Population:  3,351 (2004)
Official website: Marostica
Wikipedia: Marostica
Map: MapQuest

Driving towards the ancient walled city of Marostica evokes a sense of moving  centuries back in time. The stunning medieval wall surrounding Marositca’s Castello Superiore, guard posts and bell tower, have long been a symbol of the town’s importance and in recent times have become the fairy-tale image famous all over the world.

If not for its spectacular panorama, Marostica might be a small and other-wise anonymous hill town of the Veneto region, but the local landscape draws visitors from far and wide.  It is also renowned for its cultural events, particularly the life-sized chess game played every year in the Piazza using real men and women as pieces!

Marostica is quite contained and can easily be appreciated within a few hours. Town life is concentrated in the area surrounding the Piazza Castello - the main square - whoes marble pavement is set up in a checkerboard fashion.

The chess tournament, in fact, which takes place every two years in Piazza Castello is no recent invention. In fact, the tradition goes back to 1454 when Taddeo Parisio Castellano di Marostica - a nobleman - had the "chess board" built to settle a conflict between two fellows in love with his eldest daughter. Instead of dueling - which may have been more common for those times - he had the two soldiers compete in the nobel game of chess to determine the future husband of his daughter.

The modern tournament takes place with real people dressed in medieval costumes and can be seen on the second week in September in even-number years. Tickets go on sale in April and for information or bookings, contact the tourist office in Marostica.

Marostica also host's a charming Cherry Festival - the Sagra del Ciliege - every  June. You can get here on one of two dozen daily buses from Vicenza in 40 minutes. Dozens of local buses do the short run daily from Bassano to Marostica. By car, head west on S248.

By Arianna Andrews, August 12, 2007