Chiesa di Sant'Antonio da Padova a Massignani Alti

Massignani Alti, until the early 20th century, had neither schools nor a church. The residents, to practice their faith, would reach the church in Novale, which was very far away, taking two hours to walk there. The great inconvenience gradually gave rise to the need for their own church for religious practices. Thus, in 1904, there was a gathering of all the heads of households to reach an agreement to build it. The church was solemnly placed on the site where it currently stands. Construction proceeded slowly for almost twenty years with many interruptions until 1927. In 1944, precisely on December 18, the church of Massignani Alti became a parish in every sense with a decree from Bishop Carlo Zinato. The first parish priest, appointed in 1927 by the archpriest of Valdagno, embellished the interior of the church with new frescoes. The fresco under the vault of the main altar is the work of Giovanni Munari; another significant fresco depicts St. Anthony of Padua in the side altar and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven on the vault of the central nave. The next parish priest also worked on restoration, embellishment, and interventions both at the church and nearby buildings. In the 1960s, the phenomenon of depopulation in the countryside, typical of these areas and generally of all of Italy, began due to the economic boom, the inconvenience of work, and all the attractions that city life offered. Thus, due to the exodus, the new school in Massignani Alti, operational since 1962, was definitively closed in 1988. Finally, with the parish priest who took over in 1982, already a chaplain of the parish of Ponte dei Nori in Valdagnese, the parish of Massignani Alti ceased to have a resident priest.