"Monselice is the most picturesque town I have seen in Italy. It has an old ruin of a castle upon the hill and thence commands a beautiful and extraordinary view. It lies in the wide plain – a dead level – whereon Ferrara, Bologna, Rovigo, Este, Padua stand and even Venice we could dimly see in the horizon rising with her tiara of proud towers. What a walk and what a wide delightful picture. To Venice 38 miles."
The town's mythological foundation is attributed to the Trojan hero Opsicella. The area shows evidence of human settlement since the Bronze Age. In Roman times it was known as Mons Silicis, meaning "mountain of flintstone", possibly due to the local quarries of trachyte. The earliest known documents about Monselice date back to 568 AD and are related to the conquest of the town by the Lombards. The town was under Byzantine rule for a brief period until its conquest by king Agilulf around 602. During the Comuni period the town had its own local self-government. The town was aligned with the Ghibellines against the Guelphs in the political and military fights of the 13th century. The Ghibelline leader Ezzelino III da Romano improved the town's fortifications and made it one of the main strongholds of the area. The town was then under the Carraresi rule and in the 15th century it became part of the Republic of Venice. After a short period of French domination, it was part of the Austrian Empire and, later, of its client Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia. In 1866 it became part of the Kingdom of Italy.
Main sights
The modern town lies in a wide valley between the Montericco, elevation, and the Rocca, elevation, hills. The oldest part of the town lies around the Rocca hill. In medieval times the Rocca was heavily fortified with five girdle walls that are partially still visible today. Important points for tourists can be the central square Piazza Mazzini with the medieval Torre Civica and the Palazzo del Monte di Pietà. This building hosts the local touristic promotion board, that provides information for visits to the town's historical attractions. Piazza Mazzini square is also the starting point for the promenade walk along Via del Santuario, leading to the most interesting sites of the town, which include:
The Castle of Monselice, which houses one of the most important collections of European medieval weapons and armors.
The Keep, still standing on the Rocca hilltop. It is a tower built with regular trachyte blocks from local quarries.
Culture
A lively market is held every Monday in the town's main streets. An important fair is traditionally held every year around November 1. Attractions include a food and general market, local food stands, fun park, exhibits. Started in recent years, the "Palio di Monselice" tournament has become a primary attraction. The Palio is held every year in September. It is modeled after medieval horse tournaments and it includes several other competitions: archery, chess tournament, musicians tournament, flag-flyers, millstone challenge and the parade of nine "contrade" in period costume.
Transportation
Monselice is well connected to the major towns of Padua, Venice and Bologna. Monselice railway station is on the Venice-Padua-Bologna-Florence line, between Padua and Bologna. A secondary railway line connects Monselice to the town of Mantua in Lombardy. The nearest airports are Marco Polo, Venice, away, and Marconi, Bologna,.
