Are you looking for some useful advice for planning your trip beyond the toll booth? The A31 Valdastico motorway will take you to Rovigo, where you can indulge in a day of urban trekking. Put on a pair of comfortable shoes and set off to discover the artistic beauties of the Polesine capital, among Renaissance architecture, neoclassical buildings, squares and streets that hold memories to be revealed.

Rovigo owes its name to the Greek word "rodon" which in Italian means "rose". In ancient times it was known for the numerous rose gardens that embellished the streets, so much so that it was called the "City of Roses". Even Ludovico Ariosto was fascinated by it, and wanted to celebrate its beauty in the third canto of Orlando Furioso. Even today it is impossible not to be captured by the intense scent of this flower, scattered in the green areas of the historic center.

Start your itinerary from Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, known in medieval times as Piazza Maggiore. It is surrounded by arcades and paved with long slabs of trachyte, a porous magmatic rock used since Roman times. In the center stands the symbol of the ancient Venetian dominion: a majestic winged lion placed on top of the Column of San Marco. Along the perimeter of the square you can also admire the Palazzo dei Notari, a fifteenth-century building seat of the current municipal council. Next to this building is the imposing Palazzo Roverella, which hosts temporary and permanent exhibitions all year round.

Less than a kilometer away separates you from the Rotonda Temple. Named after the Beata Vergine del Soccorso, the church stands out for its octagonal plan, surrounded by Tuscan columns. The interior is a riot of seventeenth-century frescoes and Baroque decorations of great ornamental value. From here move to the Medieval Castle of Rovigo. Its towers are the last evidence of the ancient city walls. On one side you will see Torre Donà, one of the tallest Italian towers built in the Middle Ages, on the other Torre Grimani, or "Torre Mozza" due to the collapse that hit the top.

Before leaving, recover your strength by savoring some dishes of the Rovigo cuisine: gnocchi with sugar and cinnamon topped with melted butter or a Marafanti soup, prepared with beans and cabbage. If you are a lover of sweets, we recommend the Sugoli, must puddings, the Meiassa, a dessert prepared with cornmeal, pumpkin and potatoes, or the sweet potato cake, with raisins and dried figs.

A land to discover:

Food and wine: gnocchi with sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.

History: evidence of the Este and Venetian domination.

Territory: the villages of the Polesine area.