Discover what to do in Castelbaldo in Province of Padua: the San Valentino fair, the feast of Our Lady of the Snow, the church of San Prosdocimo. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Castelbaldo?
The municipality of Castelbaldo borders to the north with Merlara, to the south with Badia Polesine, to the east with Masi, and to the west with Terrazzo.
The San Valentino fair
The liturgical calendar celebrates San Valentino on 14 February, and the lively celebration in his honor, in the municipality of Castelbaldo, also takes place in the days before and after this date.
The 2023 edition of the San Valentino Fair took place from Friday 10 to Sunday 19 February 2023 in the area of the parish church of San Prosdocimo.
For the event, the main streets and squares of the town are adorned with paintings and photographs, host displays of vintage tractors, and come alive with market exhibitions where you can find local specialties, handmade creations, antique collectibles, and items for collectors.
Alongside the solemnity of the liturgical ceremonies, the traditional celebration combines the carefree, dynamic atmosphere of a country festival with rides sparkling with electric lights, food areas with tempting dishes, both indulgent and gourmet, that showcase local products, as well as historical reenactments with brightly colored period costumes and breathtaking medieval games.
If you are wondering what to do in Castelbaldo, the San Valentino fair is an ideal opportunity to spend Valentine’s Day in the serene setting of an ancient little town in the Lower Padua area in the name of art, live music, masked balls, and local food specialties; attending the San Valentino fair could definitely be just right for you!
For more information about the San Valentino fair, we recommend visiting the Facebook page Pro Loco Castelbaldo.
The feast of Our Lady of the Snow
The 2023 edition of the feast of Our Lady of the Snow took place from Saturday 5 to Wednesday 9 August in the area of the municipality’s parish church.
The event program includes dance evenings with ballroom orchestras, electronic music concerts, Afro music performances, and tribute band shows to relive some of the greatest hits of Italian and international rock.
The event includes the evocative “Castelbaldo medievale Celtic Fest” with acrobats and fire-eaters, Celtic melodies, markets with local products, and food stalls offering tasty sandwiches, succulent meat dishes, and cold mugs of beer, ideal for quenching your thirst and easing the summer heat.
To stay up to date on the next Castelbaldo medievale event, you can visit the Facebook pages Castelbaldo Medievale : il Palio and Pro Loco Castelbaldo.
The church of San Prosdocimo
Located in Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 33, the parish church of San Prosdocimo is the most important historical, spiritual, and cultural landmark in the municipality.
Crowned by three spires, the church stands out for its austere, unadorned double-pitched façade. The uniformity of the red brick surface that characterizes the exterior is interrupted by the white stone facing that frames the massive wooden portal and by a circular opening that stands out at the top of the front façade.
A white staircase of five steps leads to the entrance, topped by an arch softened by the bishop’s coat of arms.
Lit inside by circular and lunette windows, the church’s single nave features six side chapels. The nave is adorned with frescoes that decorate the ceiling and with centuries-old oil paintings on canvas.
Beside the church rises the towering bell tower, also in exposed red brick, resting on a truncated pyramidal base. Along the shaft of the bell tower, several pairs of single-lancet windows with pointed arches open up. Between the shaft and the bell chamber, three clocks with Roman numerals stand out on the south, east, and west sides.
Above the bell chamber rises the octagonal drum, in which a pointed-arch single-lancet window opens on each side. Completing the vertical development of the structure is an elaborate metal spire with a sinuous profile.
