ittadella.CWalkingon history.

Historical introduction.This is an invitation to visit Cittadella, a splendid walled town of mediaeval origin just a few kilometres from important art cities such as Padua, Vicenza and Treviso, which is part of a wider historical context that includes other walled towns in the Veneto region, such as Bassano del Grappa, Marostica, Asolo and Castelfranco Veneto. The foundation of the town dates back to 1220, when the Commune of Padua decided to create, ex novo, a fortified area in the central sector of the Veneto plain, with the aim of protecting the border areas of its territory from attack by the cities of Treviso and Vicenza, as well as to keep the local landlords under control and implement a policy of agrarian colonisation. This new settlement, however, grew up in an area that had been frequented since ancient times: although there are virtually no materials to be found from the early Veneto period, a Roman presence is attested to here from as early as the 2nd century B.C., and 148 B.C. saw the construction of the Postumia, the main road artery that crossed the whole of northern Italy, linking Genoa with Aquileia. At the end of the Roman Age, the territory was probably controlled by the Longobards, although there are very few historical references dating to the High Middle Ages; in all likelihood the population dwindled and the settlement was progressively abandoned, while

feudal powers developed around small villages such as Onara, Fontaniva, Tombolo and Galliera. Between the 12th and 13th centuries, the Commune of Padua undertook a campaign of vigorous expansion that led to conflict with the neighbouring communes of Treviso and Vicenza; the area around the middle stretch of the Brenta river thus became a battleground, and it is in this historical context that Cittadella was founded. From 1237 to 1259 Cittadella remained under the iron control of the tyrannical landlord Ezzelino III da Romano, who had the Tower of Malta built in 1251 as a fearsome prison to lock up his enemies in. During the 14th and 15th centuries control of the town was regained by the Carraresi of Padua, and Cittadella became one of the centres of major importance in the territory of Padua. In 1406, together with the rest of the inland area of the Veneto, Cittadella was brought under the dominion of Venice. The succession of podestà sent there from the Serenissima Republic met with the sullen opposition of the locals, but Venice retained control over the area until 1797, when Napoleon’s Italian Campaign conquered the whole of the north of the country. Following the Treaty of Vienna in 1815, the Veneto came under Austrian control until it became part of the Kingdom of Italy in 1866. Today Cittadella is a municipality of the province of Padua. It has a population of about 20,000 and covers an area of 36 km².

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The town walls.The town walls of Cittadella are one of the few surviving examples of a defence system – one of the finest in Europe - with a perfectly preserved chemin de ronde (patrol path) it is still possible to walk along.The walls are an average of 14 metres high, reaching up as far as 30 metres in the case of the watchtowers used for presiding over the gates. Elliptical in shape, the circumference of the walls is 1461 metres, and they are about 2.10 metres thick. Along the walls themselves is a series of 36 towers of varying sizes: 4 watchtowers at the gates, 12 quadrangular towers measuring 6x4 metres, with a height of some 22 metres, and smaller towers, measuring 6x3 metres, with a height of 15 metres. The walls are virtually devoid of foundations, and are supported by embankments resting on either side, created using backfill from the excavation of the moats. Thanks to the recent restoration work, visitors can now admire the town from an unusual, privileged

perspective. From above, it is possible to observe that the area within the walls, once known as “terra”, the land, is organised in the chessboard pattern typical of streets of Roman origin, arranged around two main

lines that link up the four gates in the walls. The gates are arranged in line with the compass points, facing south towards Padua, west towards Vicenza, north towards Bassano and east towards Treviso. In the north-western quarter, because of a break in the walls, a walkway has been built to allow visitors to complete the walk around the patrol path.

Visitor route within the walls.Following the splendid walk around the chemin de ronde, visitors are invited to take explore the superb Old Town.

1 Cittadella, view of the Old Town from the tower of the Bassano Gate. 2 Cittadella, view of the north-eastern section of the walls. 3 Cittadella, external view of the walls at the public gardens area. 4 Cittadella, the Chemin de Ronde. 5 Cittadella, the steps and the walkway spanning the break in the north-western section of the walls.

