Among the most beautiful walled villages in Italy, Montagnana is one of the pearls of the Padua lands. Built by Francesco il Vecchio da Carrara, between 1360 and 1362, is still an extraordinary village today. Twenty-four towers and four doors embellish the beautiful wall belt.
In Porta Padova is united the imposing Castle of San Zeno, characterized by its corner towers, the door and a Venetian-style building where the Giacomelli Civic Museum is located.
The heart of the village is the vast square where the Duomo overlooks, the terracotta façade and the triumphal arch-shaped portal that houses paintings dating from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries, eighteenth-century carvings and a “Transfiguration” by the Veronese. Also on the central square is the 15th century Palazzo del Monte di Pietà .
Those who stop for just a few hours in this wonderful heart of the Veneto should taste one of its typical products of highest quality, the Veneto Berico-Euganeo DOP ham.
It is in 1996 that Veneto Berico-Euganeo ham is assigned the DOP (Protected Designation of Origin), a trademark that guarantees the close link between production and its territory, between ham and Montagnana, the heart of its production area includes, among others, the centers of Orgiano, Sossano, Ospedaletto Euganeo, Este, Pressana, Roveredo of Guà and Noventa Vicentina.
The preparation of this local gastronomic wonder provides a first step in choosing the thighs that are selected and examined at health level. The fundamental salting phase, which is carried out according to the size of the thighs, takes place for a period of rest, at controlled temperature and humidity, for ninety days. Then there is the washing and maturation phase, in which aromas and fragrances develop. With a mixture of flour and cereals, the grouting is carried out before proceeding with long ageing. At the end of the year, the marking takes place.
From the pink to the red in its leanest part, pure white in the fat, delicate aroma, sweet and fragrant, Veneto Berico Euganeo ham must be tasted in one of the restaurants in the area. Great if consumed with vegetables in oil, perhaps with rock melon or risotto.
