C Walking on history.

C
ittadella.
Walking
on 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there are very few historical references dating to the High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
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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.
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
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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.
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Visitor route within the walls.
Following the splendid walk around the chemin de
ronde, visitors are invited to take explore the superb
Old Town.
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Cittadella, view of the Old Town
from the tower of the Bassano Gate.
Cittadella, view of the north-eastern section
of the walls.
Cittadella, external view of the walls
at the public gardens area.
Cittadella, the Chemin de Ronde.
Cittadella, the steps and the walkway spanning
the break in the north-western section of the walls.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Porta Bassanese.
Porta Padovana.
Archaeological Museum.
Church of Santa Maria del Torresino.
Porta Vicentina.
Palazzo Pretorio.
Cathedral.
Palazzo Andrea Mantegna (Town Hall).
Social Theatre.
Church of San Donato.
Convent of San Francesco.
Villa Ca’ Nave.
Night-time opening.
Historical re-enactment.
Cathedral, Museum
and Art Gallery.
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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
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.
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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.
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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.
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.
Convent of San Francesco.
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.
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”.
Social Theatre.
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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.
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Villa Ca’ Nave and Oratorio
del Salvatore.
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.
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 morning
Flea 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
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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.
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“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.
Palazzo Pretorio
Tourist Office Information
IAT Cittadella
Via G. Marconi, 30
Pretorio Foundation Tel. +39 049 9413474
open during art exhibitions; otherwise visits may be booked at the
Tourist Office
Porte Bassanesi, 2
Tel. +39 049 9404485
Fax +39 049 5972754
http://turismo.comune.cittadella.pd.it
[email protected]
Church of Santa Maria del Torresino
Chemin de Ronde
Summer opening hours: from 1 April to 31 October
Monday-Friday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 18.00
Closed Tuesdays
Saturday and Sunday from 09.00 to 12.30; from 15.00 to 19.00
Winter opening hours: from 1 November to 31 March
Monday-Friday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 16.00
Closed Tuesdays
Saturday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 16.30
Sunday from 09.00 to 12.00; from 14.00 to 17.00
Closed 1 January, 1 November, 25 December
Tower of Malta and Civic Archaeological Museum
Via Stradella del Cristo
Summer opening hours: from 1 April to 31 October
Saturday from 09.00 to 12.30; from 15.00 to 19.00
Sunday from 09.00 to 12.30; from 15.00 to 19.00
Winter opening hours: from 1 November to 31 March
Saturday from 14.00 to 16.30
Sunday from 09.00 to 12.00; from 14.00 to 17.00
Closed 1 January, 1 November, 25 December
Via G. Garibaldi, next to the Padua Door
Open during art exhibitions; otherwise visits may be booked at the
Tourist Office
Oratorio del Salvatore at Villa Ca’ Nave
Via Borgo Padova - Visits may be booked at the Tourist Office
Church of San Donato
Via S. Donato - From 09.00 to 12.00; From 15.30 to 18.30
Convent of San Francesco
Via Borgo Treviso - From 09.00 to 12.00; From 15.30 to 18.30
Useful Numbers
Town Hall switchboard Tel. +39 049 9413411
Local Police Tel. +39 049 9413488
Tourist Office Tel. +39 049 9404485
Municipal Library Tel. +39 0499413470
Hospital Tel. +39 049 9424111
Post Office Tel. +39 049 9488311
TREVISO
AIRPORT
MOTORWAY
TOWNS
EUGANEAN HILLS
VENEZIA
AIRPORT
DIRECTION TRIESTE
MOTO
Cittadella Cathedral and Art Gallery
DIRECTION MILANO
Piazza Pierobon
From 09.00 to 12.00; from 15.30 to 18.30
RWAY
A4
A4
RWAY
VERONA
AIRPORT
Cathedral Museum
MOTO
TEOLO
MOTORWAY A13
Via Marconi, 5
Entrance from the “Bottega del Mondo” shop, run by volunteers.
Times may therefore vary:
generally from 09.30 to 12.00; from 16.00 to 19.00
Closed Mondays and Tuesday afternoons
Social Theatre
Via Indipendenza
Pro Cittadella Tel. +39 049 5970627
Visits may be booked at the Tourist Office
DIRECTION BOLOGNA
Tel. +39 049 8767911
Fax +39 049 650794
www.turismopadova.it
www.turismotermeeuganee.it
Produced in partnership with:
Comune
Cittadella
©Photographs: Libreria Vettori: +39 0499400370, Stradella della Fabbrica 5, 35013 Cittadella Pd.
C
Giugno 2011
Summer opening hours: from 1 April to 31 October
Monday-Friday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 18.00
Closed Tuesdays
Saturday and Sunday from 09.00 to 12.30; from 14.30 to 19.00
Winter opening hours: from 1 November to 31 March
Monday-Friday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 16.00
Closed Tuesdays
Saturday from 09.00 to 13.00; from 14.00 to 16.30
Sunday from 09.00 to 12.00; from 14.00 to 17.00
Closed 1 January, 1 November, 25 December