The Castle

The stronghold of the plain

The Lower Castle of Marostica is a splendid example of mediaeval military architecture. It was built in the 14th century by the Scaligers of Verona as a fortress and tollhouse. In the first decades of the 15th century, it became the seat of the political and legal power of the Republic of Venice, and the interiors were gradually embellished, turning it into a noble building. During the centuries that followed, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and later the Kingdom of Italy, housed their military authorities there, as well as a number of administrative offices, and even a fine theatre, of which no trace remains today. Starting from the 1930s, the building underwent repeated restauration work, which gradually restored its original appearance. Today the whole of the Lower Castle is open to visitors.

Opening times and tickets

Opening times
Open every day, except Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Opening hours
9:00 am – 1:00 pm / 2:30 pm – 6:30 pm
(last admission 1 hour before closing time)

Ticket
Full-price ticket € 8,00 
Concessions € 5,00 *
School groups € 4,00  **
Combined ticket € 11,00 ***

Guided tours
Guided tours can be booked.

Rates
1 hour € 60
2 hours € 100
3 hours € 150

Workshops
Workshops can be booked.

Cost (per participant)
Evo Vivo Smart € 8 (half day)
Evo Vivo Long € 13 (full day)

* Visitors aged 6-14 or over 65, UNPLI members, visitors accompanying people with disabilities, groups of more than 15 people.
** Free for children under 6, visitors with disabilities, residents (ID must be shown), journalists (valid card must be shown), members of police forces (ID must be shown), tour guides (accompanying groups, or individually on presentation of licence).
*** Combined with access to the Chemin de Ronde, from March to November, on Sundays and public holidays.

Discover the castle

The exhibition

Created to celebrate the centenary of the Chess Game in Marostica, the main part of the exhibition can be visited on the main, or noble floor of the Lower Castle, with a prologue in the Parade Ground and an epilogue in the Loggia. The exhibition illustrates the origin, development and history of the Chess Game, and visitors can admire dozens of scale reproductions of the original sketches created for the performance in Brussels in 1958; the oldest and most elaborate costumes worn by the characters, complete with accessories; some of the most interesting props used during the performances; a beautiful chessboard in porcelain and pure gold, and a series of film footage, documents and infographics illustrating the fascinating, lively nature of the Chess Game.

Servants’ Floor.

The Servants’ Floor looks onto the portico of the Parade Ground, and is composed of four large communicating rooms, well-lit and located at different levels. During Venetian rule, this floor housed the main utility areas of the castle, such as the kitchens and the stables, as well as the accommodation for functionaries on the mezzanines, while in the 19th century, it hosted the soldiers’ lodgings, a number of municipal offices, the schools and the social theatre. Today, the rooms are used for temporary exhibitions, and visitors can admire a fine work by Bartolomeo Ferrari depicting the Doge Foscari kneeling before the Lion of St. Mark.

Noble Floor

When the Venetians abandoned the Upper Castle at the beginning of the 16th century, the first floor of the Lower Castle became the residence of the Podestà. An aristocratic closed, arched and vaulted staircase was built to separate the areas from the ground floor, and a loggia with coats of arms was added. Windows were added to all the rooms, which were also refloored and frescoed. The east wing was used for receptions, and became the seat of the Council of Trent and the family chapel of the castellan, while the wing looking onto the piazza became the private residence of the governor. Today, the Noble Floor hosts the Council Chamber, where the town’s most prestigious cultural activities are held, including the exhibition celebrating the centenary of the Chess Game.

The Keep

Known locally as the Torion, the Keep is divided into 7 levels, linked by 118 steps, some of them created recently. During the Serenissima, it was used as the podestà’s prison, and during the Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia it also hosted the Magistrate’s prison, and subsequently, with the advent of the Kingdom of Italy, the Remand Prison, which remained in operation until it was dismantled in 1934. Still visible in the Keep as a testament to these centuries of history are the cells, the shackles and the security doors. Especially beautiful is the Captain’s Room, in which visitors can admire the fourteenth-century cross-vaulted ceiling and the original remains of a fireplace, an aquamanile and a commode.

The Attic

Originally used to host the military offices, in the mid-17th century, the attic was provided with two staircases leading up to it, and linked to the accommodation of the podestà. For improved comfort, in the 19th century, the top of the roof was raised, resting directly on the chemin de ronde. The Attic was restored to its original conditions during the restoration work carried out in 1934. The attractive pattern of the ceiling is formed by 14 Italian-style trusses, and the flooring is in oak leaf. The prominent feature is the plaster reproduction of a Lion of St. Mark belonging to the Ferrario plaster cast gallery.

The Castle Walkway

The walkway runs around the walls of the Lower Castle, touching on the four corner turrets and the bretèche. Paved in stone and jutting slightly inwards, the walkway runs, on the one side, next to the pitch of the roof that covers the whole of the building on two levels; on the other, it runs alongside the parapet and the swallowtail battlements, from which there is a splendid view of Marostica Old Town. Not to be missed is a stop to ring the old bell of the Castle, known as the trotta, and make a wish.

The Castle

Opening times and tickets

Discover the castle

Gallery

Video