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Tower of Malta and Archaeological Museum. The imposing construction resting against the inner wall of the Padua Door is the so-called Tower of Malta, built in 1251 by Ezzelino III da Romano, the despot that ruled over the area, as a prison for his enemies. The fortress was infamous among its contemporaries as a result of the atrocities committed inside it; it is even mentioned by Dante in the Divina Commedia. Today the large rooms of the tower house the Civic Archaeological Museum, and conventions and conferences are also held there. Visitors to the museum can admire a collection of archaeological finds ranging from the Bronze Age through to the Renaissance, brought to light in the area around Cittadella.

Church of Santa Maria del Torresino. The church that rests against the walls near the Padua Gate takes its name from the tower beside it, the only wedge-shaped one in the walls, which

was used right from its origins as a bell tower. Conserved inside is an interesting wooden crucifix, while there are paintings above the side altars; also worth admiring are the pulpit and the marble basin of Mediaeval origin, brought here from the church of San Nicolò of Mejaniga, a village that existed before Cittadella. The church today hosts exhibitions.

Porta Bassanese. This is the most important, strongly fortified point in the walls. It was the last line of defence of the community and was therefore isolated also from the inside by a moat that was craftily connected with the moats outside the walls. It was provided with a system of 5 doors, three opening towards the outside and two towards the inside, characterised by drawbridges and portcullises. Larger than the other gates, the complex comprised the House of the Captain, areas for the garrisons and storehouses, a well, an oven and other facilities. The 30-metre-high watchtower, or keep, offers marvellous views of the surrounding area to

this day. Towards the interior of the town, the wall of the watchtower features a fresco depicting the coats of arms of the Carraresi family and the city of Padua. Inside the stronghold is the House of the Captain, the important restoration work on which has brought to light frescoes dating back to the time of the Carraresi,

Malatesta, Sanseverino and Borromeo families. Visitors may also admire the frescoes in the reception room, which has been furnished to reflect scenes from everyday life during the period. Today it houses the tourist information office and is the entrance to the chemin de ronde.

Porta Padovana. Porta Padovana was the main entrance to the town. The outside walls are adorned with huge frescoes depicting the coats of arms of the Carraresi family and of the city of Padua, a red cross on a white background. The complex features three doors and a large bailey with a winding masonry staircase; the main distinctive feature, however, is the bulk of the Tower of Malta attached to the watchtower.

1 Porta Bassanese. 2 Porta Padovana. 3 Archaeological Museum. 4 Church of Santa Maria del Torresino. 5 Porta Vicentina. 6 Palazzo Pretorio. 7 Cathedral. 8 Palazzo Andrea Mantegna (Town Hall). 9 Social Theatre. 10 Church of San Donato. 11 Convent of San Francesco. 12 Villa Ca’ Nave. 13 Night-time opening. 14 Historical re-enactment.

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Porte Vicentina and Trevisana. Porte Vicentina and Trevisana are, respectively, the western and eastern entrances to the town. The watchtowers are 22 and 25 metres high respectively, with three doors. Unfortunately virtually nothing remains of the external sectors and the drawbridges, particularly as a result of the destruction wreaked by Napoleon’s armies and in the 19th century. The inner part of the Vicenza Gate is adorned with a fresco of the Crucifixion, while the fresco on the Treviso Gate shows the Coronation of the Virgin and the Annunciation.

Palazzo Pretorio.

This large building faces onto the road near the Treviso Gate, and was once the seat of the podestà authorities, sent there first by the Commune of Padua and later by the Serenissima Republic. The interior features a striking mock tapestry decoration composed of vertical strips, polychrome friezes, round shapes and medallions. Also interesting is the main door in pinkish marble, featuring a distinctive relief decoration showing the Lion of St. Mark and two medallions depicting Pandolfo Malatesta and his brother Carlo, once Lords of Cittadella. Recently restored, Palazzo Pretorio today houses the Pretorio Foundation, which organises exhibitions on a national level through the Pretorio Onlus Foundation.

Cathedral, Museum and Art Gallery. The Cathedral was built between 1774 and 1826 by three architects, one of whom was Domenico Cerato, whose works include the Prato della Valle complex in Padua. In the sacristy there is an art gallery where visitors can admire famous paintings such as “La Cena in Emmaus” by Jacopo da Ponte, “Lamento sul Corpo di Cristo” by Andrea da Murano and “La Flagellazione”, attributed to Palma il Giovane. The bell tower of the Cathedral also houses a particularly original museum of sacred art, featuring a collection of all the works housed in the Cathedral

throughout its history. The exhibits include a rich variety of sacred objects used during Holy Mass, such as altar equipment and gold items, as well as paintings, statues and inscriptions.

