Oratorio di San Michele
Medieval oratory in Padua with the Marian fresco cycle attributed to Jacopo da Verona, run by the Musei Civici.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The oratory is dedicated to Saint Michael and the Archangels and presumably dates from a period between the 6th and the second half of the 7th century. Its present appearance is the result of later interventions that altered its character; the current building derives from a 19th-century extension.
The Cappella di Santa Maria was built after a fire broke out during the siege of the nearby castle, in the course of the recapture of Padua from the Visconti by Francesco II Novello da Carrara. It was commissioned in 1397 by Piero, son of Bartolomeo de Bovi, as attested by a plaque still in place.
The chapel is decorated with a Marian cycle attributed to Jacopo da Verona, with scenes such as the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Adoration of the Magi, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Death of the Virgin and Saint Michael. The style, with an everyday and bourgeois tone, shows an interest in portraits: in the Adoration of the Magi and in the Dormitio Virginis figures appear who have variously been identified with Petrarch, Francesco il Vecchio, Francesco II Novello da Carrara and Bovi. In the nave, fragments of 15th-century frescoes are preserved, including a Deposition and a figure of Saint Paul, attributed to Stefano dall’Arzere or to Domenico Campagnola. The site is run by the Musei Civici di Padova.
Highlights
- Marian cycle of the Cappella di Santa Maria attributed to Jacopo da Verona
- Adoration of the Magi and Dormitio Virginis with portraits of figures linked to the Carrara family
- Fragments of 15th-century frescoes with a Deposition and a Saint Paul
- Building of early medieval origin dedicated to Saint Michael
Permanent exhibition
- Ciclo di affreschi della Cappella di Santa Maria – Painted cycles of the 14th century attributed to Jacopo da Verona and fragments of 15th-century frescoes in the nave.
- Operated by
- Comune di Padova – Musei Civici
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €3.50groups of at least 10 people, over-65s from the EU, members of partner associations, residents of the municipality and province of Padua |
| Children & teens | €3free up to age 5 · Reduced rate for young people and students (6–17 years, individual students and school groups, university and academy students); free up to 5 years. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free admission for people with disabilities and one companion. |
| Students & apprentices | €3Reduced rate for young people and students: children and young people aged 6 to 17 and university and academy students. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €3.50 per personReduced rate for groups of at least 10 people. |
Free admission also for teachers accompanying school groups, accredited journalists, guides on duty and ICOM card holders. The Carta famiglia (€30) is valid for 15 days from activation for two adults and two children under 17, with one admission per venue; the Urbs Picta Card is bought at the ticket office of the Museo Eremitani.
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