheDuomo (Cathedral, 16th century), with the 18th-century bell tower designed byFilippo Juvarra. The church's plan is attributed to the Venetian architectTullio Lombardo
• Palazzo dei Rettori (1491)
• The red edifice of the Communal Palace
• The Bishop's Palace, erected in 1190 by the count-bishopGerardo de' Taccoli
• The Fountain ofPiazza del Duomo
• Baroque church ofSan Pietro (1326), originally in Gothic style. It includes five paintings byAndrea Schiavone, three bySebastiano Ricci.
• Palazzo del Capitano
• The 16th-century church ofSan Rocco
• Santo Stefano church, housing several 15th-century paintings by local masters. It also includes anAdoration of the Magi, fromTiziano's workshop.
• The Romanesque church ofSan Biagio
• Porta Dojona andPorta Rugo: gates in the ancient walls
• Santa Maria dei Battuti: 16th-century church

Antole, Bes,Bolzano Bellunese, Caleipo-Sossai, Castion, Castoi, Cavessago, Cavarzano, Cet, Chiesurazza, Cirvoi, Col di Piana, Col di Salce, Collungo, Cusighe, Faverga, Fiammoi, Giamosa, Giazzoi, Levego,Madeago, Miér, Nevegal, Orzes, Pedeserva, Pra de Luni, Rivamaor, Safforze, Sala, Salce, San Pietro in Campo, Sargnano, Sois, Sopracroda, Sossai, Tassei, Tisoi, Vezzano, Vignole, Visome.

Baldenich, Borgo Garibaldi (or Via Garibaldi), Borgo Piave, Borgo Prà, Cavarzano, Lambioi, Mussoi, Quartier Cadore, San Lorenzo, San Pellegrino, San Francesco, Via Cairoli, Via Feltre-Maraga, Via Montegrappa.

Belluno has awarm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification:Dfb). The average annual temperature is 10.8 °C (51 °F), and the average annual precipitation is 1,128 mm (44 in).

State roads lead from Belluno toFeltre, Treviso,Ponte nelle Alpi andVittorio Veneto.

Belluno railway station, atPiazzale della Stazione, forms part of theCalalzo–Padua railway. It was opened in 1912, replacing an earlier station opened in 1886. Its passenger building, designed by the architectRoberto Narducci, was constructed in 1928.

The bus station is also at thePiazzale della Stazione, next to the railway station.

• Marco Paolini (b. 1956), stage actor
• Dino Buzzati (1906–1972), novelist and journalist, born in Belluno
• Pope Gregory XVI (1765–1846)
• Andrea Brustolon (1662–1732), sculptor
• Ippolito Caffi (1809–1866), painter
• Sebastiano Ricci (1659–1734), painter
• Marco Ricci (1676–1730), painter
• Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza (1922–2018), human geneticist and pioneer of theHuman Genome Diversity Project, resided and died in Belluno^[6]
• Pope John Paul I (1912–1978)
• Bernardino Vitulini, painter
• Charles DeRudio, Italian aristocrat and later American soldier who fought in the 7th U.S. Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

Belluno istwinned with:

•  Cervia, Italy
•  Bend,United States

• Province of Belluno
• Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park
• Roman Catholic Diocese of Belluno-Feltre
• Col Visentin

• Bellunovirtuale^[usurped]
• Adorable Belluno: official tourism website of BellunoArchived 2017-05-12 at theWayback Machine