Palazzo della Loggia. Known since the 15th century as Palazzo della Loggia, as a result of the covered walkway that opens out on the ground floor, the building today houses the headquarters of the Municipal Police and the Pro Cittadella association. In 1816 it was renovated in Neoclassical style by the architect Carlo Barera. The elements conserved in the earlier building include an interesting frieze that runs along the walls of the covered walkway on the ground floor, featuring the coats of arms of the podestà who governed the town, and the fifteenth-century bas-relief of the Lion of St. Mark, hidden by the people of Cittadella during the Napoleonic period and later found inside one of the walls of the building.

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Town Hall Andrea Mantegna.The new Town Hall is the emblem of modern architecture in the town. The town council offices have been housed inside a historical building of particular significance for Cittadella, the former primary school dedicated to Vittorio Emanuele II.

Social Theatre. The theatre looks onto the road towards the Vicenza Door, in Via Indipendenza. Designed by Giacomo Bauto in 1817, it was completed by Francesco Cibale, while the elegant Neoclassical facade is attributed Giuseppe Japelli, who designed the famous Caffè Pedrocchi in Padua. The theatre is composed of an entrance hall, a semi-circular hall with a stage, three rows of boxes and a smoking room. The splendid frescoes in the main hall, depicting flowers, cupids and allegorical figures, are the work of the painter and set designer Francesco Bagnara, to whom is also attributed the decoration of the La Fenice Theatre in Venice.

Visitor route outside the walls.

Church of San Donato. Two kilometres outside the town centre, along the trunk road to Padua, is the ancient Baptismal Church of San Donato. A sacred area since ancient times, in the 6th century it became the first Christian church in the area, and remained such until 1376, when it was superseded by the larger Cathedral in the town itself. From an architectural point of view, this is a high mediaeval church featuring an apse, built using pebbles from the Brenta, just like the town walls. There are three naves inside, with a trussed roof, and visitors can admire both fourteenth-century frescoes and findings from the Longobard age.

Convent of San Francesco. The Convent of the Franciscan Friars Minor was built around 1481 and has always been a very active spiritual centre in Cittadella. Arranged around the simple bell tower are the splendid cloister, covered with an arcade on two sides, and the other parts of the convent, featuring interesting ribbed ceilings. The single-nave church has three altars featuring altarpieces, frescoes and the tombs of a number of important families. Visitors to the convent can also admire a number of paintings by seventeenth and eighteenth-century artists from the region, including the fine “Madonna con il Bambino tra i Santi Francesco e Antonio da Padua”.

Villa Ca’ Nave and Oratorio del Salvatore.Facing onto the road that runs from the Old Town of Cittadella to Padua, the villa complex is composed of a central building with a square ground plan, linked to the perpendicular wings with two small crenellated towers. Just after obtaining a noble title from the Serenissima Republic of Venice, Bernardo Nave decided to renovate the manor house he owned there and to build a burial chapel on the site where there had once been a pilgrims’ hospice named after San Lazzaro. By 1689 the chapel dedicated to Christ the Saviour had been completed, featuring a

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Neo-Palladian facade in Verona marble and white stone. The quality of the design suggests it may have been the work of the architect Antonio Gaspari. The decoration inside may be considered a fine, even example of late seventeenth-century painting and sculpture. The frescoes may be attributed to the French painter Louis Dorigny, and the marble work and busts to the Flemish artist Giusto Le Court. Events.Weekly market: every Monday morningFlea market and organic market: third Sunday of every month. Educational workshops for families: first Sunday of every month, aimed at introducing children, together with their parents, to mediaeval trades, such as the art of Gothic writing, creating objects using clay and leather working. Booking compulsory.Saturday afternoon guided tour from the Tourist Office.Night-time opening of the Chemin de Ronde, by candlelight, held periodically.

