Origin of the names The district has been known by several names throughout its history: •
Borgo: This term typically refers to a settlement that grew outside a city's walls. San Pietro fit this description until 1370, when the
Scaliger family constructed a second set of walls enclosing the district. Subsequently, new
borghi (such as Santa Lucia, Padova, and Casale) developed outside this new perimeter, and San Pietro became an integral neighbourhood within the city. •
San Pietro: This name became common in the Early Middle Ages due to the district's proximity to the
Benedictine nuns' monastery, which was the most significant landmark in the area at the time. •
Trastevere: Adopted around 1891, this name coincided with the renaming of the main square from Piazza degli Angeli to Piazza XX Settembre (commemorating the
Breach of Porta Pia on September 20, 1870). The name drew a parallel with Rome's
Trastevere district, highlighting Borgo San Pietro's status as Vicenza's most populous and working-class neighbourhood.
Ancient era In 148 BCE, the Romans built the
Via Postumia connecting
Genoa to
Aquileia. This major road passed through the settlement of Vicenza, then inhabited by the Veneti, who were Roman allies. To facilitate the route, the Romans constructed a stone bridge over the Astico River (where the
Bacchiglione flows today). Originally built with three arches and oriented differently from the modern bridge, a fourth arch was added in 1570 based on a design by
Palladio. Beyond the bridge, another Roman road branched off from the main Via Postumia (which headed northeast), leading towards
Padova. It is highly probable that residential clusters formed along these roads—later known as
Contrà Santa Lucia and
Contrà della Fontana Coperta—even during Roman times, creating the nucleus of the future
borgo. which provided access to the areas across the river. This eastern district was known in older records as
Porsampiero, as documented by the historian Silvestro Castellini. By this period, the
borgo had taken shape and was organized into distinct
contrade (neighbourhoods or streets), which are documented in Vicenza’s 1208 Building Decree.
The Borgo of San Vito and Contrada of Santa Lucia Developing along the ancient Via Postumia route, the Borgo of San Vito emerged during this period. It was named after the Benedictine abbey of San Vito, built on the site now occupied by the Non-Catholic Cemetery. Situated outside the city walls, the abbey church possessed a
baptismal font and served a large territory extending as far as the parish of Santa Maria in
Bolzano Vicentino. In 1206, the abbey was granted to
Camaldolese monks. In 1314, they acquired a building closer to the city and replaced the original abbey church with an oratory dedicated to
Saint Lucy. This relocation spurred further growth in the surrounding
borgo. When the Scaliger walls were built in 1370, the wealthier and more densely populated inner section of this area was incorporated into the city proper. The outer section, remaining outside the new walls, became known as the Borgo of Santa Lucia. The inner part, now within the walls, retained the name
Contrà de Santa Lùssia (Contrada of Santa Lucia).
The Contrada of San Pietro , formerly in the Church of Sant'Andrea Before the 10th century, the Benedictine Monastery of San Pietro was established near the left bank of the Bacchiglione. Initially housing monks, it later became a convent for nuns. The monastery faced significant hardships during the Early Middle Ages, likely suffering damage during
Hungarian raids in the early 10th century. A
privilegium (charter) issued by Bishop Rodolfo in 977 described the monastery as “almost annihilated and devoid of monastic worship or divine service.” After 1000 CE, the
bishops of Vicenza granted the nuns substantial feudal holdings around the monastery and throughout the Vicentine territory, bolstering its importance. The monastery held jurisdiction over several smaller churches within Borgo San Pietro. These included San Vitale, located near the monastery square (where the Trento Institute was later built in the 19th century), and Sant'Andrea, situated near the Corte dei Roda. Documents from 1129 and 1166 record the abbess of San Pietro leasing land and houses near Sant'Andrea to local residents. From the 13th to the 15th centuries, Sant'Andrea functioned as a parish church, served by a secular priest appointed by the abbess, confirming the existence of a distinct
contrada (neighbourhood) around it.
