In the province of Padova there are numerous precious examples of medieval fortified towns. The astonishing variety of fortified defence structures makes the Paduan province one of the most interesting areas in Europe.

Impressive bulwarks completed by castles and forts are majestic remains of history and remind us of the fascinating and mysterious medieval world. Within these antique and austere centres of wealth and power you might often find unexpected artistic treasures.

In the South-West of the province along the major arteries of communication and not far away from each other lie three medieval jewels: the towns of Monselice, Este and Montagnana.
Cittadella with its perfectly preserved elliptic ring wall is located to the North of Padua.

Impressive fortified buildings and magnificent villas enrich the Paduan area.

The splendid aristocratic buildings, often surrounded by spacious garden and parks, represent monumental architectonic complexes. It is possible to detect the different architectural types developed by master architects during the 15th and 18th century in order to adapt to the necessities of both the agricultural and ludic aspects required by the noblemen.
The villas were centres of wealth and influence and very often they host artistic and cultural treasures of great value. The castles and fortresses are majestic remains of the past and recall the fascinating and mysterious medieval times.

Thus a journey through the province of Padua can become an opportunity of discovering the inestimable historical, cultural and artistic value of the castles and the villas in the Veneto region.

This area is characterised by a gentle landscape that produces excellent products.

However in the past it was a theatre of war: its strategic position on important roads of communication where East and West, Southern and Northern Europe meet, made it the object of invasions and conflicts.

This area is characterised by a gentle landscape that produces excellent products.

However in the past it was a theatre of war: its strategic position on important roads of communication where East and West, Southern and Northern Europe meet, made it the object of invasions and conflicts.

First it was the Huns, Longobards and Hungarians, than the Scaligeri from Verona, the Carraresi from Padua and the Visconti from Lombardy who tried to conquer this area.

During the dark Middle Ages simple palisades made of wood were transformed in majestic castles and fortresses. The passion of those past times is no longer present, but there are still colourful historical events that recall the bloody war episodes. The habitants of these towns still feel either a certain partisanship or a profound aversion for famous tyrants or alleged illuminated generals like the emperor Frederic II or Ezzelino da Romano whose expulsion from Montagnana is celebrated by the renowned Palio.

A myriad of events is coming up!

With the end of the summer the province of Padova invites you to taste genuine homegrown produce.

The air is vibrating and intense scents of seasonal products are pervading our towns. On the Venetian squares we celebrate the seasonal produce, ripened in the summer sun. So our towns are intensely smelling of pumpkin, mushrooms, cider and young wine. This is also the perfect occasion to visit interesting towns, partly with city wall, villas, palaces and well-preserved treasures of our country in order to learn more about our roots and old traditions.

Art, history and tradition are inevitably linked with the aromas of the area.

Since the times of Roman civilisation vineyards have characterised the landscape. According to Titus Livius
the wines of the Euganean hills were so delicious that the Gauls only invaded the region in order to take possession of them. On those smooth hills through castles, villas and century-old villages runs the route of the DOC wines of the Euganean Hills. Here you can appreciate particularly fine red and wine wines, like Rosso, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Fiori d´arancio.

Another wine production area is situated on the border between the provinces of Padua and Verona. It is unjustly less known, as it features some exquisite wines.

Cologna Veneta is famous for its mandorlato, a sweet made of almond and honey, which is celebrated once a year during a madorlato feast.

Two other significant pastries are the cake of Federico II in Monselice and the pandolce di Ezzelino in Montagnana, made of flour, sugar, eggs and dried fruits.
Montagnana is also famous for its particularly tender ham.
Some agricultural products like the radicchio salad in Cologna Veneta and the sweet potato of Guà are closely linked to the territory.
The regional cuisine has been influenced by different culinary traditions and nowadays features dishes that suit all tastes.

In some areas horse meat is used for typical dishes like pastisada (horsemeat goulash).

Soups are well liked, especially if "married" with other ingredients: risi e bisi (rice with peas), luganighe (sausages) , pasta e fasoi (pasta with beans). On the Euganean hill excellent olive oil is produced as well as six different types of cherries.

The Riviera del Brenta was frequented by Casanova, Galileo, Byron and d´Annunzio, praised by Goethe and Goldoni and hosted the royal families of France and Russia.

After a lucrative period of commerce, the Venetians had the opportunity of investing in land property in the hinterland. This led to the question of how the agricultural production was to be controlled. The Venetians decided to build country residences that were adapted to the new needs and united in one single complex the residence of the landowner and the domestic offices.

Various types of villas were designed: the business-villa for those who found in agriculture a new source of wealth, the temple-villa where artists and intellectuals used to meet, the palace villa which had representational function and where great feasts and banquets were hold.

