CULTURE

Church of Saint Anthony Abbot

A small church entirely decorated with frescoes dedicated to Saint Anthony the Abbot

Documented since 1515, it is one of the many small churches found along the Piave valley, witnesses of art and faith, all rich in frescoes, dating mainly from the Renaissance period. Located near the Rimonta stream, in ancient times it must have been smaller and lower but already decorated: behind the altar, in fact, you can go down a few steps and admire a 15th-century Madonna breastfeeding the Child.
The church consists of a large hall completely decorated with scenes from the life of St. Anthony the Abbot narrated in 18 panels. The frescoes were restored in 1965.

There are 12 panels, attributed to Giovanni da Mel (the figures) with the contribution of his brother Marco (the nature in the background), painted between 1520 and 1530.

Six panels, possibly added after the church was extended, are the work of Cesare Vecellio (initials C.V.P. on one panel).
From almsgiving to the poor to the temptation of the devil, from the miracle of the resurrected murdered man to the journey to Alexandria in Egypt, from scenes of the saint meditating to the miracle of the water, from the healing of the possessed man to the vision of the Arian schism: these and other frescoes tell us about the life of the saint, also shedding light on the history of the Church.

In 2014, the redevelopment of the churchyard was completed using the cobblestones from the ancient churchyard that came to light following work undertaken in the square in front of the church.
This small church also houses a painting by Giovanni da Mel depicting the Virgin Mary with the naked Child in her lap, flanked by Saint Anthony the Abbot (in bishop’s robes accompanied by his usual piglet) and Saint Andrew the Apostle, patron saint of another small church, now disappeared, which was located a few dozen metres away.