The Oratory of the Holy Cross is the oldest Christian place of worship in the area of Cervarese.
Mentioned in one of the earliest written documents of the diocese of Padua, dated May 2, 874, it was the subject of various disputes between Bishop Rorio and Emperor Lothair II who wanted to unite it with the Monastery of San Prospero of Reggio Emilia. In the end, it was assigned by the Pope to the bishop as the seat of a monastic community.
At the end of the 19th century under the Kingdom of Italy, the oratory lost its original function and was transformed into a civil residence. Only in the recent 1980s did a complex restoration project promoted by the municipal administration of Cervarese S. Croce allow for the recovery of the building.
The oratory, with a single nave, has a cross-shaped plan and contains traces of frescoes on the internal walls that refer to different periods, from 1000 to 1500. The tower, later transformed into a bell tower, also dates back to the earliest times; it was originally a stronghold of the defensive system of the Vicenza county along the river Bacchiglione, on the border with the territory of Padua.
Today, the oratory is used as a meeting room for weddings, conferences, exhibitions, concerts, and cultural events in general.