Nowadays all motor boats that sail on the Riviera del Brenta from Padua to Venice and back are called "burchiello".

The names of the boats vary according to the shipping company. Some are modern and made of metal, other are traditional and romantic watercrafts made of wood, called burci and mentioned by Dante in the Divine Commedy. Heirs of antique traditions, those boats slowly cross the waters of the Brenta river, while the tourist guides on board will tell you everything about the history, culture and art of the region on the basis of the villas on the river.

After having crossed the sluice of Noventa Padovana and the sluice of Strà you will reach the majestic Villa Pisani di Strà.

Il Burchiello - SITA Div. Turismo
Via Orlandini, 3/5 - Tel. 049/8206910, www.ilburchiello.it

Navigare con Noi,
via Pontedera, 71 - Tel. 049/654917, www.navigareconnoi.it

Battelli del Brenta - Antoniana Viaggi,
Via Porciglia, 34 Tel. 049/8760233, antoniana.it/battellidelbrenta

This area was the cradle of the Da Carrara family, the masters of Padua in the 14.Jh. Here you can find the greatest amount of remains of the golden era of medieval Paduan civilisation. Nowadays it is divided in three parts charcterised by economical, administrative and dialectal differences. Despite local differences, the roots of the whole area lie in one historic and prehistoric past, which is characterised by early pre-Venetian settlements, the subsequent romanisation of the area, the supremacy of the Este and Da Carrara families and finally the territorial and economic valorisation by the Venetian dominion.

The territory is varied but forms a unity at the same time. Throughout the centuries there has been a shift in importance from Este, with its pre-Venetian sanctuary, the municipium romanum and the supremacy of the Este family, to Monselice with its langobard judicial system, the Frank committee and the Chamber of Federico and to Montagnana, the centre of a Langobard district called Sculdascia, which is an ideal destination for culturally interested tourists and for excursions from Padua and the Euganean spas. Here you can admire the rich artistic and architectural heritage of the area.

The suggested route, that we have called Carrarese in the memory of the splendour of mediaeval Padua follows the axis of the state road nr. 16 and nr.10. leaving Padua to the South and turning westward in direction of Monselice. After Montagnana we will penetrate into the territory of the Sculdascia until we reach the bank of the Adige river. At Scodosia we will take the motorway to get back to the city.

The vast area between the Brenta river, the Adige river and the Colli hills, traversed by the Bacchiglione river and by numerous irrigation and drainage channels that flow into the main waterways and that includes a part of the Venetian Laguna, has always been the Padua´s door to the East, a territory where different cultures meet. On the same time it has always been a cushion, a zone of defence and resistance against the unknown and a zone of mediation between the unknown and the Paduan area.

Podestaria di Cittadella: a past that has left many testimonies along the suggested route.

The Western part of the Alta Padovana region is of a quiet beauty, mainly connected to the course of the Brenta river, that flows through a changing landscape dominated by the profiles of the Monti Lessini, the Pasubio, the Asiago plateau, the Grappa Massif and the slopes of the Montello mountains. The mild climate with moderate temperatures in summer as well as in winter corresponds to the landscape.

The farming origins and the hard work of the population as well as its gift, charming nature and its initiative

have lead to the transformation of agriculture and the development of trade and small and medium-seized industry which conferred them economic prosperity.
For what concerns the local cuisine, there is neither a typical dish nor a special type of wine that is characteristic for the region, but in numerous trattorias, restaurants and recently-established wine taverns you can taste delicious dishes from the cuisine of the Veneto region. Unfortunately because of the standardisation of taste many typical dishes have nearly sunk into oblivion, but dishes like pasta and beans, sardele in soar (sardines marinated in onion and raisins), tripe, dried cod, sopressa (a local herby sausages) and polenta (a typical corn meal) still survive and go perfectly with Piave or Veronese wines.

The area of Alta Padovana and its towns and villages that we will describe in more detail further on are a historical, scenic and culinary attraction that is worth visiting.

The Paduan tourist board in collaboration with the provincial administration and the association of local tourist offices would like to offer a tourist guide to their guests, that is handy in size and scientifically exact. It should arouse the interest of the guests for the towns and villages and allow them to understand the main characteristics of the province of Padua that have been shaped through political, religious, artistic, cultural and economic experiences.

We suggest a basic half-day route, that includes Palladian villas, a romantic garden, lively town centres, remains of Roman settlements, churches of St. Anthony and abandoned abbeys. Through stories of and observations on the past we would like you to discover the authentic soul of a region rich in history and traditions, but also vital and varied in its contemporary expressions.