The Padua Gate was once the main access to Cittadella. Frescoes (the Carraresi carriage and the Padua coat of arms - a red cross on a white background) stand out on the outside walls. The complex consists of three gates and a large arms court with a spiral staircase in cylindrical masonry. The Padua Gate is best known for the massive tower Torre di Malta, built in 1251 by Ezzelino III di Romano, the despotic ruler of the area, as a prison for his enemies. The fortress gained a terrible reputation at the time for the atrocities committed it inside to the extent that even Dante mentioned it in the Divine Comedy. Nowadays the large halls of the tower host the Civic Archaeological Museum as well as meetings and conferences. The museum houses a fair number of archaeological finds from the Bronze Age to the Renaissance from Cittadella and the surrounding area.
Torre di Malta is included in the tour of the Parapet Walkway above the Walls, therefore observes the same opening hours. Entrance from Porta Bassano.
