HISTORIC REFERENCES

The Benedictine abbey in Praglia lies at the foot of the Euganean Hills, 12 Km from Padua, along the ancient road leading to Este: Its name derives from Pratalea (a place covered by meadows), the name generally given in Medieval documents. Here are some of the most important dates in the nearly 1000-year history of Praglia:

11th – 12th century: foundation of the monastery by the powerful family of Maltraverso di Montebello.
1117: The community is already established and led by its own abbot.
1124: Pope Calixtus II entrusts the Praglia community to the famous abbey of Polirone, near Mantua. Praglia’s monastic life is thus influenced by the Cluny abbey in Bourgogne.
1232: Emperor Frederick II delegates to the abbot of Praglia the counties of Brusegana, Tencarola, Villa del Bosco, and Tramonte. Management of the vast land possessions is entrusted to the monks and tenant farmers of the three ‘courts’: Brusegana, Praglia and Spirano.
1448: The community begins its revival under the monastic reform led by the abbey of St. Giustina in Padua, after a long period of crisis that began in the second half of the 14th century.
1460: Construction begins of the current majestic abbey complex (1460-1550) on the site of the ancient monastery. The architectural style elegantly integrates the late gothic and early renaissance styles.
1806-1810: With Napoleon’s military occupation, the confiscation of goods is decreed, and finally, the suppression of the monastery.
1834: On October 7th, the monastic family is reorganized. A new, but short-lived period of peace and stability begins.
1867: On June 7th the monastery is closed for a second time after Savoy legislation to suppress all religious associations is enforced in Lombardy and Veneto. The community moves to Daila (Cittanova) in Istria, which was under Austro-Hungarian rule.
1904: On April 26th, the monks return to Praglia. Their life of prayer and work begins again, following the Rule of St. Benedict.