Making a spectacle
There are hundreds of fascinating frescoes in Treviso, but it’s well worth visiting the Chapter House of the Seminario, next to the towering Basilico San Nicolo, as it houses a cycle from 1352 by Tommaso da Modena. Nestled among the 40 Dominican monks and cardinals that this Italian painter has depicted is the Cardinal Hugo of Provence, with a pair of spectacles perched on his nose. It’s the first surviving portrayal in a painting of glasses. Elsewhere in the room, you can also spot Cardinal Nicholas of Rouen, using a handheld monocle lens.