Soave Town Walls

Soave's walls are the reason to come. Most Italian towns lost theirs to nineteenth-century expansion; Soave kept the entire circuit, and it is one of the most complete medieval enceintes in northern Italy.

Built in 1369 by Cansignorio della Scala at the same time as the castle, the walls run down from the hill on both sides and close around the town on the flat, with twenty-four towers still standing.

You can see the whole thing at once from the motorway or the plain, which is unusual, and walk sections of it from inside the town.

The circuit is a working restoration project, and stretches are closed at different times while masonry is consolidated. Respecting the closures is the practical ask -- this is medieval brickwork, and it is being repaired continuously.

Do not climb on the walls or the towers outside the marked access points. The damage from that is cumulative and visible.

Park outside and walk in. Soave's centre is small, and cars inside the walls add nothing.

The best thing a visitor can do for the town is spend money in it: the cafés on Piazza Antenna and a bottle from a Classico producer on the hills behind.

The walls are free to see and visible from every street in the town and from the surrounding roads. No ticket is needed to walk around the outside, which takes about half an hour.

Access onto the wall walk itself is limited and partly seasonal; some stretches are open, others are not, and the arrangement changes with restoration work. Ask at the tourist office in Piazza Antenna.

The path up the hillside alongside the climbing arms to the castle is open and free, and gives the best views back along the circuit.

Parking outside the walls and walking in is both easier and better for the town. The centre inside is small and flat.