Between the walled cities of the Veneto, Montagnana is that one that better has been able to keep his medieval fence: the structural modifications are in fact least and not much visible, at the point to be able to be asserted that at present we can admire it more or less to as it was seen her in XIV century. However Montagnana isn’t only a “picturesque” small town, but also a place where generations of men enterprising and provided with good taste have left, 1200s up today, their only and original print.

Montagnana owes her international fame to the celebrated building fence built between XIII and XIV century. The most ancient settlements on the territory are documented nevertheless by archaeological findings, in the locality of Palù and Busi, which they go up again at the end of the IV and at the beginning of the III millennium B.C. (Age slow Neolithic and Aeneolothic). It is about handmade articles in chert material, between whose point of arrow and a blade of dagger, now shown inside the Archaeological Section of the Civic Museum “A. Giacomelli” to Castle San Zeno of Montagnana.

The most important testimonies are attributable to finds that illustrate the domestic and homemade activities of the end of Age from the Bronz and of the beginning of the Age of Iron (XII – VIII century B.C.), coming from the present area of Borgo San Zeno, to the epoch lapped by the ancient course of the Adige.

From the Roman epoch several rustic villas and burial grounds are documented: between these the most important is that one of Gens Vassidia, discovered in 1974, in the neighbourhoods with the present historical centre. Assignable to the I century A.D. it is composed by various stele, between which that one grandiose in harriet eagle decorated in bas-relief of Postumulena Sabrina; between the objects of the grave goods of the necropolis the earthenware of grass stick out for abundance. The Romans made a land reclamation of the zone with interventions of damming of the Adige, that in 589 A.D. following the “route of the Cucca”, it diverted the own course towards South.

The place where the city rises is a light rise raised on the surrounding country: from this placename seems to derive, llikely, Motta Æniana, with reference to the mansio Anneiano, cited in Itinerarium Antonini (III century A.D.), which intermediate stop of the run between Aquileia and Bologna. For her strategic position, Montagnana was initially strengthened against the invasion of the Ungari.

In 1239 the small town rejected a first attack of Ezzelino III of Roman, vicar of the Emperor Federico II; it was nevertheless a defeat in 1242, year which has to go up again the building of the great “mastio” (fortified tower) of Castel San Zeno, the present Porta Padova. The Este marquises alienated in 1290 the rights on the territory of the Scodosia, neighbourring territory to Montagnana, which became a property of the Municipality of Padua. The centre was competing between Padua and Verona during XIV century, during which the Carraresi completed with the Rocca (Stronghold) of the Trees in 1362, the present building fanced remained unchanged in the centuries.

In 1405 the city gave itself up to Venice: at the end of her military strategic importance there succeeded a rebirth of the agricultural, homemade and commercial activities that favoured the settlment of wealthy families, tied to the Serene Highness one. A period pervaded by occupations and sieges it was that one of the War of Cambrai (1509-1518), fought between Venice and the League of Germans, Spanish, French and Italian princes.

In 1431 the yard began for the construction of the new Church Civic Mother, which will conclude in 1505, reconciling the initial features of the Gothic period to those of the full Renaissance.

To the fall of the Serene Highness one, in 1797, Montagnana followed the destinies of the venetian area. According to decree of the emperator Francesco I from Asburg of 1826, the city headline was assigned to the her formally. In the July of 1866 it opened the doors to the troops of the Italian army, becoming a part of the New Reign.

In 1855 there was inaugurated the railway station that links Montagnana to Legnago (Verona) and to the line Padova-Bologna; to permit the connection of the historical centre to the new station, it was opened on the walls, on the side South, the “Porta XX Settembre” (“Door XX September”), according to the advice of the architect Camillo Boito.

During the II World War the walls didn’t undergo damages, except any blows of cannon fired by a fighter-bomber against the Mastio (fortified tower) of Castel San Zeno and from two allied bombs that produced a crater on the corner south-east of the ditch and two courts owed to splinters, on the southern side. In a vandalic exercise, the Germans practiced a visible cavity under a blackibird of the patched stroke.

Montagnana’s Cathedral

Dedicated to Holy Maria Assunta, it’s built in different asymetrical angles in the Greatest Square and the result seems an incomparable scenography.

Rebuilt almost integrally from 1431 on the traces of a preceding Romanesque church of XII century, it was concluded in the first years of 1500. The imposing, but at the same time simple front to shape of “hut”, mixes Gothic and Renaissance elements and it present itself with a classical portal attributed to Sansovino. Really imposing and curious is the watch with the only lancet of the hours.

Piazza Maggiore (Grater Square) is the heart of the social life of the small town, and undiscussed protagonist seems the Cathedral. It is surrounded a series of important civil palaces, good part of Eighteen-century invoice of Venetian taste. Between them the seat of Monte di Pietà (Mount of Pity) the Valeri Palace and the Eighteen-century Palace, typical “fireplaces to the Venetian one”. In recent epoch of the nine hundred instead of the Palace of the Savings bank, an architecture rather massive to imitation of the shapes medieval chatelaines. In the centre of the square it was lopping the Column with the Lion of S. Marco, gift of the Serene Highness dominant one. It was knocked down by order of Napoleon Bonaparte and substituted in 1881 with the statue of Vittorio Emanuele.

from the socioeconomic point of view, today Montagnana living a strongly, mechanised and specialised agricolture; at the traditional bovine’s livestock it has stood beside that one of chickens and turkeys. Of elevate importance is the production of “Prosciutto Crudo di Montagnana Veneto Berico-Euganeo DOP” (Raw Ham) (Denomination of Protected Origin) which recalls tourists and lovers of the product from all the world. Besides important is the homemade and industrial sector (equipment for travelling shows).

Of great relief the tourist economy with a diversified system of receptive structures: from the hotels, to the inns, to bed&breakfast, to the hostels. In Montagana it is possible to taste typical plates of the perfect quality and above all the famous “Prosciutto di Montagnana” (Montagnana’s Ham), in cured pork meat factories, trattorias and little taverns equipped for the tasting.

The exploitation of his cultural property, the guardianship of the environment, the culture of the hospitality, the eno-gastronomic excellences, the possibilities of access and availability of the territorial resources, they have elected the city of Montagnana in 2003 to “Flag Orange” from Touring Club Italy and besides in 2014 that “Villages more Beautiful of Italy“.