PADERNELLO, A CASTLE SUSPENDED IN TIME

In the countryside of the province of Brescia, close to Borgo S. Giacomo, there is a charming castle that dominates a rural village by the same name. It is an ancient residence dominating a charming village where the farmers market is still at the heart of life. The drawbridge is lowered and the sight of a medieval coat of arms with an imperial eagle suggests important times. By crossing the moat it is possible to access the Padernello Castle, an ancient castle in which visitors have the feeling of traveling back in time. The earliest-known written evidence about the presence of a fort here dates back to 1391. However, the noble Martinengo family commissioned the building of the actual imposing castle and began being built in the first half of the 15th century. In the 1700s, it was transformed into an elegant residence by the architect Marchetti, the same who directed the construction of the New Cathedral of Brescia. Four thousand square meters, 130 rooms, including a ballroom and a chapel dedicated to Saints Faustino and Giovita. The last inhabitant, Count Filippo Molin Ugoni Salvadego, died in 1965, and Padernello Castle was abandoned, forgotten, and plundered. In 2002, this period of neglect and decay was capped by the collapse of a significant part of the Castle, including the ballroom and the kitchens. In 2005, the Municipality of Borgo S. Giacomo and a group of private societies purchased it. And, in the same year, the non-profit organization Fondazione Castello di Padernello begun taking care of the Castle’s maintenance. The Castle, with its large, elegant internal courtyards is the noble element of the splendid rural village of Padernello. Old houses-workshops with their traditional entrances can still be seen in the village center. One inn and two traditional trattorias have revived the old village and offer yet another reason to visit this lovely place. The center of the village, every third Sunday of the month, hosts a charming farmers market organized by Slow Food. Called ‘Mercato della Terra‘, it offers the opportunity to buy produce directly from small organic producers. And once the market is over, everyone eats together in an atmosphere of heartfelt conviviality.