Soave is located in the furthermost ramifications of the Lessini Mountains. It is a charming and untouched medieval walled town, dominated by a fine castle and surrounded by crenellated walls, 24 towers and a small stream, the Tramigna. It was originally the site of a Stone Age settlement and in the Roman times an important “pagus” (village) on the Postumian Way. According to reliable sources, a Swabian tribe founded the old town in the Longobard period (500 BC) and Soave probably takes its name from this population (Swabian, Svevi - Suaves - Soave).

The first documents concerning the castle have been written in the 10 th century. It is a typical medieval military fortress, which stands on the Monte Tenda and overlooks a wide plan. According to a 12 th century Federico Barbarossa’s document the original owner of the castle was the old Sambonifacio family, Counts of Verona. In 1237 the feudal Greppi family took it and left it, in 1270, to the town of Verona. Under the rule of the Scaligeri, Soave and its castle grew in importance and the ancient walls were restored and reinforced many times. In the past, many fierce battles were fought for the possession of the castle. In 1338 Rolando de’ Rossi from Parma took it but in the following years, the castle became property of Mastino II della Scala, head of the Venetian army. With the fall of the Scaligeri dynasty, in 1387 the Visconti of Milan took over to be later succeeded by the Carrara family, lords of Padua.

Thanks to the help of the Gonzaga family, in 1405 the Venetian Republic established its governance to which Soave remained faithful and in 1517 was granted the right to fly the standard of San Marco and to use the flagpole. A peaceful period started in the following years and lasted up to the arrival of Napoleon’s army.

In the years between 1889 and 1892 the Camuzzoni family became owner of the castle and accurately and carefully restored the existing parts of the castle.

Besides the medieval castle, Soave contains a number of notable monuments, such as: Palazzo dei Conti Sambonifacio (XIII century), Palazzo dei Conti Cavalli (1411), Palazzo di Giustizia and Palazzo del Capitano (1375), Palazzo Pullici, Ippolito Nievo’s house (XV century), Palazzo dei Conti Moscardo (XVII century), Duomo di S.Lorenzo, martyr in 1303, and the churches of S.Giorgio (XI century), of the Padri Domenicani (1443), of San Rocco (XV century), of Sant'Antonio (1667) and the Santuario di Santa Maria della Bassanella (XI century).

Storia