Church and convent of San Marco
The convent of San Marco is located on the hill called Monte Merlino (or San Marco) and includes a church, bell tower and convent. Its origins are uncertain but it is mentioned for the first time in a 14th-century document.
In 1451, Belpietro Manelmi donated the church and convent to the noble Chiericati family of Vicenza, who restored it. At the beginning of the 16th century, the brothers Ludovico and Francesco Chiericati, both bishops, consecrated the main and two side altars. In 1629, a chapel dedicated to San Valentino was built inside the church and between the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the apse was enlarged and the façade rebuilt. Today, the apse still preserves a beautiful altarpiece by Alessandro Maganza from 1606. In the background of the altarpiece, you can see the Bacchiglione river and the Euganean Hills.
The convent has been occupied by various monastic orders and, in particular, by Franciscan friars in the 16th century. In 1769, the Venetian Republic closed all the smaller monasteries and the convent of San Marco lost its religious function. While the church remained a place of worship due to the presence of a priest sent by the lords who owned the complex.
In the 18th century, the convent of San Marco became the property of the Caldogno family and, then, in 1800, it passed to the Fogazzaro family and, finally, the Roi family. In 1993, Marquis Giuseppe Roi donated the entire complex to the Diocese of Padua on the condition that it be restored to its original function. Since 2005, the convent is home to a group of Benedictine Cistercian nuns.
