Sarego

Terracotta pottery fragments dating back two to three thousand years have been found on the slopes of the Sarego hills.
Between the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the territory was marked by Roman centuriation, especially northwest of Monticello di Fara; in fact, the remains of a Roman villa with mosaic flooring, along with various other artifacts, were discovered near Ca’ Quinta at the beginning of the 1900s. The small church of S. Giustina (now disappeared) attests to the antiquity of the early Christian evangelization that took place around the 3rd-4th century AD.
Numerous toponyms remain from the Lombard period. Historians of the past refer to an “ancient” castle that belonged to the “da Serego” nobles, present on the site even before the year 1000. The territory of Sarego was sacked by the Paduans in 1313, and at the beginning of the 1500s, it was invaded by the imperial army during the War of the League of Cambrai. The parish churches of S. Maria Assunta in Sarego and S. Maurizio in Meledo, as well as the monastery of S. Eusebio, all mentioned in the 13th century, are of ancient origin and have been rebuilt over time.

Numerous villas dot the territory: the 16th-century Villa Manzoni in Sarego, Villa Arnaldi in Meledo Alto (16th century); Villa “Ca’ Quinta” in Monticello di Fara, which preserves a late 16th-century portal; Villa Trissino in Meledo, an unfinished work by Palladio (1559-1567), the scenic Villa da Porto “la Favorita” by Muttoni (1715) in Sarego, as well as various manor complexes with noble chapels including Ca’ Velo, the “Palazzetto,” and Ca’ Viviani; the Oratory chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony Abbot in Meledo.

[Source: Wikipedia]

Numerous toponyms remain from the Lombard period, the most important of which is Monticello di Fara.

Ancient documents record the presence of two early medieval castles in the territory of Sarego: the first in the main town, the second in Meledo.

Nothing precise is known about the origin of the first; however, considering that Pagliarino defines it as “ancient” and that the noble da Sarego family resided there since before the year 1000, it seems reasonable to place its foundation in the 10th century, thus identifying it with the fortification of the primitive church, which depended on the vast jurisdiction of the parish of Santa Maria di Altavilla but was owned by the da Sarego family.

Church and castle must therefore have been of noble origin, and episcopal rights must have been established only in 1132 when the da Sarego family subjected the church to the cathedral of Vicenza. Imperial diplomas do not list the castle of Sarego among those episcopal ones exempted from the “fodro” tax; this does not mean it did not depend in some way on the bishops of Vicenza, but simply demonstrates that it was not exempt from the payment.

According to Pagliarino, the castle “was razed to the ground by the Veronese”; it is not stated when, but it is quite easy to think that this may have happened around 1313 during the fierce struggles between the Veronese and Paduans following the occupation of Vicenza by the Scaligeri.

The second castle was in Meledo and probably belonged to the lesser-known Pan de’ Campi family, mentioned by both Pagliarino and Barbarano; at the end of the 13th century, however, the da Sarego family were enfeoffed with it, as evidenced by the investiture deeds, which always speak of castrum vetus, a term that can have two meanings: either that this castle predated the one in Sarego or that, at the time of the documents mentioning it, it had already been destroyed. In the second case, it would have been destroyed before the Ezzelini era.

Sarego was the birthplace of Cortesia de’ Marassi, known as da Sarego, who in the 14th century was an advisor to Antonio della Scala—and married his sister Lucia—playing a significant role in his downfall. Simone and his son Gentile da Sarego also belonged to this noble family; they were the main financiers in 1386 of the construction and decoration of the church of San Vincenzo in Vicenza, where they were buried. In the same year, 1386, Cortesia da Sarego, Simone’s brother, left in his will the sum of 1,000 Veronese lire for the construction of a chapel in the church of Santa Corona in Vicenza, while arranging to be buried in the church of Santa Anastasia in Verona, a city that had become the center of the da Sarego family’s interests, which in those years had become among the most powerful in the Vicenza area thanks to the support of the Scaliger lordship. It is worth noting that the name Cortesia, which was repeated many times in the family dynasty as was customary, was an anagram of the name Seratico, by which the family was known at that time. The name “seraticensi,” by which the inhabitants of Sarego are called, derives precisely from the term Seratico.

The Sarego family coat of arms featured three swords placed in a bend, with golden hilts. The current coat of arms of the municipality of Sarego (which is divided horizontally) reproduces in its upper part the insignia of the countly family that dominated the town for a long time.

[Source: Wikipedia]

Sarego is located on the western slope of the Berici Hills, about twenty kilometers southwest of Vicenza. A series of road and river routes (State Road 500, the Guà River, and the Fiumicello Brendola) run through the center of the municipal territory from north to south, dividing the hilly area from the plain. The elevations in the upper part consist of light-colored limestone rocks, rich in fossils, deposited in a marine environment during the Tertiary era between the Eocene and Oligocene periods, approximately 50-30 million years ago, while dark volcanic rocks (basalts) prevail at the base, with mineral deposits exploited industrially (bentonite and iron-aluminum clays). The vegetation on the hills features vast expanses of vineyards and cherry trees, but also areas of coppice forest with oaks, hornbeams, and chestnuts, while the plain is characterized by intense and modern arable farming. The numerous karst springs that flow at various levels above the more impermeable rocks have favored the settlement of various hamlets gathered around a common courtyard and close to their fountain, elements that make the mountain and foothill landscape pleasant.

[Source: Sarego Tourist Guide]