The Borgo of Porta Padova This
borgo developed along one of the two main roads leading east out of the city through the
Porsampiero gate and certainly existed in the Early Middle Ages. In 1270, the Benedictine nuns of San Pietro leased land here for the establishment of a hospice “for the benefit of the poor,” known as
Chà di Dio. Its associated church, dedicated to Saint
Julian the Hospitaller, is documented by 1319. The hospice provided shelter for beggars and
pilgrims travelling the route between Vicenza and
Padua. When the Scaliger walls were constructed in 1370, this area was left outside the new fortifications, and the hospice ceased operations by the mid-15th century. However, services continued to be held in the Church of San Giuliano, which received furnishings and underwent restorations during this time. After the nuns relinquished control, the church became municipal property, administratively linked to the Church of San Vincenzo, and took on pastoral responsibilities for the surrounding area. It also became a traditional location for formal welcomes when new bishops—often Venetians in the 15th century—made their official entry into the
Vicentine diocese. This indicates that although the 1370 walls separated the inner
contrada from the outer
borgo, strong connections remained between them, facilitated by the Porta Padova gate, which under Venetian rule primarily functioned as a customs checkpoint rather than a strict defensive barrier. The name refers to the settlement that grew around the convent of San Domenico, established circa 1264 by
Dominican nuns. The convent complex, including the church and cloisters, underwent extensive rebuilding from the 15th century onwards. Today, these buildings house the
Arrigo Pedrollo Conservatory of Music.
The Scaliger Walls During the 12th and 13th centuries, Vicenza experienced significant growth and prosperity. The eastern sector across the Bacchiglione, comprising several small
borghi (identified by Castellini as San Vito, Lisiera, Roblandine, Camisano, and San Pietro), had become densely populated by the early 14th century. This expansion led to the formation of distinct
contrade along the five main roads radiating from the bridge then known as
Ponte degli Angeli (formerly
Porsampiero). According to Castellini, this collection of eastern
borghi was protected by a defensive moat from at least 1182. Following their defeat by a Veneto-Florentine coalition in 1344, the Scaliger rulers reinforced these defences by adding ramparts—raised earthen embankments. Access was restricted to five gates (or controlled openings), likely guarded by wooden watchtowers known as
battifredi. These gates, listed counterclockwise starting from the north, were: San Vito (or Santa Lucia), leading towards the San Vito area; Lisiera; Roblandine, at the end of modern-day Contrà San Domenico; Camisano (also known as Torricelle or Porta Padova), facing Padova; and Camarzo, located near the
San Pietro Monastery. Around 1370, facing increasing tensions between the Republic of Venice and
Francesco I da Carrara, Lord of Padua,
Cansignorio della Scala decided to further strengthen Vicenza's defences to prevent the kind of devastation experienced during earlier conflicts with Padua. He ordered the construction of stone walls to enclose the entire Borgo San Pietro area, which had previously relied only on the moat and rampart. The number of gates was reduced to three—Santa Lucia, Padova, and Camarzo—while the Roblandine and Lisiera gates were sealed. Castellini noted this change:
“Instead of one gate at the Ponte degli Angeli, he made three…” Two centuries later, in 1560, the nuns of San Pietro obtained permission to permanently close the Camarzo gate. The new wall began on the left bank of the Bacchiglione, a short distance from the Ponte degli Angeli. It followed the outer edge of what became Contrà Torretti (named after the small towers,
torrette, likely incorporated into the wall) and Contrà Mure Araceli, where the Santa Lucia gate was situated. The wall continued along the present-day streets of Mure Santa Lucia, Mure San Domenico, and Mure Porta Padova. The Porta Padova gate stood where Contrà Porta Padova (now truncated) met Mure Porta Padova; modest remains of the gate structure are still visible near the intersection with Viale Margherita. The wall line, much of which is still traceable, continued towards Contrà San Pietro, eventually rejoining the Bacchiglione River (which at that time flowed further east, roughly parallel to today's Via Nazario Sauro) near the former location of the Camarzo gate. The total length of this eastern wall circuit was approximately 1,220 meters.
