large_CASTELLO_ESTE_scorcio_torre.jpg

medium_CASTELLO_ESTE_scorcio_torre.jpg

small_CASTELLO_ESTE_scorcio_torre.jpg

thumbnail_CASTELLO_ESTE_scorcio_torre.jpg

CASTELLO_ESTE_scorcio_torre.jpg

large_Confesercenti.jpg

medium_Confesercenti.jpg

small_Confesercenti.jpg

thumbnail_Confesercenti.jpg

Confesercenti.jpg

Este

palazzo-mocenigo-EN.mp3

Palazzo Mocenigo was built by the Venetian patricians of the Mocenigo family at the end of the 16th century along the Sirone canal. The main façade incorporates a section of the ancient walls of the Este Castle, dating back to the 14th century and then owned by the same family. The castle, in turn, stood on the site of the first feudal residence of the Este family, dating back to 1056. Initially, the building consisted of two symmetrical bodies arranged in an L shape, but the south-east wing was destroyed by a fire in 1785.
Today, few of the original elements are still visible. On the main floor, three halls preserve the frescoed vaults, traditionally attributed to Giulio Carpioni (1611-1674), a Venetian painter, while recent studies seem to question this paternity. The frescoes feature complex architectural quadratures within which are depicted putti, triumphs of fruit and flowers, and allegorical figures celebrating the virtues of the Mocenigo family.
The building is on two floors and has, on the main floor, arched windows with rustic stone frames and stone balustrades. Since 1902, Palazzo Mocenigo has housed the precious Museo Nazionale Atestino, an unmissable stop for lovers of history and art.

large_IMG_20220409_131928.jpg

medium_IMG_20220409_131928.jpg

small_IMG_20220409_131928.jpg

thumbnail_IMG_20220409_131928.jpg

IMG_20220409_131928.jpg

Palace

Palazzo Mocenigo

Arriving in Este, the majestic dome of the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie is undoubtedly the first element that attracts the visitor's attention, together with the towers of the Carrarese Castle. Symbol par excellence of the Euganean town, the basilica contains over five hundred years of history. The valiant leader Taddeo d'Este (1384-1448), son of Azzo X d'Este, in his first will of 1434, established an income for the church of San Francesco and a substantial donation to the Dominican Order for the construction of a convent and a church dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary, inspired by the Abbey of Carceri. After Taddeo's death, the church project was started by the Republic of Venice, since his son died prematurely, thus preventing the fulfillment of his father's will. The church was consecrated in 1479, taking the title of Santa Maria delle Grazie in honor of the miraculous Byzantine panel that was placed there.
The original architectural structure remained intact for about two centuries, but over time the interior underwent changes in the decorations and sacred furnishings. In the seventeenth century, the apse was enlarged to ensure better visibility of the icon, and a new wooden choir in finely decorated solid walnut was built. Two side chapels were also added to the south wall of the nave. Despite these interventions, the church was still too small, so the Dominican Fathers decided to build a new church, which was completely rebuilt starting in 1717 (the bell tower and dome date back to the nineteenth century).
Today, the Basilica of Santa Maria delle Grazie houses six altars distributed in as many chapels. The ceiling, frescoed with angelic figures and floral motifs, is illuminated by stained glass windows, creating fascinating plays of light. Inside you can admire numerous paintings and sculptures of great value, including the Altarpiece of San Domenico by Antonio Zanchi, a wooden cross of the Angel with the scroll of Scripture and the polychrome marble altar of the Blessed Sacrament. However, the most significant work, from which the church takes its name, is the Icon of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
This panel of Cretan origin, brought from Constantinople and donated to the Dominicans, represents the Madonna and Child in Byzantine style, in the act of indicating the Son with her right hand, a symbol of guidance for the faithful. Also known as Odighitria (“She who shows the way”), the icon has been the object of centuries-old devotion by pilgrims, who venerated it asking for salvation from illnesses and natural disasters. Over the centuries, the image has been enriched with crowns and jewels donated by the faithful “for grace received”.

Basilica

Basilica di S. Maria delle Grazie

The Church of Santa Maria Addolorata is the parish church of the Pilastro district, located on the outskirts of Este, in the province and diocese of Padua. The religious building belongs to the vicariate of Este and has been an important spiritual point of reference for the local community for centuries.
**History**
The origins of Marian devotion in Pilastro date back at least to the beginning of the fifteenth century, when there was already a venerated image of the Madonna painted on a small column. In 1504, a small wooden church was built to house the icon. Next to the chapel, on the initiative of some Servite Fathers, a convent was built which was then suppressed in 1652.
After the closure of the convent, the small church became an autonomous curacy dependent on the parish of Este. It is not clear when the current church was built, but it is known that it was consecrated on August 1, 1784. Subsequently, on September 8, 1853, the building was elevated to a parish church, acquiring a central role for the neighborhood.
**Interior**
The icon of the Madonna and Child is kept in the church's presbytery, which has always been the object of deep veneration by the community. This fifteenth-century fresco, the work of an anonymous artist, is framed by an elegant eighteenth-century white stucco structure.
A miraculous event that occurred in June 1491 further increased the cult surrounding the image: some witnesses reported seeing the fresco, then placed in a capital, change color. The population interpreted the phenomenon as a sign of the Madonna's desire to have a church built in her honor in that very place.

Church

Santa Maria Addolorata del Pilastro

Marian Route