Soave, what to see: 8 places in the Veronese village

Soave: wine, history and culture. Soave is an enchanted village located just a half-hour drive from the center of Verona. Soave is famous for the excellent wine grown in the surrounding countryside, but it is above all a magical place for a trip out of town, a place where you can still breathe in the atmosphere of past themes. Soave preserves today its medieval layout with the great circle of walls that embrace the imposing Scaliger castle, for centuries a very important defensive bulwark of these lands. While the castle is certainly the most resplendent jewel and symbol of Soave, it is only by walking with one’s nose upward through the streets and alleys of the village that one is able to perceive all its extraordinary beauty. The cathedral, the courthouse and then again the striking Zanella Park will be just some of your landmarks as you discover Soave. However, Soave is not only a joy for the eyes, but it is also a joy for the palate. Soave, after all, is famous above all for the wine that bears its name and that can be tasted here in the many wine bars, wine cellars and taverns that offer menus for all tastes and budgets. Here is what to see during your stay in Soave.

1. The Castle of Soave

The castle of Soave is a perfectly preserved monumental fortress. Its origins date back to the early 10th century, at the time of the Hungarian invasions, and since then it has always been the center of the social and political life of these lands as well as the scene of numerous disputes over its possession. First and foremost, the Scaligeri, but also the Visconti, the da Carrara lords of Padua, the Republic of Venice and then again the raids of Germanic armies claimed its lordship until, in 1696, it passed to the nobleman Francesco Gritti from whose heirs in 1830 Antonio Cristani, maternal grandfather of Giulio Camuzzoni, great-grandfather of the present owner and for long years a well-deserving mayor of Verona, purchased it. It was the latter who at the end of the 19th century devoted himself to a meticulous restoration in which he lavished considerable energy and capital. Today the castle of Soave seems to have come out of the pencil of an illustrator so well preserved is it. The small fortress rises majestically with a high central tower, around which the rounds of the walls gradually develop, separating three courtyards and a small hanging courtyard. The walls from here then descend to embrace the entire medieval village.

2. The Duomo

Walking through the center of Soave one of the first buildings to catch the eye is undoubtedly the Cathedral of San Lorenzo Martire. Its history is one of continuous transformation. The church dedicated to San Lorenzo was first erected in the 11th century, only to be torn down and moved to its current location in the early 14th century. However, this ancient parish church was also demolished in turn because it was considered too cramped, and so it was replaced by the present imposing building starting in the mid-18th century thanks to the efforts not only of the municipality but also of the people. The cathedral was then enlarged in 1884 to a design by Abbot Architect Gottardi. By the same Gottardi is the restoration of the façade in Renaissance style, with Ionic columns and staircase in red Verona marble. The interior of the Soave cathedral has a single nave, with Baroque altars and valuable paintings. Also iconic is the beautiful bell tower, in classical style with three-mullioned windows erected according to Luigi Trezza’s design. In addition to the works of art, the majestic and beautiful organ built in 1889 by Englishman Giorgio Trice, which is often used at concerts of sacred music, is worth seeing.

3. The Sanctuary of Bassanella

Among the places dearest to the people of Soave is definitely the Marian shrine of Bassanella. In the eponymous village of Bassano this simple building traces its origins back as far as the year one thousand and is linked to an apparition of the Virgin that is said to have occurred in the Ponsara valley. There, according to tradition, a statue of the Madonna and Child was found, which is still venerated inside the sanctuary. The church during the centuries was run first by Benedictine monks then by the Olivetans of Santa Giustina until, at the fall of the Venetian Republic, it passed to the bishop of Verona. However, it was in the 19th century that the Sanctuary of Bassanella underwent its most important transformation with the facade being brought from the west to the north, facing a square overlooking the lower Tramigna valley. Inside are preserved many fine frescoes dating from the 14th century and depicting, among others, St. Benedict, St. Scholastica, and St. Christopher.

