The monastic complex of Monte Venda has ancient origins, linked to the presence of hermits who chose the summit of the highest hill of the Euganean Hills as a place for spiritual retreat. A testament from 1197 already attests to the existence of a religious settlement, while the first known hermit, Adam of Torreglia, lived in the summit cave until 1160.
In 1209, Stefano, former prior of Santa Giustina, along with Brother Alberico, began the construction of two small churches dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel and St. John the Baptist. From 1229, the hermitage transformed into a true Benedictine monastery, supported by donations from local noble families, including the Maltraversi and the Carraresi. The growing importance of the site led to the construction of a larger church dedicated to St. John the Baptist.
In 1380, the monastery was entrusted to the Olivetan congregation, a Benedictine order known for its artistic production and architectural care of its settlements. The complex included a single-nave church with a bell tower, wooden choir, trachyte presbytery, and a crypt dedicated to the Madonna, as well as cloisters, cells, storerooms, and gardens, forming an articulated and autonomous monastic structure.
The monastery maintained its vitality until 1771, when the Republic of Venice decreed its suppression. The monks were transferred, and the assets were sold to the Erizzo family. Since then, the complex has progressively fallen into abandonment, being reused only occasionally as a pastoral refuge, until its final decline.