Fair of San Giuseppe: in March, the Old Town is the setting for the traditional flower and plant market, as well as a display of agricultural equipment. Mediaeval re-enactment entitled “Voci dall’Evo di Mezzo” (voices from the Middle Ages): last weekend in September. Two-day event featuring re-enactments of scenes from everyday life in the Middle Ages, in settings such as soldiers’ camps, with historical archery displays, musicians and minstrels performing in the streets, historical games, a mediaeval market and demonstrations of

traditional trades. Particularly interesting are the falconry displays, featuring various types of birds of prey and the interactive participation of the audience. The event will come to a close at dusk with a torchlight parade, a firework delay and the setting alight of the Castle.

“Fiera Franca” cattle fair of Cittadella: October. The origins of this fair go back a very long way, to 1231, when Padua decided that the privileges enjoyed by the market in Onara should be transferred to Cittadella. Today the fair is no longer held in the Old Town, but in the industrial area, although until recently the animals occupied the gravelly areas between the town walls and the moat. The Old Town hosts a large market held over two days, with stalls of all kinds and a funfair held at the sports facilities.Nativity Scenes Exhibition in the Church of Santa Maria del Torresino during the Christmas period.

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©Photographs: Libreria Vettori: +39 0499400370, Stradella della Fabbrica 5, 35013 Cittadella Pd.

Tourist Office Information IAT CittadellaPorte Bassanesi, 2Tel. +39 049 9404485Fax +39 049 5972754http://turismo.comune.cittadella.pd.itturismo@comune.cittadella.pd.it

Summer opening hours: from 1 April to 31 OctoberMonday-Friday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 18.00Closed Tuesdays Saturday and Sunday from 09.00 to 12.30; from 14.30 to 19.00Winter opening hours: from 1 November to 31 MarchMonday-Friday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 16.00Closed Tuesdays Saturday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 16.30Sunday from 09.00 to 12.00; from 14.00 to 17.00Closed 1 January, 1 November, 25 December

Chemin de Ronde Summer opening hours: from 1 April to 31 OctoberMonday-Friday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 18.00Closed Tuesdays Saturday and Sunday from 09.00 to 12.30; from 15.00 to 19.00Winter opening hours: from 1 November to 31 MarchMonday-Friday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 16.00Closed Tuesdays Saturday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 16.30Sunday from 09.00 to 12.00; from 14.00 to 17.00Closed 1 January, 1 November, 25 December

Tower of Malta and Civic Archaeological MuseumVia Stradella del CristoSummer opening hours: from 1 April to 31 OctoberSaturday from 09.00 to 12.30; from 15.00 to 19.00Sunday from 09.00 to 12.30; from 15.00 to 19.00Winter opening hours: from 1 November to 31 MarchSaturday from 14.00 to 16.30Sunday from 09.00 to 12.00; from 14.00 to 17.00Closed 1 January, 1 November, 25 December

Cittadella Cathedral and Art Gallery Piazza PierobonFrom 09.00 to 12.00; from 15.30 to 18.30

Cathedral Museum Via Marconi, 5Entrance from the “Bottega del Mondo” shop, run by volunteers.Times may therefore vary: generally from 09.30 to 12.00; from 16.00 to 19.00Closed Mondays and Tuesday afternoons

Social Theatre Via IndipendenzaPro Cittadella Tel. +39 049 5970627Visits may be booked at the Tourist Office

Palazzo Pretorio Via G. Marconi, 30Pretorio Foundation Tel. +39 049 9413474open during art exhibitions; otherwise visits may be booked at the Tourist Office

Church of Santa Maria del TorresinoVia G. Garibaldi, next to the Padua DoorOpen during art exhibitions; otherwise visits may be booked at the Tourist Office

Oratorio del Salvatore at Villa Ca’ NaveVia Borgo Padova - Visits may be booked at the Tourist Office

Church of San DonatoVia S. Donato - From 09.00 to 12.00; From 15.30 to 18.30

Convent of San FrancescoVia Borgo Treviso - From 09.00 to 12.00; From 15.30 to 18.30

Useful Numbers Town Hall switchboard Tel. +39 049 9413411Local Police Tel. +39 049 9413488Tourist Office Tel. +39 049 9404485Municipal Library Tel. +39 0499413470Hospital Tel. +39 049 9424111Post Office Tel. +39 049 9488311

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Tel. +39 049 8767911Fax +39 049 650794www.turismopadova.itwww.turismotermeeuganee.it

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