Short afternoon post to show you another highlight of our trip to Italy last month. This is a tiny village located just some kilometers away from Vicenza. We made a short stop in our way to Bassano del Grappa to have an ice espresso coffee and have a look at the its two castles, the one on the top of the hill and the one in the main square.

Marostica is famous for the human chess game that takes place every second Friday, Saturday and Sunday of September of even-numbered years in the square that you can see in these images. My mother told me the story behind this game and I thought you would like to read it… But first, take a look at this wall in the Lower castle. Looks like wall paper, huh? I love it!

Back to our story: the Lords of the two castles of Marostica fell in love with the same girl and challenged each other to a duel to win her hand. No one seemed to care about the girl’s wishes but, you know, things were like that at that time. Anyway, the father of the damsel didn’t want to loose any Lord in the duel so he decreed that the two rivals would play a chess game, and the winner would have the hand of her daughter. That was diplomacy!
Maróstica is quite off the beaten track, but it sure deserves a little visit to enjoy the views and the quiet atmosphere. And if you are thinking about a destination wedding the castle on the hill could be a great option! More information here.