Discover what to do in Ponso in Province of Padua: the Santa Marta festival, the church of Santa Maria Assunta, a bike ride in Ponso. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Ponso?
The municipality of Ponso borders north with Ospedaletto Euganeo, south with Piacenza d’Adige, southeast with Vighizzolo d’Este, east with Ospedaletto Euganeo and Carceri, and west with Borgo Veneto.
Santa Marta festival
According to the liturgical calendar, the day dedicated to Santa Marta is July 29, and the celebration in her honor, in the municipality of Ponso, also takes place in the days before and after that date. The 2023 edition of the traditional event took place from Friday, July 28 to Tuesday, August 1, at the parish center.
The event combines the solemnity of Holy Mass with the cheerful, carefree atmosphere of a village festival, featuring dance parties, live music, and home-style cooking that showcases local food and wine specialties.
An ideal occasion for food lovers, the festival offers large dining areas where you can choose from donkey-based dishes, tempting bigoli dishes, and grilled meat served with slices of polenta on the griddle, crispy fries, and cold mugs of beer—nothing better to quench your thirst and ease the summer heat.
The event program includes thrilling rock concerts, ballroom dancing evenings, and vintage car exhibitions. Cultural and fun activities will also be on offer, from painting exhibitions to tennis tournaments and archery competitions.
If you are wondering what to do in Ponso and want to spend the warm season in the pleasant rural setting of the Lower Padua area, among glasses of wine, hearty dishes, lively dancing, and outdoor sports, taking part in the Santa Marta festival could be just the thing for you!
To stay up to date on the next edition of the festival, we recommend visiting the Facebook page PRO LOCO PONSO.
The church of santa Maria Assunta
Located at Via Vittorio, 1, the church of Santa Maria Assunta is one of the most significant cultural and spiritual landmarks in the municipality of Ponso. Built in the historic heart of the village, the place of worship stands out for its double-pitched façade, decorated at the base with bands of trachyte blocks (volcanic rock originating from the Euganean Hills) interspersed with brick bands.
In the upper part of the front, faced in exposed brick, there are three round-arched niches. Decorated at the base by two statues, the side niches enclose two tall, slender round-arched single-light windows. The white central niche, larger in size, bears the inscription D.O.M. B.V. MARIAE ASSUMPTAE, above which stands a circular opening softened by a polychrome stained-glass window depicting the Assumption of Mary, surrounded by cherubs and the starry sky dotted with clouds.
Inside, the church has a single bright nave enriched by refined altars in polychrome marble and ancient paintings, among which stands out an oil painting from the second half of the eighteenth century depicting the Blessed Virgin Assumed into Heaven.
Bike ride in Ponso
The starting point of the itinerary is the square in front of the town hall of Ponso in Via Vittorio, 33. Leave the municipality entrance behind you and turn right towards the parish of santa Maria Assunta. Once you reach the church, keep right and continue for 1.3 km along Via Roma, then go on along Via Boschette and Via Palugana for 1.1 km. At this point turn left and follow Via Sabbionara for 850 meters, then turn left into Via Santi, near an old rustic brick building.
Follow Via Santi for 1.6 km, riding through the pleasant rural landscape marked by vast cornfields and lush hedges, then turn right into Via Segalara. At the junction with Via Chiesa di Bresega, turn left. After 450 meters keep right and continue along Via Chiesa di Ponso for 600 meters. Once you reach the church of Santa Maria Assunta, take Via Vittorio on your right and continue until you return to the starting point.
If you are wondering what to do in Ponso, this short cycling route offers interesting views of the municipality’s rural and urban landscape.
