Mussolente consists of two distinct zones: a hilly area in the northern part and flatlands with an abundance of water in the southern part. For centuries, the hilly area to the north was dominant in the town's development. In the
2nd millennium BC it had been occupied by groups of shepherds and wool spinners. There is archeological evidence from the 6th and 5th centuries BC that a settled community of
Venetic people had been established there. Beginning in the 3rd century BC, the area gradually came under Roman domination. The
demonym "Misquilesi" for the locality's residents is thought to derive from the Roman period on the basis of the inscription on a Roman soldier's tomb found in nearby
Borso del Grappa referring to the "paganis misquilen" ("Misquiline people"). The period of Roman colonization coincided with increasing settlement and agricultural use of the flatlands to the south. With the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the subsequent
Barbarian invasions, the flatlands were gradually abandoned as the inhabitants sought refuge in the hilly area which was more easily defended. By the middle of the 10th century AD the town was ruled by the
prince-bishops of
Belluno. In 1149, the Bishop of Belluno conferred the
fief of Mussolente on Ezzelino I da Romano, and it remained in control of the
Ezzelini family until their fall in 1260. It was then briefly under the control of
Padua until 1262 when
Treviso destroyed Mussolente's castle and took control of the town. In the early 14th century Mussolente's allegiance to the
Scaligeri family made it a target of militias from other cities in the region who attacked and burnt down much of the town in 1320. With the fall of the Venetian Republic and the takeover of northern Italy by the
Austrian Empire, Mussolente again went into a period of decline marked by poverty and significant emigration which continued through the first decades of the
Kingdom of Italy. ==Main sights==