Chiesa di Santa Lucia in Brenta

The Church of Santa Lucia in Brenta, a former Benedictine foundation near Cittadella, preserves frescoes attributed to Jacopo da Ponte and traces of its later use as a farmhouse.

Why it matters

A monastery stood beside the Brenta before the twelfth century. The church, rebuilt farther north in the sixteenth century, received frescoes to which Jacopo da Ponte contributed from 1536. After it fell out of use in 1867, the building became a farmhouse and its identity faded from local records. Giuseppe Cappello, an honorary monuments inspector, rediscovered it after the Second World War through an old account book and helped initiate its recovery.

What to notice

Frescoes on the walls and facade are attributed to Jacopo da Ponte and reflect the Bassano artistic tradition in the Padovano countryside. Openings, floors and partitions record the building's decades as the farmhouse known as Casa delle Statue. The compact single hall preserves both its religious architecture and the marks of its agricultural reuse.

Context and history

Santa Lucia served a monastery and rural community on the Brenta before Cittadella was founded in 1220. The church was rebuilt and frescoed in the sixteenth century, and continued to serve the hamlet until 1867. After its rediscovery by Cappello, restoration was undertaken in the early 1990s and again in 2021–2022. The church was returned to the town in June 2022.