Tombelle
Discovering Tombelle, a fraction divided between Saonara and Vigonovo
Tombelle, or oTonbèłe in the local Venetian language, is a geographical fraction located between two Italian municipalities: Saonara, in the province of Padua, and Vigonovo, in the metropolitan city of Venice. It is located in the center of a wide area that includes the Piovego canal to the north, the Brenta river to the east, the Padua-Venice waterway trunk to the south, and the A13 Highway to the west.
Physical geography
Tombelle is crossed by the Provincial Road 17, which connects Padua to the State Road 309 "Romea"; along this road, the municipal border moves, and thus the most substantial area of Tombelle belongs to Vigonovo, while the southern part is owned by Saonara. The area where Tombelle is located is characterized by a series of elevated mounds in a marshy area, from which the toponym Tombelle, connected to the term "tumbae," could derive. However, other scholars believe that the name of the village may derive from "tempellum," which means "small temple, shrine."
History
Tombelle can boast a very ancient history; its first attestation dates back to 1117. At that time, the sons of Count Rambaldo di Collalto sold the court of Porto, consisting of fifteen farms in Tenbelle and Sarmazza (now Sarmazza), to the Abbey of Sant'Ilario. Only from 1142 did the term "Tembelle" begin to be used, which remained in use until the late 19th century when it was replaced by the current one.
Monuments and places of interest
Parish church
The church of Tombelle, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Succor, was founded in the fifteenth century in conjunction with the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Mercy of Terrassa Padovana. It was managed by the Regular Canons of San Marco with headquarters in the church of San Marco in Mantua. At the beginning, it was a simple country church included in the territory of Vigonovo, accompanied by a small monastic cell.
After the suppression of the order in 1574, the church passed to the Camaldolesi, who were succeeded by the confreres of the Church of San Michele in Isola in 1778. In 1809, it was not deconsecrated during the Napoleonic suppressions, and became a subsidiary curacy of the parish of Vigonovo, while enjoying its own ecclesiastical benefit and the complete exercise of the care of souls. In 1942, the parish of Tombelle was finally established, separating its territory from Camin (Padua), Villatora, and Vigonovo.
The church and bell tower were restored at the beginning of the twentieth century, but due to population growth, a complete reconstruction was carried out. The project was entrusted to the architect Antonio Ponti and was completed in 1947, consecrated in 1952. Inside the church of Tombelle, there is a seventeenth-century painting by Carlo Ridolfi depicting Saint Benedict handing over the Rule to the princes of the earth, among them Saint Romuald, the founder of the Camaldolesi.
Villa Rinaldi
Located to the west of the center, along via Vigonovese, in the municipality of Saonara, Villa Rinaldi was built in 1743 on land owned by the Venetian patrician Pietro Zambelli, who received it from the church of San Daniele in Venice. Villa Rinaldi contains several architectural elements of exceptional interest, in various construction and enlargement phases, and is developed over three floors. Today Villa Rinaldi houses the Padua Blood Donors Institute, while the rectory is owned by the municipality of Saonara.
Conclusions
Tombelle is a place of great charm, where the historical and cultural heritage mixes perfectly with nature. The fraction divided between Saonara and Vigonovo still conserves the ancient charm among the buildings that testify to its great historical importance. The church of Tombelle and Villa Rinaldi are just two examples of the beauty and interest that characterize this corner of Veneto.
