What to see in Cittadella in one day, a small guide in order to not miss any places of interest/attraction
There are several reasons not to miss a visit to Cittadella.
Would you like to know one of them? Cittadella is the only medieval town in Europe with a perfectly preserved and fully accessible elliptical wall.
The Camminamento di Ronda [tour of the ramparts] is in fact the main Attraction (with a capital A) in Cittadella.
This is where the itinerary to discover Cittadella begins: 1.5 km in length, with an average height of 15 metres and interrupted by four large gates, the Bassano, Treviso, Padua and Vicenza Gates.
On clear days, the view leaves visitors enchanted: the Euganean Hills, the Pedemontana, the Berici Mountains and Monte Grappa can be clearly distinguished on the horizon. Allow for about 2 hours of walking.
The highest point of the ramparts, standing at about 30 metres, is the Belvedere, with its panoramic terrace, from where you can enjoy the most beautiful view, especially at sunset!
From the walls you can see the rooftops of several of the town’s historic buildings, which are worth visiting if you have time: Palazzo della Loggia, the Town Hall, the Teatro Sociale (decorated in a style similar to the Teatro La Fenice in Venice), Palazzo Pretorio and the beautiful cathedral.
No visit to Cittadella is complete without doing two things:
Renting a motor boat or rowing boat on the navigable moat around the walls (an experience available each weekend between April and October) and trying Citadella’s cocktail par excellence: the Mesoevo! The cocktail is inspired by its better-known cousin, Bassano’s Meso e Meso, and consists of Strega liqueur (Hemingway’s favourite), Nardini Mezzo e Mezzo, soda water and fresh mint leaves.
TRIVIA:
The walls are not entirely complete: a section is missing near the Bassano gate, where there is a breach, perhaps due to a cannon shot. The walls were actually built before the advent of gunpowder; they resisted assaults but not cannon fire.
Polenta is the key dish of Cittadella’s culinary tradition: it comes in a white, yellow and even a sweet version, the famous “Polentina di Cittadella” cake, the typical dessert since 1850.
When to visit:
- Valentine’s Day: the Tower of Malta remains open until midnight for a romantic view of the city;
- June 8 – The Ramparts by Night: the date on which the walls of Cittadella were re-opened, in 2013, after 20 years of restoration. Each year, the ramparts are illuminated by hundreds of candles, giving them a very evocative atmosphere;
- 4th weekend of September: Medieval re-enactment of how the town was 800 years ago;
- 4th weekend of October: Fiera Franca, with the cattle fair, fireworks and the unmissable fire on the walls
For further information: www.visitcittadella.it