San Martino

The Church of San Martino is the oldest church in Este. It is located in the heart of the city’s historic center, just a few steps from Piazza Maggiore along Via Principe Umberto. The first documents attesting to its existence date back to the early 11th century, though its foundation is likely even earlier. Some scholars place its origins in the Lombard or Carolingian period, based on its dedication to Saint Martin of Tours, a 6th-century French bishop.

Despite the alterations made over the centuries, the building has preserved much of its medieval structure and stands as the city’s oldest religious monument. Compared to the original construction, the apse was expanded in the early 14th century, incorporating the nearby chapel of San Lorenzo. In the 17th century, the church’s central body was extended by about four meters, moving the façade westward and dividing the interior into three naves, which also incorporated the bell tower.

The gabled façade, which clearly reflects Romanesque architectural style, is notable for its simplicity. The apse structure, composed of a cylindrical drum with a hemispherical dome and a conical roof, shares construction features with the Basilica of Saint Anthony in Padua, giving the building a strong stylistic coherence.

One of the church’s most distinctive elements is the leaning bell tower, the oldest part of the monument. The tower, approximately 23 meters tall, shows a pronounced tilt that already appeared in the 14th century but has never compromised its stability. On one side of the tower, a Gothic inscription celebrates the saint to whom the church is dedicated and records the year of its reconstruction: 1293.

Inside the Church of San Martino are preserved several valuable artworks. In the main chapel stands an 18th-century marble altar with a tabernacle and two angel sculptures by Antonio Bonazza. In the Chapel of San Lorenzo, a 14th-century fresco in the Giotto style depicts Christ Crucified between Mary and Saint John. Along the right wall of the nave are the remains of a triptych showing the Madonna and Child with Saint Peter and other saints, while a fragment of fresco depicts the Crucifixion of Saint Margaret of Antioch.

On the left side of the nave is the 16th-century polychrome marble altar of the Rota family, originally dedicated to Saint Stephen. The niches of this altar once held three statues, of which those depicting Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian are now preserved at the National Atestine Museum. The predella above the altar features scenes from the lives of the three saints, showing from left to right: Saint Roch captured and taken to prison, Saint Stephen dragged before the Sanhedrin, and Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.

Today, the Church of San Martino is part of the parish of the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie and can be visited on Sundays during certain times of the year.