Parco Regionale dei Colli Euganei

The Castle of Este was built in 1050 by Azzo II, who then adopted the name of the town for his whole family, the Estensi. In 1339 the Estensi family moved to Ferrara and left the castle to the Paduan Carraresi family, that used it as a strategic defence against the Scaliger and Visconti. Only the guelph-merloned, 1000-metre long castle walls remain today of the original structure. They include twelve towers and two imposing keeps: the one on the eastern side is known as Castelletto del Soccorso, the other - situated on the highest point - overlooks the whole old town.