Mastio di Ezzelino

The Mastio di Ezzelino is the oldest and tallest tower of Montagnana, rising about 38 metres above Castel San Zeno. Built during the thirteenth-century reconstruction of the town, it served as the defensive heart of the castle and remains a prominent part of the walled city’s skyline.

Why it matters

The tower’s name recalls Ezzelino III da Romano, who conquered and burned Montagnana in 1238. Reconstruction began around 1242, with the keep and neighbouring castle at the eastern edge of the town. Its massive walls and narrow openings reveal its defensive role.

What to notice

The keep’s sheer walls are interrupted by slit openings near the top. It projects slightly beyond the line of the later Carrarese curtain, showing how the older structure shaped the subsequent defences. Its elevation offers views over the walled streets, the surrounding plain, the Euganean and Berici hills, and, in clear conditions, the Alps.

Context and history

Municipal sources date the tower and reconstruction of Castel San Zeno to around 1242, following the conquest of 1238. As control of Montagnana passed from Padua to the Da Carrara and later to Venice, the keep became the strongest element of an expanded defensive circuit overlooking the eastern approach. Restoration of the castle complex took place from 1994 to 1996.