The San Rocco Oratorium is located next to the Santa Lucia Church in Padua. Nowadays the building, which is also known under the name Scuola di San Rocco, is property of the city and is used for temporary exhibitions.
San Rocco Oratorium Padua
Address, opening hours and admission
Address: Via Santa Lucia, 59 – 35139 Padova. Phone: 049 875 3981. Opening hours: 09:30 to 12:30 and 15:30 to 19:00. closed: All non-holiday Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 25 and 26 December. Entrance fee: 3 Euros. (Note: Due to the Covid crisis, opening hours may differ from what is indicated here).
History and description
The site of the San Rocco Oratorium was originally a burial place. Construction of the church started in 1525 and finished 1542. It was built for the order of the Brotherhood of Saint Roch. Saint Roch (or Rocco) was especially invoked in times of plague.
The oratorium is flanked by a small bell tower. The interior consists of two floors and is open on two sides.
The lower floor is a former chapel. This space has been completely frescoed with events from the life of the saint. The painters were Domenico Campagnola, Girolamo Tessari detto dal Santo, Gualtiero Padovano, Stefano Dall’Arzere and Johannes Stephan van Calcar. The work lasted from 1536 too 1545.
Alessandro Maganza painted the altar piece “Madonna and Saints” in 1697.
The oratorium was restored between 1926 and 1929. The facade was repainted and the the painter Cherubini restored the decorations of the ceiling of the vaults.