Cologna Veneta
Cologna Veneta is a walled town in the Bassa Veronese, best known as the "city of mandorlato", the traditional Christmas almond no...
Updated 12 July 2026 · Sources: https://www.vinamour.it/storia-del-mandorlato-di-cologna-veneta/ · https://it.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Cologna_Veneta · https://www.larena.it/territorio-veronese/bassa/mandorlato-cologna-veneta-retrodatato-secolo-1.12870675
The story
The story of Cologna Veneta
The Scaligeri walls and the Torre civica
Cologna Veneta is a walled town: the walls were built by the Scaligeri, who also completed the castle, which no longer stands today. The walls, erected from 1555 in two successive phases, originally comprised twelve two-storey wooden towers arranged along the town's perimeter. Among these, the Torre civica still stands out today for its clock, working since 1914, and remains one of the most recognisable landmarks of the historic centre.
The neoclassical Duomo on the castle site
Where the Scaligeri castle once stood, the Duomo of Cologna Veneta now rises, a neoclassical building constructed between 1841 and 1853, housing valuable works of art inside. Its bell tower, 80.4 metres high, is often compared in layout to that of St Mark's in Venice, and together with the Torre civica forms one of the two vertical landmarks defining the town's skyline.
Mandorlato, the town's sweet symbol
Cologna Veneta is known as the city of mandorlato, the almond nougat traditionally associated with the Christmas season. A letter dated 27 March 1753 suggests the origins of this sweet are older than previously thought, pushing its history back by at least a century. Modern production of mandorlato as it is known today, however, began in 1852 thanks to Italo Marani, and the confectionery tradition has since been passed down through generations.
The Festa del Mandorlato
Every year Cologna Veneta hosts the Festa del Mandorlato, an event now in its many editions that celebrates this local speciality and draws visitors from the Bassa Veronese and beyond. The festival is today one of the most defining events on the town's calendar, combining confectionery tradition with community life.
Experiences not to miss
- Percorrere il perimetro delle mura scaligere e osservare la Torre civica
- Walk the perimeter of the Scaligeri walls and see the Torre civica
To see
What to see in Cologna Veneta
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Cologna Veneta
Jobs · JobFlow
