The origins of Montagnana probably date back to the Roman Age, in a territory subject to frequent flooding and surrounded by the river Adige, up to the so-called Cucca road that changed the course of the river. The name derives from the toponym Motta Aeniana, in Medieval Latin Motta showed a small hill while aeniana a mansio. In addition to the extraordinary fortified complex, the city is appreciated for the urban fabric, made of streets and buildings that have arisen in the Renaissance period and during the economic recovery of the XIX century.
On the central square extends the Cathedral (1431-1502), from the imposing late-gothic style with Renaissance additions. Always on the square, overlooks the elegant palazzo Valeri and the old Monte di Pietà. In Via Matteotti stands the Palazzo Magnavin-Foratti, in a refined Venetian Gothic style, which is said to have been the residence of Jacopa, wife of the condottiere Erasmo from Narni, called the Gattamelata. In Via Carrarese is located the city hall, attributed to the architect veronese Michele Sanmicheli (1538). In Via Scaligera there is the church of the late-Romanesque church of San Francesco, with adjacent monastery of Poor Clares; in via San Benedetto overlooks the homonymous baroque church (in the course of restoration). Just outside of the village, close to Porta Padova, there is the villa Pisani, one of the masterpieces of Palladio. The most significant monuments, however, are constituted by the walls, from the fortress of the trees and the castle of San Zeno. The works of fortification high-medieval age, which are assumed to be strengthened in the X century in defense of the raids of the Hungarians. Montagnana is cited as castrum in a document of 996. The tower of the castle of San Zeno (today agibile fin on top) is assigned to him. The current walls, which constitute one of the examples the most celebrated and best preserved of medieval military architecture in Europe, except the complex of Castel San Zeno and the lengths of the boundary to the east and the West that are the oldest, dating back to the half of the Fourteenth Century. The fortified city is enclosed in an irregular quadrilateral dimensions of about 600x300 meters with an area of 24 hectares and a perimeter of about two kilometers. Inside of the fornix that govern the rampart walk were positioned warehouses (canipe) for the custody of the goods produced in the countryside (can still be noticed the notches to fix the plates in wood). Around the walls ran a wide moat (the current picturesque green and vallo) flooded with the water of the river Frassine (boundary toward the Vicentino) derived by means of a channel to a raised embankments (Fiumicello) having the function of a defensive vallo of welding along which, from the padovana, was a menagerie raised for the concentration of troops. All around the area were uncrossable marshes or districts that could be flood in case of war, so that the walled city was the key of the padovana frontier toward west. Access to the city was controlled by the fortified gates of the castle of San Zeno (to the east, toward Padova) and of the Fortress of trees (west, toward the veronese). Only later, in 1500, was opened to the north of a third gate (Porta Nova or Vicenza) to facilitate communication with the river port of Frassine. At the end of the Nineteenth Century a fourth passage was practiced toward the south, for access to the railway station (Porta XX Settembre). Since 1977, renewing a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages, it runs every year in Vallo below the fortress of the Trees, the Palio of the 10 Montagnanese Municipality. It, thanks to the commemoration in costume of figures of medieval and renaissance and al Mercatino, attracts every year (1ª Sunday of September) numerous tourists.
Village of Montagnana
Municipality of Montagnana
Province of Padua
Veneto region
Population: 9.214 montagnanesi
Altitude Center: 16 m s.l.m.
The Municipality is part of:
I Borghi più belli d'Italia
Paesi bandiera arancione
Borghi e Castelli tra Padova e Verona
Piccole Città Storiche del Veneto
Acknowledgments
Orange Flag - Italian Touring Club
Spighe Verdi
Unesco site:
Vicenza e le Ville del Palladio nel Veneto - Villa Pisani
Municipality
Via Carrarese 14 - phone +39 0429-81247
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