The San Giorgio Oratorium is located in the Piazza del Santo in Padua. It was built to be the sepulchral tomb for the family of Marquis Raimondino dei Lupi di Soragna. The narrow building next to it is the Scoletta del Santo and contains a number of paintings by a young Titian.
San Giorgio Oratorium and Scoletta del Santo Padua
San Giorgio Oratorium
The Oratorio di San Giorgio was constructed in 1337. The stone relief in the central part of the brick facade depicts Saint George. Apart from this relief and some thin pillars the facade has but very few decorations.
Towards the end of the 18th century, the oratorium was transformed into a prison. Despite this, the fresco cycle by Altichiero Altichieri da Zevio on the interior wall of the facade has remained well preserved. The artist, with the collaboration of Jacopo Avanzi, worked from 1379 till 1384 on the cycle. Its subject is Biblical, such as the “Adoration of the Three Wise Men”, the “Adoration of the Shepherds”, etc.
The frescoes on the eastern wall show scenes from the life of Saint George and the ones of the western wall events from the lives of the saints Catherine and Lucy.
Before painting this cycle, Altichieri had already painted a chapel for the family Lupi in the Basilica del Santo.
Scoletta del Santo
The narrow building flanking to the Oratorium is known as the Scoletta del Santo. Its first floor was built in 1427.
The fresco “Madonna and Child and the saints Biagio and Girolamo” was painted by Padovanino.
The wooden “Immaculate Conception” statue was the work of R. Rinaldi, who learned his craft from Canova.
The second floor of the Scoletta del Santo was constructed in 1504, in order to become the seat of the Sala Priorale. This hall was frescoed in the beginning of the 16th century, by painters such as Girolamo del Santo, Bartolomeo Campagna and Tizian.
The cornice that divides this building into two halves was added in 1930.