The Cloister of San Francesco is today one of the main cultural spaces in Este, hosting events, concerts, and conferences in a historically evocative context. It overlooks the ancient San Francesco Square, where the former Atestino Episcopal College stands, which was founded within a monastic complex dedicated to San Francesco.
The origins of the institution date back to 1636, when Andrea Bortoloni, a Franciscan friar from an Este family, started an educational activity that lasted for decades. The architectural design reflects the influence of the classicist language of Palladian tradition, traceable to Vincenzo Scamozzi and probably constructed on site by Antonio Zuccato.
The cloister preserves elements of great formal balance, with superimposed Doric and Ionic orders, tympanum windows, and a refined proportional harmony. Surrounding it are the main areas of the complex, including the Aula Magna, once the convent refectory with the canvas of the Supper at Emmaus, and the spaces designated for school life.
Today, the Cloister of San Francesco combines historical value with contemporary function, offering an immersive experience among architecture, art, and monastic memory in the heart of the city.
