The small church of Santa Lucia in Brenta in Cittadella

Where is the church of Santa Lucia

On the road from Cittadella to Tezze sul Brenta, right on the border between the two municipalities, stands a bare white church dedicated to Santa Lucia. We are in the locality of Santa Croce Bigolina, just a few steps from the banks of the Brenta.

Why it is special: a small masterpiece by Jacopo da Ponte

The little church was built in the 16th century and even Jacopo da Ponte, a great painter from Bassano, was commissioned to decorate it. It was 1536. In the apse Jacopo traced a large square frame; in the upper part he painted the Madonna and Child, on a celestial background; in the lower part, four saints, their eyes turned toward her: Lucia, Benedetto, Giustina and Fortunato. In the triumphal arch he painted the Annunciation and in the sub-arch 13 medallions with figures of Prophets.

Not to be missed: the exterior of the little church.

Jacopo da Ponte also decorated the exterior of the small church with a geometric motif reminiscent of marble slabs and with frescoes, of which, however, only vague traces remain. One has to sharpen one's eyes to recognize Santa Lucia on the facade, between the rose window and the portal. And even more to distinguish, on the south facade, the Madonna and Child in the company of St. Lucy and St. Fortunatus.

A bit of history

The church, abandoned during the 19th century, became a dwelling, stable, cellar, warehouse.... After World War II it was rediscovered and underwent restoration. The last intervention was in 2022.

Curiosity: the disappeared monastery

In the 11th and 12th centuries there was a Benedictine monastery on the banks of the Brenta River. The small church once stood there. In the 15th century, perhaps because of flooding of the Brenta, the monastery was abounded and the church built farther away and safer.