Santa Maria di Sala
Santa Maria di Sala: a historic town in Veneto
Santa Maria di Sala is a historic town in Veneto, located in the metropolitan city of Venice. With a population of 17,405 inhabitants, the town is part of the Miranese area and is integrated into the Roman graticule.
Physical Geography
Located along the Miranese Road (provincial road 32), Santa Maria di Sala is also crossed by an important connection route between Mestre and Padua, locally known as "Via Cavin di Sala". In the historic center of the city, one can find the "Beccante" curve where the Miranese Road flows into the former 515 Noalese State Road, which continues to Padua.
Origin of the name
The name "Sala" (Longobards) in the Longobard era indicated the part of the landlord's property conducted in direct economy where he resided. In 994, it was cited for the first time in a document and was mentioned again in a donation deed between 1024 and 1034, in which Emperor Conrad I granted a fief to Count Conrad of Colbertaldo.
The Count built a fortified castle in a location called "Sala". Around the mid-fourteenth century, the castle was demolished by Paganino Sala, whose lineage took the name from the location, replacing it with a Gothic-style palace.
Later, the ownership of the territory passed to the Cantorini from the fifteenth to the sixteenth century, the Fonseca and Cortizzon in the seventeenth century, and the Farsetti in the eighteenth century.
The Sala family
The Sala family is very important in the history of Santa Maria di Sala. Corrado Sala, descended to Italy in 1119 following Henry V of Franconia, seems to have taken possession of the Sala fiefdom in the following year, taking the name for himself and his descendants.
Among the famous descendants of the Sala family, we recall Corrado II, who became a doctor of law in 1218, and Negro, son of Corrado II, invested with the Sala fiefdom by the Diocese of Treviso in 1229.
During the period of dominance of Ezzelino III da Romano (1237-1256), we must remember the two brothers Ugolin and Pagan, the former beheaded by the Ezzelini while a prisoner in Verona, the latter executed for having reconquered Padua in 1256. However, the greatest representative of the Sala family was Paganino II, who lived in the second half of the fourteenth century, the last owner on behalf of this family, of the Sala villa.
Paganino II had a great reputation and important tasks with the da Carrara until the end of 1388 when the Milanese, under the command of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, conquered Padua. To save himself from the Viscontis' invasion, Paganino II abandoned the Carrara family and in 1389 acquired 1,200 fields (about 464 hectares) from the Carrara family. Thus, entering Gian Galeazzo Visconti's good graces, he was invested with other properties equal to two thousand fields.
Conclusions
Santa Maria di Sala is a historic town in Veneto with a strong cultural identity. Its landscape is characterized by the integration of the Roman graticule and the presence of important connection routes such as the Miranese Road. The Sala family has made a great contribution to the history of the town, guarding the Sala property for many centuries, and influencing the cultural and aristocratic identity of the town. With a population of over 17,000 inhabitants, the town is a dynamic and ever-evolving reality, ready to look to the future while remaining faithful to its historical roots.
