Appointment at 17.00 under the portico of the Church of San Francesco Grande, whose construction dates back to the fifteenth century, thanks to the Bonafari spouses.
Of the first construction, traces of the frescoes by Francesco, Andrea Mantegna’s master (episodes of the life of St. Francis) remain in the lunettes under the porch. We will visit the majestic three-nave interior of the church. Rich in numerous works of art, including the altarpiece of the Ascension by Paolo Caliari, known as the Veronese (the lower part was redone in the 16th century by Pietro Damini), a cycle of frescoes with Stories of the Virgin and Genealogy of Christ, masterpiece by Girolamo Tessari, known as the Saint (1523-24).
Worthy of note is the cloister that preserves the remains of the frescoes related to the stories of the life of St. Anthony. We will continue our guided walk in Via del Santo among ancient buildings to reach, in the entrance courtyard of the Istituto Magistrale Duca D’Aosta, the splendid House of Father Michelangelo Carmeli, a learned and erudite Franciscan, born in the early eighteenth century in Cittadella. We will visit her apartment, her private chapel and on the first floor a real jewel: the splendid library that he wisely wanted and organized, decorated with frescoes by Giuseppe Gru with mythological and allegorical scenes that symbolize the Knowledge and Knowledge that Father Carmeli intended to offer in this very important physical and cultural space.
At the end of our visit we'll have a break at a renowned Venetian Bacaro for an exquisite tasting of local food and wine specialities.