Early modern period By the 16th century, records indicate that the walled area of Borgo San Pietro was already more densely populated and considered more prominent than some other parts of Vicenza. Throughout the early modern period (16th–18th centuries), the population residing within the district's parishes (Santa Lucia and San Pietro, including some dependent rural areas) consistently accounted for nearly a quarter of the entire city's inhabitants. During the period of Venetian rule, the
borgo maintained a presence of noble families, such as the Thiene and Monza, alongside merchants and bourgeois homeowners of considerable means. Starting in the 15th century, wealthier families commissioned impressive residences, including the Gothic Palazzo Regaù, the Renaissance Palazzo Angaran, the 16th-century Thiene houses, and the late 18th-century Palazzo Belisario. Despite these examples of affluence, the
borgo remained predominantly a working-class district. Its
contrade were characterized by artisan workshops, mills, and various trades, many of which persisted until the cusp of the industrial era. Common occupations included shopkeepers, shoemakers, masons, leatherworkers, tailors, and weavers, reflecting the industrious nature of the local population. Contrà Sant'Andrea, in particular, hosted numerous leatherworkers, some quite prosperous, like Gaspare Manente, who owned a complex comprising a “water-powered spinning and twisting mill with a wheel… a leather fulling mill, a sawmill, and three mill wheels.” While silk production was limited in the district until the 18th century, dyers, wool workers, and weavers were common throughout its neighbourhoods. Many homes also featured gardens and courtyards. In the pre-industrial late 18th century, increasing overcrowding further diminished the quality of life in the
contrade. Cobblestone streets often deteriorated into mud during rain or frequent floods, and housing generally lacked proper sanitation and comfort.
Goethe, visiting Vicenza during this period, admired the locals for their “open and affable manners,” which he attributed to their “constant outdoor life,” perhaps a necessity given the indoor conditions. Towards the end of the 18th century, silk production gained a foothold in the district, particularly near the workshops of
Borgo Pusterla. Looms operated continuously, and
samitari (weavers of
samit, a luxurious silk fabric often interwoven with gold or silver threads) and their families became more concentrated here than in other parts of the city. Nevertheless, industrial-scale silk processing remained limited, with only one silk mill (equipped with 24 stoves) located at Fontanelle, alongside a single workshop belonging to the Felice Savi company.
Contemporary era Decline and degradation of the district Following the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797 and the subsequent disruptions caused by Napoleonic campaigns, Vicenza's economy entered a period of gradual decline. This was largely driven by the stagnation and eventual collapse of the silk industry, a cornerstone of the city's traditional economy and social structure. While some other areas adapted, Vicenza suffered severely, particularly after the introduction of the mechanical loom. Local silk entrepreneurs struggled to compete in the changing global marketplace, leading to widespread business failure and job losses. This economic hardship, which persisted through much of the 19th century, disproportionately affected working-class districts like San Felice and Borgo San Pietro. Recurring cholera epidemics in 1836, 1849, 1855, and 1867 particularly ravaged these poorer neighbourhoods. Substandard, overcrowded housing conditions amplified the spread of disease and resulted in higher mortality rates, especially noted in Contrà San Pietro and the Corte dei Roda. Even after the Veneto region was annexed to the
Kingdom of Italy in 1866, the district's decline continued. Local newspapers frequently decried the neglect shown by the municipal authorities towards all the
contrade within Borgo San Pietro—including San Pietro itself with the Corte dei Roda, Porta Padova, and Santa Lucia. In the late 19th century, the district's population gradually increased. This growth was fueled not only by a higher birth rate but significantly by migration from the surrounding countryside into the city. Workers seeking employment and impoverished individuals, sometimes encouraged to relocate by other provincial towns aiming to reduce their own welfare costs, contributed to the swelling population of Vicenza's poorer neighbourhoods.
