The City of Roses, as Ludovico Ariosto describes Rovigo, whose name derives from the Greek rhòdon, which means rose. And it is precisely from this description that the symbol of the city became, and still is, the rose... #tuttitaly
Rovigo, described by Ludovico Ariosto in Orlando Furioso as "the land whose production of roses / gave them a pleasant name in Greek words," is known as the city of roses. According to scholars of the past, the name of the town derives from the Greek rhodon "pink."
History
In 920, the bishop of Adria had a fortification built in Rovigo, completed in 954.
It was the Este family, in the 12th century, who promoted the expansion of the fortification.
The keep of castle, known as Torre Donà, is 66 m high and is one of the tallest Italian medieval towers.
Today, the Torre Donà and the Torre Mozza, located in the public gardens of Piazza Matteotti, are the only remnant of the castle.
During the rule of the Estensi, the historic center of Rovigo became the capital of the Polesine, thanks to a progressive flourishing of religious and civil buildings.
From 1482 and for the following three centuries, Venice had dominion over Rovigo. The Republic built the Civic Tower in Piazza Maggiore, the current Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, to which the bell that had rung in the Torre Donà was transferred. In 1519 the column with the lion of San Marco was also built.
At the end of the 16th century, the Temple of the Beata Vergine del Soccorso was built, known as the Rotonda, whose interior is decorated with paintings depicting the Venetian podestà who ruled over Rovigo until the 1660s.
During the eighteenth century, the Cathedral was
enlarged, whose facade remained unfinished; Palazzo Roncale and Palazzo Angeli were also built.
Also worth a visit is the Accademia dei Concordi which collects masterpieces by Nicolò di Pietro, Giovanni Bellini, Jan Mabuse, and Palma il Vecchio.
During Fascism, with the master plan of 1938, the Adigetto River was filled in, thus altering the physiognomy of the ancient river city.
Gastronomy
Among the typical dishes of Rovigo, taste the guinea faraona in tecia and the stewed fòlaga with beans.
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