Montecchio Maggiore
Montecchio Maggiore, in the province of Vicenza, owes its fame to two castles facing each other on a hill above the town: the Cast...
Updated 11 July 2026
The story
The story of Montecchio Maggiore
The Castles of Juliet and Romeo
On the hill overlooking the centre of Montecchio Maggiore stand two distinct castles, visible from a great distance: Bellaguardia Castle, also called Romeo's Castle, and Castello della Villa, or Juliet's Castle. Local tradition links them to the Montecchi and Capuleti families mentioned by Dante and later revived in Luigi Da Porto's 1524 novella, which many scholars believe inspired Shakespeare's tragedy. Legend aside, the two strongholds, now largely restored and open to visitors, offer a notable panoramic view over the Vicenza plain and are the town's most recognisable symbol, appearing even in its coat of arms.
Villa Cordellina Lombardi and the Tiepolo Frescoes
In the heart of the town stands Villa Cordellina Lombardi, an elegant 18th-century Venetian villa surrounded by an English-style park. Its interior holds a cycle of frescoes by Giambattista Tiepolo, among the most significant works by the Venetian painter found in the province of Vicenza, alongside decorations by other artists of the period. Publicly owned, the villa now hosts temporary exhibitions, cultural events and conferences, and is one of the rare cases where the area's Venetian villa heritage is fully valued and consistently open to the public, making it a recommended stop for anyone interested in 18th-century Venetian art and architecture.
Alte di Montecchio Maggiore: the Industrial Face
It must be said plainly that much of Montecchio Maggiore's economy and urban landscape today is shaped by the Alte industrial and commercial zone, which developed along the A4 motorway exit. Factory sheds, logistics centres, car dealerships and large retail outlets occupy wide swathes of land, in a development pattern typical of the Veneto foothill plain. This is not an area built for tourism, but it represents a real and significant part of the town's economic identity, which underwent intense industrial growth after the war, moving from a farming village to a manufacturing centre of provincial scale.
The Historic Centre and the Hamlets
The municipality of Montecchio Maggiore includes several hamlets, including Alte and San Pietro, each with its own identity and parish church. The central core, at the foot of the castle hill, retains a more traditional layout with squares, arcades and a number of historic buildings, though much of the urban fabric has been reshaped by building expansion in recent decades. It is a functional rather than picturesque centre, built for the everyday life of a medium-sized town of over twenty thousand people, one of the most populous in the province of Vicenza outside the capital.
Between Vicenza and the Agno Valley
Montecchio Maggiore sits at a hinge point between Vicenza, some fifteen kilometres away, and the entrance to the Agno Valley that climbs toward Valdagno and the Piccole Dolomiti. This position has historically made it a transit and trading hub, further favoured by the motorway exit. For visitors, the town lends itself more to a targeted stop at the castles and the villa than to an extended stay, while it remains a useful logistical base for those working in the Vicenza industrial area or moving frequently between Vicenza and the valleys to the north.
Experiences Not to Miss
- Salire al Castello di Giulietta e al Castello di Romeo per il panorama sulla pianura
- Climb to Juliet's Castle and Romeo's Castle for views over the plain
To see
What to see in Montecchio Maggiore
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Montecchio Maggiore
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