Discover things to do in Massanzago: the Feast of the Tongue of Saint Anthony, the Melon Festival, the park of Villa Baglioni, the church of Sant’Alessandro. Do you want to know more? First of all…
Where is Massanzago?
The municipality of Massanzago borders to the northeast with Trebaseleghe, to the northwest with Camposampiero, to the southeast with Santa Maria di Sala, to the southwest with Borgoricco, to the east with Noale and Santa Maria di Sala, to the west with Camposampiero and Borgoricco.
The Feast of the Tongue of Saint Anthony
According to the liturgical calendar, February 15 is the date that commemorates the transfer of the relics of Saint Anthony to the Basilica of Padua. The traditional celebration combines the solemnity of the procession and mass in honor of the saint at the parish of Zeminiana, a charming neoclassical place of worship framed by majestic linden trees, with the cheerful and jovial atmosphere of a bygone fair where you can taste delicious winter recipes of Venetian cuisine such as musetto with polenta, risotto with mushrooms and sausage, stew, gnocchi, and bigoli with ragù.
If you are wondering what to do in Massanzago and want to learn about the ancient cultural and spiritual roots of a charming little village immersed in the serene rural landscape of the upper Padua area, marked by cornfields and lush hedges of willows, acacias, alders, elms, ash trees, hackberries, and poplars, attending the Feast of the Tongue of Saint Anthony might be just right for you!
The Melon Festival
The Melon Festival takes place every summer in the fascinating centuries-old garden of Villa Baglioni. The 2023 edition will be held from Friday 14 to Wednesday 19 July.
In addition to the classic and exquisite pairing of prosciutto crudo and melon, the festival’s rich menu includes mouthwatering homemade dishes, from succulent braciole, ribs, sausages and sizzling grilled bacon, to steaming plates of bigoli with tomato and duck ragù, as well as greasy sandwiches and platters of cold cuts and cheeses to be enjoyed with top-quality wines and cold mugs of beer to relieve the summer heat.
If you are wondering what to do in Massanzago and wish to spend the beautiful season with lip-smacking gastronomic specialties, electrifying rock music concerts and breathtaking fireworks shows in the pleasant natural setting of a vast tree-lined stately park, the Melon Festival is definitely a recommended experience!
To stay updated on the next appointment of this lively popular celebration, you can check the Facebook page Sagra del Melone.
The park of Villa Baglioni
The vast noble garden is crossed by white avenues shaded by long rows of hackberries, poplars, ash trees, oaks, and maples. At the southern end stretches a peaceful artificial pond adorned with a hedge studded with flowers.
For more information about the splendid urban oasis and the extraordinary seventeenth-century residence of Villa Baglioni, now the town hall, embellished with priceless frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, you can visit the website valleagredo.it.
The church of Sant’Alessandro
Surrounded by the fertile rural landscape crossed by the clear Taglio canal, the church of Sant’Alessandro stands at the cemetery of Massanzago, at Via Guglielmo Marconi, 1.
Accessible via elegant avenues of well-kept holm oaks, the place of worship features an imposing double-pitched façade, severe and unadorned, rhythmically divided vertically by six pilasters. The whiteness of the façade is interrupted by a section of exposed brickwork at the right end of the front. Above the wooden door stands a large circular opening.
Inside, the church has a white and red chequered floor and is laterally punctuated by niches with round arches.
Ornamental elements of considerable architectural interest include the precious polychrome marble altars, the refined ciborium, the fine paneling that embellishes the ceiling, and a motif of hanging mullioned windows that flank the side niches.