4. St. Mary of the Dominicans.

A valuable 15th-century building, the church of Santa Maria di monte Santo, also known as the church of the Dominican fathers or of monte Dragone, is located on the hill road leading to the castle of Soave. Within its walls the Dominicans remained there until the second half of the 17th century when both the church and the convent then attached passed to the municipality. Even today, the church of Santa Maria dei domenicani with its unmistakable bell tower stands out for its elegant style and manages to be at the same time sober, elegant, but also striking. When preparing to walk through the door of the church, pay special attention to the niche above the main door where there was formerly a fresco depicting the Virgin and Saints of the Order of Preachers of which only a hint of a drawing remains due to exposure to the icy north wind. Inside, however, there are several frescoes and chapels with rounded tuff arches, polychrome altars, balustrades and marble pillars adorned with bas-reliefs. The church was completely restored in 1985 and is now a popular venue for exhibitions, festivals, concerts and art shows.

5. Palace of Justice

If the Scaliger Castle is certainly the best-known symbol of Soave, the Palace of Justice undoubtedly ranks second on the podium. In the heart of the historic center, in Piazza della Loggia, the Palace of Justice has been the backdrop to the tortuous historical events of Soave since 1375 when it was built at the behest of Cansignorio della Scala, who installed Pietro Montagna there as rector and captain. It took just four months to construct this imposing building during which, however, the workers of the time managed to shape an authentic masterpiece. The courthouse still stands today with a four-arched loggia of shaped stone and ogival windows. In the middle of the facade is a balcony supporting a stone statue of the Virgin and Child on her knees flanked by two frescoed figures of St. Lawrence and St. John the Baptist. Of high historical and poetic value, in Gothic characters, is the inscription, in Latin verse, placed under the façade’s hummock, commemorating the construction.

6. Scaliger Palace

Also known as the Palazzo del Capitano (Captain’s Palace), the Scaliger Palace is a perfectly preserved 14th-century building that today houses the Municipality of Soave. The construction of the Palazzo del Capitano began in the 14th century at the behest of Cansignorio della Scala and is located a short walk from Porta Aquila. The praetors and governors of Soave lived here for a long time, while during Venetian rule it became the residence of the captains, who represented the political power of the village. Grandiose in its simplicity, this palace has in the back a beautiful garden, Baccio Zanella Park, but what strikes visitors most of all is how it has been able to cope with the passage of time while keeping all its charm intact. The Scaliger palace still has its original layout, consisting of two porticoed buildings arranged in an L-shape and separated from the street by a large courtyard, surrounded by a high wall, in which a portal profiled in finely decorated stone opens.

7. Cavalli Palace

An intricate pattern of arches and windows all finely decorated with frescoes depicting the labors of Hercules. This is how the facade of Palazzo Cavalli, a 15th-century architectural masterpiece located in the center of the medieval village of Soave, originally looked. On the side of Piazza dell’Antenna one can still admire this splendid building, which was built in the year 1411 by Nicolò Cavalli, captain of Soave. Palazzo Cavalli is a perfect example of Gothic-Venetian style, with trefoiled pointed-arch windows and a loggia below. In the Renaissance triforium, bas-reliefs depicting the lizard and the scorpion can be seen in the central columns, figures that were thematically related to the subject of the frescoes on the facade, which are no longer visible. As mentioned, the façade was once exquisitely frescoed with mythological subjects by Giovanni Maria Falconetto of Verona. As evidence of the frescoes, there remains a panel by Pietro Nanin, preserved inside the palace, which reproduces the facade as it must have originally been.

8. Walls of Soave

Once an impregnable defense, today an ideal setting for Soave’s many beauties. The Scaliger walls were built in 1369 at the behest of Cansignorio della Scala and gather within them the historic core of Soave. In ancient times only three gates opened in the walls: porta Aquila, today known as porta Bassano to the north, porta Vicentina to the east and porta Verona to the south. For two sides the walls are accompanied by the natural moat formed by the Tramigna River. The Scaliger walls are now owned by the municipality, which has been responsible for their complete restoration. In particular, of the patrol walkway, the stone pavement has been restored by making steel and wooden protections to give the idea of how it once was and to invite an educational tour of the walls that will take the visitor on an authentic leap back in time starting from the castle and then arriving, passing also four towers with wooden floors, to the magnificent stretch of wall located in Via Torricella.

Soave, what to see: 8 places in the Veronese village

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