Campo d'aviazione Castelgomberto

During the First World War there was a huge development of military aviation. The two opposing armies employed aircrafts to patrol enemy territory, but also for aerial combat and the bombing of troops and settlements.

After the aerial bombings of Recoaro, Valdagno, Schio, and Vicenza in 1916, the military commanders realized the need to protect the lines and the population from this new and powerful weapon.

Towards the end of 1916, along the Ortogonale 1 / Agno – Leogra ridgeline, in the low Agno valley, another airport was set up in Trissino, and in 1917 two more, in Castelgomberto and Sovizzo. The first two remained in operation until the end of the war, and saw the presence of French and British air planes.

Villa Piovene Da Porto became the headquarters of the Command of the 14th Aircraft Group, and hosted the pilots who took off from the big airport in the Praderia, which featured as many as 16 hangars for the aircrafts.

On 27 November 1918 Victor Emmanuel III, king of Italy, inspected the troops and gave the medals to the Military Value to the French and British soldiers lined up on the landing strip of the Praderia airport.