Roana
Roana is one of the seven municipalities of the Asiago Plateau, and the only one in the province of Vicenza made up of six distinc...
Updated 11 July 2026
The story
The story of Roana
History and origins
Roana is one of the Sette Comuni of the Asiago Plateau, together with Asiago, Enego, Foza, Gallio, Lusiana Conco and Rotzo, an ancient federation of mountain communities that enjoyed considerable administrative autonomy in the Middle Ages. The territory was settled from the thirteenth century onward by German speaking populations, the Cimbrians, who brought their own language and traditions distinct from the Venetian plain below. The seven communities called themselves 'Siben Prudere Liben', the seven dear brothers, a phrase that captures well the shared identity of the Plateau. Roana, whose name in the Cimbrian language is Robàan, keeps its municipal offices in the hamlet of Canove for logistical reasons, while remaining the settlement that gives its name to the whole municipality.
What to see and main sights
What makes Roana distinctive is that it is a municipality spread across six hamlets, each with its own identity and bell tower: Cesuna, Canove, Mezzaselva, Camporovere and Tresché Conca, alongside Roana itself. Canove is home to the Istituto di Cultura Cimbra, a reference point for the study of the Cimbrian language and traditions, with a museum dedicated to the community's history. The whole Plateau, and Roana's territory with it, also preserves a dense network of First World War remains, since fighting here was fierce: trenches, communication lines and military cemeteries still dot the surrounding woods and meadows, a reminder that the front line ran directly through these mountains.
Nature and surroundings
Roana's territory stretches across conifer woods, high altitude pastures and valleys such as the Val d'Assa, which partly marks the western boundary of the Plateau. It is a landscape built for summer hiking and winter sports, with a dense network of marked trails crossing the hamlets and linking Roana to the rest of the Asiago Plateau. Sitting above 1,000 metres for most of its territory, it enjoys a cool summer climate and an environment well suited to cross country skiing and snowshoeing in winter.
Food, wine and local produce
The cuisine of Roana follows the traditions of the Asiago Plateau: Asiago DOP cheese, also produced in the mountain dairies of the municipal territory, is the undisputed star, alongside mountain cured meats, high altitude honey and mushrooms from the surrounding woods. Cimbrian food culture has also left its mark on local dishes, in a balance between mountain Venetian tradition and Germanic influences that characterises the whole Sette Comuni Plateau.
Events and traditions
Cimbrian culture remains the common thread of Roana's traditions, with initiatives dedicated to the language, songs and costumes of this historic linguistic minority, often organised together with the Istituto di Cultura Cimbra in Canove. Alongside this heritage, the local calendar follows the rhythm of the mountain seasons, with patronal feasts in the various hamlets and moments of remembrance tied to the Great War, still deeply felt across the whole Plateau.
How to get there and location
Roana lies on the Asiago Plateau, about 30 kilometres from Vicenza and a short distance from the main town of Asiago, sharing its principal access route via the road climbing from Cogollo del Cengio or Piovene Rocchette. The altitude and mountain roads make the journey slower than on the plain, but the closeness of the hamlets to one another and a decent local transport network make getting around the Plateau easy once you arrive.
Local life and economy
Roana's economy revolves around mountain tourism in all seasons, together with the Plateau's traditional activities: mountain dairy farming, cheesemaking and crafts linked to wood and wool working, a legacy of its Cimbrian history. Compared with the larger Alpine resorts, Roana keeps a more intimate, scattered character, spread across its six hamlets, each of which retains its own community life.
Experiences not to miss
- Visitare l'Istituto di Cultura Cimbra a Canove e scoprire la storia della minoranza cimbra dell'Altopiano
- Visit the Istituto di Cultura Cimbra in Canove and learn about the Plateau's Cimbrian minority
To see
What to see in Roana
Routes · Trovido Route
