Castelvecchio

Lonely Planet review

The 14th-century fortress, Castelvecchio was raised by Cangrande II (of the Scaligeri family), little loved by the townspeople and anxious to protect himself against threats from home and abroad. Having gone to all that trouble, he was stabbed to death by his charming brother Canfrancesco inside the fortress walls. The restored fortress houses a museum with a diverse collection of paintings, frescoes, jewellery and medieval artefacts.

Among the paintings are works by Pisanello, Giovanni Bellini, Tiepolo, Carpaccio and Veronese. Also of note is a 14th-century equestrian statue of Cangrande I, the fortress-builder's ancestor and most illustrious of the Della Scala clan. The Ponte Scaligero spanning the River Adige was rebuilt after being destroyed by WWII bombing.