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marostica |
| Seven kilometres to the west of Bassano (and a fifteen-minute hop on
the regular bus), the walled town of MARÓSTICA was yet another
stronghold of Ezzelino da Romano, whose fortress glowers down on the old
centre from the crest of the hill of Pausolino. The Ezzelini controlled
Maróstica for quite a while - Ezzelino III was preceded by Ezzelino the
Stutterer and Ezzelino the Monk - but it was another despotic dynasty,
the Scaligers of Verona, who constructed the town walls and the Castello
Inferiore (lower castle). In front of the castle is Piazza Castello, the central square of the town, onto which is painted the board for the Partita a Scacchi , the town's principal claim to fame. The game's origin was an everyday chivalric story of rival suitors, the only unusual aspect being that the matter was decided with chess pieces rather than swords. The game was played with live pieces here in the square, and is re-enacted with great pomp on the second weekend of September of even-numbered years. Fourteenth-century costumes worn for the game are displayed in the Castello Inferiore (guided tours only Mon-Sat 10am, 10.45am, 11.30am, 3.30pm, 4.15pm, 5pm and 5.45pm & Sun 10am, 10.45am, 11.30am, 3.30pm & 6pm; L1000/¬0.52, www.telemar.it/marostica.htm ). |