INTEGRATED
ENGINEERING
AND ARCHITECTURE

The contribution focuses on the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Rocca degli Alberi and the northern section of the Montagnana city walls. Straddling three provinces in the fertile alluvial plain that once formed the bed of the Adige River, the capital of Sculdascia is renowned for its remarkable, exceptionally well-preserved medieval city walls. Montagnana is a small jewel in the province of Padua, celebrated as one of the most attractive among “The most beautiful villages in Italy”. Symbol of the ancient walled city, the Rocca degli Alberi originally stood as an island amidst dense forests, its fortress rising above surrounded by a moat inside and outside the walls, connected by four drawbridges. The approach, flanked by two towers, featured four swinging gates and two portcullises. The conservation and structural recovery project focusses on the Rocca degli Alberi and the entire north-western sector of Montagnana's urban fortification walls. These monumental assets span from the 13th to the 14th century and have recently become municipal heritage in accordance with Article 5, Paragraph 5 of Legislative Decree no. 85/2010 (state property federalism). All assets are protected under Legislative Decree 42/2004. The proposed new use based on the administration's tender is for a "Museum and Educational Centre of the Middle Ages and the Walled Cities of the Veneto," aimed at enhancing all present structures. These will be accessible for visits as part of an educational journey that transforms the Rocca degli Alberi into a dedicated space for exploring and portraying various aspects of the Middle Ages and fortified cities, including defensive structures, methods of defence and offence, and daily life within a fortified centre.