Ca' Pesaro, at the gates of Este, is the largest palace in the city and one of the most important country residences of the Venetian nobility in the area. Built between the late 1600s and early 1700s in a strategic position along the waterways and river traffic, it was commissioned by the Pesaro family, who were also active in hydraulic management and services related to the territory.
The complex, attributed to Baldassare Longhena or his student Antonio Gaspari, features a monumental central body made of Nanto stone, a rare example of Baroque architecture in the Padua countryside, flanked by more sober wings, resulting from different construction phases.
During the 1800s, the villa went through a phase of decline, being used as a barracks and then abandoned. In 1878 it was purchased by Benedetto Pelà and designated for the Salesians, who turned it into an important educational college, expanding it to its current H-shaped layout.
The interiors retain large elliptical staircases in Baroque style and rooms decorated with Venetian views and perspective games, a testament to the cultural bond with the Serenissima.
Today Ca' Pesaro is a symbol of the Este territory: a palace of great scenic impact that combines Venetian elegance, educational function, and historical memory, narrating centuries of transformations between nobility, military use, and educational vocation.
