Santa Giustina in Colle
Welcome to Santa Giustina in Colle
Welcome to Santa Giustina in Colle, an Italian municipality in the province of Padua, Veneto. Here, 7,102 people live, but the history of the place dates back a long time. The name of the town derives from the church dedicated to Santa Giustina of Padua, which stood on a terrace that may have previously housed a fortification. There are several theories about the meaning of the word "Colle", but the most credible one is the allusion to the town's church.
A brief history
Despite its name referring to the Christian era, the territory was inhabited even before then. The remains of the Roman centuriation, the so-called "graticolato romano," which organized the northeastern area of the territory of Padua, the city to which Santa Giustina in Colle remained linked in subsequent centuries, can still be seen.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire and the Barbarian invasions, Tergola - as the town was formerly known - became important both for the presence of a castle of which the family of the same name was a feudal lord and as the headquarters of the church. However, already in 1138, Santa Giustina in Colle had been downgraded to a branch of the San Giorgio delle Pertiche church, later becoming the headquarters of a rural municipality in 1223.
Santa Giustina in Colle was also the stage for one of the most tragic pages of the Liberation War, when twenty-four of its fellow citizens were massacred by Nazi troops.
Symbols of Santa Giustina in Colle
The coat of arms and gonfalon of Santa Giustina in Colle were granted by decree of the President of the Republic on 27 October 1983. The wavy bands represent the Tergola and Vandura rivers, which respectively border the centers of Santa Giustina in Colle and the Fratte Fraction. The ruined tower recalls the medieval castle destroyed during the barbarian invasions. The gonfalon is a white and red divided cloth.
Honors
The Municipality of Santa Giustina in Colle received the Silver Medal for Civil Merit for the courage shown during the war. In 1945, during the retreat of German occupation forces, twenty-four townspeople were massacred by Nazi troops, including some boys, the parish priest, and the chaplain.
Monuments and places of interest
The 20th-century Church of Santa Giustina was consecrated in 1907 and is one of the main places of interest in the town. Furthermore, the town is surrounded by greenery and offers many opportunities for walks and bike rides.
We hope this brief journey into the history and culture of Santa Giustina in Colle has inspired you to visit the heart of the province of Padua!
