Castle

The Castle of Soave is a typical medieval military edifice, commanding the neighbourhood of the city from the Tenda Hill. It comprises a mastio (donjon) and three lines of walls forming three courts of different size. The outer line, with a gate and a drawbridge, is the most recent, built by the Venetians in the 15th century. It houses the remains of a small church from the 10th century.

The second and larger court, the first of the original castle, is called della Madonna for a fresco portraying St. Mary (1321). Another fresco is visible after the door leading to the inner court, and portrays a Scaliger soldier. The mastio is the most impressive feature of the castle. Bones found within showed it was used also as prison and place of torture.

The House called del Capitano (the Scaliger commander) houses Roman coins, weapons parts, medals and other ancient remains found during the most recent restoration. Adjacent is a bedroom with a 13th-century fresco with St. Mary and Madeleine and a dining room with medieval kitchenware. Another room houses the portraits of the most famous Scaliger figures: Mastino I, Cangrande, Cansignorio and Taddea da Carrara, wife of Mastino II; the portrait of Dante Alighieri testify an alleged sojourn of the poet in the castle.

Others

• The Scaliger Walls, built by Cansignorio della Scala, have a length of about 1,600 meters with a total of 24 towers. In origin there were three gates (Porta Aquila, now Porta Bassano, Porta Vicentina and Porta Verona). Two sides (west and south) are backed by a moat.

• Palazzo di Giustizia ("Justice Palace"), built in 1375 by Cansignorio della Scala.

• Scaliger Palace, near Porta Aquila, also commissioned by Cansignorio. It was the residence of the pretori and governors of the city and, during the Venetian rule, of the Capitani. It a noteworthy garden.

• Palazzo Cavalli (1411). The façade in Venetian Gothic architecture had once frescoes with mythological figures attributed to Giovanni Maria Falconetto.

• The Chiesa Parrocchiale (Parish Church). Built in 1758 over the pre-existing main church, and enlarged in 1884, it houses precious 16th paintings. The belltower has 9 famous bells in C# ringed in Veronese bellringing art.

• Santa Maria dei Domenicani church (1443, later rebuilt in the same century).

• Church of San Rocco, built in the 15th century of a Roman cemetery.

• The church of San Giorgio. Until the plague of 1630 housed 15th–16th century, now almost entirely lost.

• The Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Bassanella, consecrated in 1098 and renovated in the 20th century. It has noteworthy frescoes (14th century) depicting St. Benedict, St. Scholastica and other saints.