The Ottavio Trento Institute , site of the Trento Institute since the 19th century In 1810, the Vicentine nobleman Ottavio Trento donated a substantial sum to the municipality to create a “voluntary and semi-forced workhouse.” This initiative aimed to provide relief for artisans and labourers who had become destitute with their families during the ongoing economic crisis. A significant bequest in his will further funded the project. The city designated the suppressed former Monastery of San Pietro as the site for this institution. Restoration work began after Trento's death and was completed in 1814.
The Salvi Institute Count Gerolamo Salvi, who like Trento was childless, bequeathed almost his entire fortune to charitable causes aimed at supporting vulnerable populations. His 1873 will designated the municipality of Vicenza as his heir, with the explicit mandate to establish a shelter for the poor, the elderly, and individuals with physical or mental impairments. This led to the opening of a beggar's shelter (
Ricovero di Mendicità) in the renovated former convent of San Giuliano in 1886.
The Public Dormitory Palazzo Regaù, after passing through various owners, was converted into a public dormitory in 1888. It subsequently fell into disrepair but has undergone meticulous restoration in recent times, returning it to its former state. With approval from Bishop Cappellari and civic authorities, Farina opened the institute's first house in Contrà San Domenico. Supported by donations, it provided girls with not only humanistic and moral education but also vocational training, which was uncommon for women, especially from poorer backgrounds, at the time. By 1840, the institute had expanded its mission to include the education of blind and deaf-mute girls, employing specialized teaching methods.
The Childhood Asylum Father Giuseppe Fogazzaro, a priest, patriot, and seminary professor, established Vicenza's first charitable nursery school, or "Asylum for Children." In 1839, his organizing committee announced plans, modeled on similar institutions in other cities and following the pedagogical principles of
Ferrante Aporti, to provide care along with moral and intellectual education for young children, thereby easing the burden on poor families. The asylum opened in July 1839 in Piazza dell’Isola, initially catering to about 40 children from the city’s poorest families, many residing across the Bacchiglione in Borgo San Pietro. Its rapid growth soon necessitated assistance from the Dorothean nuns to manage the increasing number of girls attending. The first such institution in Borgo San Pietro was a women's oratory opened in Contrà Santa Lucia, run by the Sisters of the Poor.
May 20, 1848, at Porta Santa Lucia The
Revolutions of 1848 swept across Europe, forcing the Austrian army in Northern Italy to retreat into the
Quadrilatero fortresses. Vicenza was evacuated by Austrian forces on March 24, and a provisional government was formed. On May 20, an Austrian counteroffensive led by General Nugent, commanding around 16,000 troops supported by artillery, attacked the city's eastern defences between Porta Santa Lucia and Borgo Casale. Despite being outnumbered, the Vicentine volunteers, bolstered by papal troops sent to aid the revolution, successfully repulsed the assault in a fierce and bloody battle. Local writer Vittorio Meneghello vividly described how the artisans and labourers of the Santa Lucia neighbourhood joined the volunteer fighters and soldiers on the barricades erected from Borgo Scroffa to Porta Padova. The uprising involved all social classes, including members of the nobility like Count Camillo Franco, who enrolled his sons in the Civic Guard, and figures like Canon Luigi Maria Fabris, known for his work with street children. Historian Jacopo Cabianca noted the broad participation: “The women of Santa Lucia not only aided the wounded but also prepared and handed ammunition to the fighters sheltering behind the fragile shield of the barricades.”
Late 19th-century revitalization Following the devastating flood of 1882, the municipality undertook repairs, including fixing cobblestones and demolishing some dilapidated houses near the Ponte degli Angeli. These works exposed views of landmarks like the
“Torreti lane, rustic yet vine-draped, proudly showing its unwarlike turrets.” Restoration efforts focused particularly on the area around San Pietro. In 1890, the private tramway company extended electric street lighting across the Bacchiglione into the district. However, these improvements also led to increased property values and rents, potentially worsening the economic hardship for the poorest residents in these already struggling areas. In the final decades of the 19th century, traditional individual and family-based trades—such as the washerwomen who worked along the riverbanks near Corte dei Roda—gradually gave way to wage labour in larger workshops or factories. This shift contributed to the strengthening of community bonds and the formation of workers' associations. By the end of the century, Palazzo Angaran hosted three such groups: "The Brotherhood," the Carpenters' association, and the Butchers' association. Alongside these, anticlerical and Masonic groups also emerged, including the
Lelio Socino lodge (named after
Lelio Sozzini).
