Discover what to do in Sant’Elena in the Province of Padua: the Sant’Elena festival, Villa Miari de Cumani, the municipal barchessa, the church of Sant’Elena Imperatrice. Want to know more? First of all…
Where is Sant’Elena located?
The municipality of Sant’Elena borders north on Este, south on Granze, east on Monselice and Solesino, west on Villa Estense.
The Sant’Elena festival
August 18 is the day on which the Catholic Church celebrates Empress Sant’Elena. In the municipality of Sant’Elena, the celebration in honor of Constantine’s mother also takes place in the days before and after this date.
The 2023 edition of the Sant’Elena festival took place from Friday, August 18 to Wednesday, August 23 in the splendid municipal barchessa.
A recommended occasion for food lovers, the event features spacious dining areas where you can choose between delicious homemade and gourmet dishes, from gnocchi and bigoli with wild boar ragù to beef ribs and grilled young chicken, from delicious fried fish and tempting pizzas to sandwiches and piadine with porchetta and sausage, to mention just some of the tasty dishes you can enjoy with cold mugs of beer.
The event enhances the cultural and folkloric heritage of the lovely rural town through fascinating displays of vintage bicycles and tractors, engaging guided tours in the farming museum, and visits to Villa Miari de Cumani, a jewel of 13th-century architecture.
If you’re wondering what to do in Sant’Elena and want to spend the summer season in a charming village of the Lower Padua area, the Sant’Elena festival is all about live music, ballroom dancing evenings, amusement parks, and top-quality food and wine specialties!
For more information about the next festival event, you can visit the Facebook page Sagra di Sant’Elena.
Villa Miari de Cumani
Located at Via Roma, 1, Villa Miari de Cumani is a majestic noble residence originally belonging to the Order of Saint Benedict. Between the 13th and 14th centuries, ownership passed to the De Cumani family, who refined its structure, giving it the appearance of the sumptuous medieval manor that can be admired today.
The construction of a rustic annex and a series of elegant single-storey buildings dates back to the 16th century. Following the building of the family chapel, a series of modifications gave the stately home its current appearance.
Framed by an elegant battlemented perimeter wall, the centuries-old architectural complex is wrapped in a charming mid-19th-century romantic garden dotted with exotic plants arranged around a pond and an artificial cave, characteristic features of English-style parks.
A must-see destination for those wondering what to do in Sant’Elena, Villa Miari de Cumani is an extraordinary noble residence decorated inside with spectacular 16th-century paintings.
The municipal barchessa
Located at Via Roma, 20, the municipal barchessa is set in the heart of the municipality of Sant’Elena.
Built on the foundations of Renaissance rustic buildings, the barchessa is marked on the south side by fourteen round arches, supported by pillars refined with pilasters.
From the ends of the agricultural complex, other rural annexes extend to form a right angle. Bordered by an exposed-brick wall, the complex encloses a large grassy area, partly occupied by a 19th-century terracotta courtyard.
The church of Sant’Elena Imperatrice
Located at Via Roma, 37, the church of Sant’Elena Imperatrice stands out for a monumental neoclassical façade vertically marked by four Tuscan half-columns resting on massive bases. The half-columns support the entablature, the frieze marked by triglyphs and metopes, and the dentilled triangular pediment, highlighted by projecting cornices and crowned by three statues.
Topped by a triangular pediment supported by brackets, the wooden portal gives access to the church’s single nave. Lit by large lunettes, the hall is adorned with precious marble altars in polychrome marble, set in the side niches, and a magnificent gilded retable above the central altar placed in the presbytery.
