Piove di Sacco
Piove di Sacco is the historic capital of the Saccisica, the broad lowland plain south of Padua that stretches between the Bacchig...
Updated 11 July 2026 · Sources: Comune di Piove di Sacco · Enciclopedia Treccani · Diocesi di Padova
The story
The story of Piove di Sacco
Piove di Sacco and the Saccisica
Piove di Sacco gives its name to the Saccisica, the vast area of the lower Padua plain lying between the Bacchiglione and Brenta rivers, historically shaped by the great land reclamation works that over the centuries turned marshes and wetlands into cultivated fields. The very place name, tied to running water and drainage canals, tells of the deep identity of an amphibious territory that grew in balance between land and water right up to the edge of the Venice lagoon. Once an agricultural and commercial hub of the Padua countryside, Piove di Sacco is today the reference town for twenty-one municipalities of the Saccisica, a role of natural capital it has held since the Middle Ages, when the town gained administrative autonomy and its own defensive system.
The Duomo and the Torre Carrarese
The monumental heart of Piove di Sacco is marked by the Torre Carrarese, an imposing civic tower built by the Da Carrara family, lords of Padua, to guard the settlement: a symbol of power and defence that still dominates the town's skyline and marks the passing of time. Beside it, the Duomo di San Martino holds the religious soul of the community, its architecture layered over the centuries and its furnishings speaking of local devotion. Together, tower and cathedral form the most recognisable historic core of the town, tangible evidence of the transition from Carrarese lordship to the rule of the Republic of Venice, which in 1405 absorbed Piove di Sacco into its mainland dominions while leaving the tower's strategic value untouched.
The Madonna delle Grazie
A short distance from the centre, the church of the Madonna delle Grazie is one of the places of worship most cherished by the local community, a destination for popular devotion rooted over the centuries. The sanctuary houses a Marian image venerated by the faithful of the Saccisica, a reference point for processions and religious feasts that still mark the town's calendar. The building, with its sober forms and its heritage of sacred art, tells of a devotion that has never been interrupted, able to cross the centuries and remain alive alongside the everyday life of the town, in a constant dialogue between popular faith and the identity of the territory.
The History of Hebrew Printing (1475)
Piove di Sacco holds a special place in the world history of printing: in 1475 the printer Meshullam Cusi produced here the Sefer Arba'ah Turim, one of the very first books in Hebrew ever printed with movable type, barely twenty years after Gutenberg's invention. It was an extraordinary event for a small town in the lower Padua plain, which for a brief period became a printing centre of international significance, able to spread Hebrew texts across a Europe where such works were exceedingly rare. Even today, scholars and experts in the history of the book regard Piove di Sacco as a fundamental milestone in the spread of Hebrew printing, a quiet but immensely valuable cultural heritage, little known to the general public yet essential to the history of written culture.
The Countryside and the Canals
Around Piove di Sacco stretches the countryside of the Saccisica, a mosaic of crops, embankments and canals that bears witness to centuries of land reclamation and water management. Irrigation channels, ditches and minor waterways shape the agricultural landscape all the way to the edge of the Venice lagoon, creating a unique environment where nature and human intervention coexist in balance. Travelling through this countryside, perhaps by bicycle along the embankments or country lanes, means discovering a Veneto far from the busiest routes, made of farmhouses, tree-lined rows and silence, where water remains the element that has shaped every aspect of rural life, from agriculture to the historic transport routes toward Venice.
Flavours of the Territory
The cuisine of Piove di Sacco and the Saccisica has its roots in Veneto's rural tradition, built on simple, seasonal produce: vegetables from irrigated market gardens, rice and grains grown on reclaimed land, and local livestock farming that sustains a solid tradition of cured meats and cheeses. In the markets and trattorias of the area, dishes tell the story of the farming culture of the lower Padua plain, often linked to the revival of old recipes handed down from generation to generation. Traditional Veneto desserts and wines from the nearby hills and countryside complete the picture, a gastronomic journey that rounds out the discovery of an authentic territory, far from trends and close to the land.
How to Visit
Piove di Sacco lies just a few kilometres from Padua, easily reached by car or by the road connections of the lower Padua plain, and makes an excellent base for exploring the Saccisica and its twenty-one municipalities. The historic centre can comfortably be visited on foot in a few hours, taking in the Torre Carrarese, the Duomo and the Madonna delle Grazie, while the surrounding countryside is perfect for cycling trips along embankments and secondary roads. Its proximity to Padua, Chioggia and the Venice lagoon makes Piove di Sacco an ideal stop for those wishing to combine art, history and rural landscape in an itinerary that steers away from the main tourist flows, offering an authentic picture of the lesser-known Veneto.
Experiences Not to Miss
- Ammirare la Torre Carrarese, simbolo del potere carrarese sulla città
- Admire the Torre Carrarese, symbol of Carrarese power over the town
To see
What to see in Piove di Sacco
Routes · Trovido Route
Routes in Piove di Sacco
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