Antica Chiesa di San Gregorio

At Colderove, on the edge of Valdobbiadene, the Ancient Church of San Gregorio preserves a chapel traditionally dated to the early thirteenth century. The church is also remembered as the site of the 1866 vote for the annexation of Veneto to the Kingdom of Italy.

Why it matters

The first chapel was probably built on the foundations of a castle or rocca at Colderove. In 1424, the Confraternity of Santa Maria petitioned the bishop to use and repair the church. The Capuchins established a convent at Colderove in 1601 and built a new church beside the medieval chapel, consecrated in 1603 by the Bishop of Padua, Marco Cornelio. The Venetian state’s suppression of religious houses began in 1768; the convent was suppressed in 1769 and its property auctioned. In 1866, the vote for Veneto’s annexation to Italy took place in the church.

What to notice

The east-facing side chapel is the oldest surviving part of the building. Its arch bears frescoes of the four Evangelists and their symbols. Restoration in 2000–01 uncovered eighteenth-century painted crosses along the perimeter walls and an old sundial facing west. The single-hall church retains its seventeenth-century roof trusses and a commemorative inscription naming San Gregorio Magno. The hall’s acoustics have also led to its use as an auditorium for concerts and conferences.

Context and history

The Capuchins cared for the sick and operated a pharmacy at the convent. After French and Austrian troops damaged the church, it was repaired and continued in use. Following the First World War, the community worshipped here while the damaged parish church was rebuilt. The convent housed a retirement home until 1986; cloister arcades and an old well remain. A major restoration of the church was completed in 2001, and a five-stop positive organ was donated in 2009.