Santa Croce is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

church located on Corso Vittorio Emanuele 178 in

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

Veneto Veneto (, ; vec, Vèneto ) or Venetia is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about five million, ranking fourth in Italy. The region's capital is Venice while the biggest city is Verona. Veneto was part of the Roman Empire unt ...

region,

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

History

The church arose adjacent to the oratory of Sant Croce or ''Sala del Redentore''. Documents from 1181 state a chapel at the site, adjacent to a leprosarium, was dedicated to the

Holy Cross Holy Cross or Saint Cross may refer to: * the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus * Christian cross, a frequently used religious symbol of Christianity * True Cross, supposed remnants of the actual cross upon which Jesus was crucified * Feast ...

. The church became a parish in 1308. In 1606, the parish came under the rule of the

Somaschi Fathers , image = SomascosEscut.jpg , image_size = 200px , caption = Coat of arms of the Somascan Fathers , abbreviation = CRS , nickname = Somascans , formation = , founder ...

, who established a school at this site. The commission to build the present

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

style church was given to a lay brother of the order, Francesco Vecelli (1695–1759). Construction began in 1737 and was completed in 1749. Under Napoleonic rule, the Somaschi were expelled and the church came under control of secular clergy. The belltower was built in 1907.

Architecture and Decoration

The façade was designed to be a monument at the end of the Borgo Santa Croce, running from the Prato della Valle to the outer wall. It has a pediment supported by pilasters and half-columns of

Corinthian order The Corinthian order (Greek: Κορινθιακός ρυθμός, Latin: ''Ordo Corinthius'') is the last developed of the three principal classical orders of Ancient Greek architecture and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric order ...

. Two circular turrets lighten the architecture. The main door has a curved tympanum under the inscription that commemorates the consecration of the church. The late-

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

and early Neoclassical design was by the architect

Girolamo Frigimelica Gerolamo Frigimelica Roberti (10 January 1653 - 15 November 1732) was an Italian architect, librettist, and poet. Biography Born in Padua to a father who had married into the noble Robert family, thus gaining a title of Count for his son. Gerolamo ...

of Padua. The bell tower on the side of the twentieth-century church is built on the area of the cemetery. The well-lit nave features a rich decoration on which is placed a series of openings in fenestrated fake balcony, probably as choirs. The presbytery with semicircular apse is decorated with impressive semi-columns. The ceiling of the church is decorated with coffers, stucco and gilding. The frescoes have been attributed to

Gualtieri Gualtieri (Emilian language#Dialects, Mantovano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Reggio Emilia in the Italy, Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about north of Reggio Emilia on the right ba ...

Girolamo dal Santo Girolamo is an Italian variant of the name Hieronymus. Its English equivalent is Jerome. It may refer to: * Girolamo Cardano (1501–1576), Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer and gambler * Girolamo Cassar (c. 1520 – afte ...

Domenico Campagnola Domenico Campagnola (c. 1500–1564) was an Italian painter and printmaker in engraving and woodcut of the Venetian Renaissance, but whose most influential works were his drawings of landscapes. Life and work Born probably in Venice, he ...

, and

Stefano Dall' Arzere Stefano Dall' Arzere or Stefano Dell'Arzere was an Italian painter of the second half of the 16th century. According to Ridolfi and others, Dall' Arzere was a native of Padua. He painted numerous altar-pieces for the churches and convents of th ...

. The main altar has two angels sculpted by

Antonio Bonazza Antonio Bonazza (1698 – c. 1762) was an Italian sculptor of the Rococo. Antonio was the son of Giovanni Bonazza, a prominent sculptor active in Padua (1654–1736), and member of a large family of sculptors. He may have been influenced by Oraz ...

(1698–1763) surmounted by a canopy. The apse has a wooden choir. The church has four altarpieces by Giovanni Battista Mariotti (1690–1748), including depicting the founder of the Somaschi order ''San Girolamo Miani praying in a grotto''. Another fresco depicting the ''Holy Heart of Jesus'' was painted by

Giovanni Dandolo Giovanni Dandolo was the 48th Doge of Venice, elected late in his life on 31 March 1280, died on 2 November 1289. During his reign the first Venetian gold ducat was introduced into circulation. Family Dandolo came from a prominent Venetian famil ...

. Through a door on the right, one can enter the ''Cappella della Madonna della Neve'' (Chapel of the Madonna of the Snows) and the ''Sala del Redentore'' or Oratory of the Confraternity of the Redeemer. The oratory dates to the 15th century and was the home of the former Confraternity of the ''Corpo di Cristo di Santa Croce'' established at the end of the 15th century. The confraternity was involved in tending to the poor and burying the impoverished. The frescoes of the oratory have been restored. Cleric Somascan entrusted the large ceiling fresco, depicting the ''Exaltation of the Cross'', and the oval dome of the presbytery to the Venetian Nicolo Baldassini. The paintings at side altars and walls of the apse were commissioned Giambattista Mariotti. The location of the paintings was altered with the arrival of the early 800 Salus Populi Patavini, venerated seventeenth-century wooden statue of Our Lady of Health, coming from the oratory and linked to the plague that struck the city in the seventeenth century. On the first altar to the right from the entrance is a painting of the Mariotti with St. John Nepomuk,

St. Francis of Paola ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...

and Antonio. The wooden choir is below ''Adoration of the True Cross by St Helena'' was painted by

. On the first altar on the left from the entrance there is the painting of St. Jerome by Emiliani. The one story building to the right of the entrance of this church, with a marble portal and plaque above, is the ''Oratorio del Redentore'' or ''Scuola del Santissimo Sacramento di Santa Croce''. The interior was frescoed circa 1537 with biblical scenes; the works have been attributed to

Girolamo Dal Santo Girolamo is an Italian variant of the name Hieronymus. Its English equivalent is Jerome. It may refer to: * Girolamo Cardano (1501–1576), Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer and gambler * Girolamo Cassar (c. 1520 – afte ...

Stefano Dall'Arzere Stefano Dall' Arzere or Stefano Dell'Arzere was an Italian painter of the second half of the 16th century. According to Ridolfi and others, Dall' Arzere was a native of Padua. He painted numerous altar-pieces for the churches and convents of th ...

, and others. The confraternity was suppressed in the 19th century. The works extant include a ''Last supper''; a ''Prayer at Gesthemane'', a ''Kiss of Judas'', ''Christ before Caiphas'', ''Christ before Pilate''; ''Christ made to wear crown with thorns'', ''Christ carries the Cross'', ''Christ kneels before Cross'', ''Crucifixion'', ''Deposition'', and ''Burial of Christ'', and ''Sacrifice of Isaac'', portraits of the patrons of the city: Saints Giustina, Prosdocimo, Antonio, and Daniele.Lega Ambiente Padova
website.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Croce Padua Roman Catholic churches completed in 1749 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Italy Roman Catholic churches in Padua Baroque architecture in Veneto