Mestre is not famous for his historical buildings, but… which city could stand out, beside Venice, the most enchanting city in the world, where time seems to have stopped?

Mestre has a long history, but there are not many monuments reminding of it, because the city has changed appearance according to the needs of the population of the area.

The origin of the city is still obscure. Apart from some legends linked to some exiles from the war of Troy, some documents seem to indicate a small village in the Roman period.

The first written document with the name of Mestre is dated back to 994, when future Emperor Ottone 3rd donates this area, among others, to Rambaudo, the Count of Collalto (Treviso).

Mestre was in the dominion of Treviso, because at the time Venice was focused on the Eastern World and the relation with the mainland was limited to commerce. Being at the crossroad of Venice, Padua and
Treviso, Mestre became an important harbor, but when the wars raged between the “Signoria” of Verona and Treviso, the area was under pressure.

When the Signoria of Verona was becoming too dangerous and powerful, the Republic of Venice decided to start the conquest of the mainland. Mestre was the first city to become part of the territory of Venice in 1337, and became so strategic that a new castle was build.

In 1513 during the War of the League of Cambrai Mestre was sacked by the army of Spanish and German.
The strategic role of Mestre became less and less important, and the castle was abandoned and, in the 18th century, dismantled. The bricks were used to build houses.

Only one tower and a small portion of the wall is visible today, and the castle remains more in the name of the streets than in the bricks.