Complesso del Soccorso del Castello Carrarese

The Soccorso Complex, an integral part of the Carrarese Castle of Este, is a structure of great historical and architectural value. It stands out for the presence of the Torre del Soccorso, one of the three main towers of the castle, called “maistre” or mastii, which, unlike the 14 smaller towers (or “torresini”), were more powerful and equipped with internal accesses. The castle was built between 1339 and 1340 by order of Ubertino da Carrara, lord of Padua. Of the three main towers, two remain today: the summit keep and the Soccorso keep. The third tower, called “del Tormento” (located to the south, near the entrance to the village of Este), was demolished in the second half of the sixteenth century to make room for the construction of the Palazzo Mocenigo, now home to the Museo Nazionale Atestino. A trace of this tower is visible in the rough medieval masonry preserved on the terrace of the palace that dominates the entrance to the Gardens. The Torre del Soccorso, so called because of the presence of an escape route that connected the castle to the top of the hill, served as the northern access gate to the castle. It was strategically positioned along the foothill road that connected Este to Monselice and Padua, an important communication and defense artery.