The controversy over the naming of the districts In 1895, an alliance of Catholics and moderate liberals gained a majority on the municipal council, leading to accelerated efforts to modernize the district. However, this period also saw intensified symbolic clashes between supporters of the Savoy monarchy (representing the unified Italian state) and Catholics loyal to the Papacy, which had been in opposition to the state since the
capture of Rome in 1870. In October 1895, a petition signed by 395 citizens requested that Piazza degli Angeli and the adjacent
Contrà della Fontana Coperta be renamed Piazza XX Settembre and Contrà XX Settembre, respectively, to commemorate the date of the breach of Porta Pia. The Council, under Mayor Count Antonio Porto, initially seemed inclined to agree. However, a counter-petition signed by 757 electors strongly opposed changing the traditional name
Fontana Coperta and proposed naming the square Piazza XX Maggio instead, honouring the 1848 defence of Vicenza. the council voted to apply the name XX Settembre to both the street (
contrà) and the square, marking a delayed assertion of the nationalist narrative.
The 'Republic of Trastevere' and Republica de San Zuliàn The analogy between Borgo San Pietro and Rome's Trastevere district gained popular traction. Both districts were situated across a major river (the Bacchiglione and the Tiber, respectively), were historically prone to flooding, and were known for their distinct, resilient, and proud working-class populations. The association was further strengthened by the memory of the
1849 Roman Republic, during which the residents of Trastevere had actively supported republican leaders like Mazzini and Garibaldi against French intervention, earning praise from the French commander, General Oudinot, as “true friends of liberty.” In 1891, local figures Vittorio Cevese and Antonio Colain actively promoted the nickname 'Republic of Trastevere' for the district. While there was some initial resistance, particularly from residents and the washerwomen working near Ponte degli Angeli, the proponents of the nickname ultimately succeeded. On October 25, 1891, a commemorative column designed by Cevese was unveiled in the newly renamed Piazza XX Settembre, accompanied by celebrations including fanfares and fireworks that reportedly lasted until dawn. The term
Republica de San Zuliàn was also used locally, referencing the area around the former San Giuliano hospice (Salvi Institute) and its strong sense of community identity.
Demolition of the walls and urban expansion The early 20th century brought increased urban growth and rising traffic demands, leading to the partial demolition of the Scaliger walls and the physical expansion of the district beyond its historical boundaries. fully integrating the outer Borgo Padova (or
San Zuliàn) area into the contiguous urban fabric of the district. Although Vicenza largely remained confined within its historic walls before
World War I, the post-war era saw significant changes. As one historian observed,
“the urban form has been swept away by modern development, intolerant of boundaries, sprawling in a shapeless mass, defying centripetal force.” Further breaches were made in the walls to improve circulation: • In 1927, the ancient Lisiera gate was reopened, creating a connection between Via IV Novembre and Borgo Scroffa. • In 1932, the Roblandine Gate was reopened, linking Contrà San Domenico with Via Legione Gallieno. • In the 1950s, a section of the wall near the former Casale gate was demolished to connect Contrà San Pietro with the new Viale Margherita. Throughout the 1950s, new streets like Via Ceccarini were built, and Via Legione Gallieno was significantly widened, largely filling in the old defensive moat along the eastern perimeter. Houses incorporating sections of the Scaliger walls in Borgo San Pietro: Mura scaligere est case 01.jpg|House built against the wall near Porta Padova Mura scaligere est case 04.jpg|Wall section integrated into residential buildings Mura scaligere est case 05.jpg|Houses using the medieval wall as a rear structure Mura scaligere est case 06.jpg|View showing houses built directly onto the Scaliger wall line == The present district ==