Fodor's Expert Review Medieval towns

For a fascinating and delightful day excursion out of Padua, take a drive (or a bus ride) to see several medieval towns. Monselice, 23 km (14 miles) south of Padua, has a castle perched on a hilltop that is everything a 13th-century castle should be, both inside and out. It also has the Villa Duodo, designed by Palladio's disciple and collaborator, Scamozzi. Este, 10 km (6 miles) west of Monselice, is another example of a medieval walled city. Farther west, the walls surrounding the town of Montagnana, 50 km (30 miles) southwest of Padua, are some of the best preserved in Italy; they enclose a market square, a 500-year-old cathedral, a Palladian Villa, and a medieval castle.