Legnaro
Legnaro lies on the plain southeast of Padua, in the heart of the Saccisica, the historic land reclaimed between the Bacchiglione...
Updated 11 July 2026
The story
The story of Legnaro
History and origins
Legnaro is first mentioned in a document from 828, when a deed confirms that the monastery of Santa Giustina in Padua held property in this area, at the time covered by woods and marshland in the district known as Saccisica, a land of ancient pre-Roman settlements and Roman land division. With the arrival of Venetian rule from the fifteenth century onward, Benedictine monks carried out extensive reclamation works that gradually turned marsh and woodland into farmland, giving the town the agricultural character it largely retains today.
What to see
The town's most representative landmark is the parish church of San Biagio, built between 1779 and 1786, whose sober neoclassical facade dominates the main square. Nearby stands the Corte Benedettina, a rural complex that recalls the ancient monastic presence and the agricultural organisation of the area, while Villa Baretta is another of the historic residences scattered across the Legnaro countryside, evidence of the settlement of Venetian noble families on the Paduan plain.
Agripolis and university research
Since 1996 Legnaro has been home to Agripolis, the University of Padua campus that brings together the faculties of Agricultural Science, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine, the heir to experimental farming activity in the area dating back to the sixteenth century. With its laboratories, experimental farms and veterinary clinics, the campus is today one of the leading centres of applied agricultural research in the Veneto region, bringing thousands of students each year to a town of just over eight thousand residents.
Nature and surroundings
Legnaro's landscape is typical of the Saccisica district: neatly cultivated fields, drainage canals and irrigation ditches still in use today, a flat but not unattractive terrain for anyone who enjoys long bike rides along country lanes. The proximity of the Euganean Hills and the Brenta Riviera, both just a few kilometres away, also makes easy day trips possible for visitors staying in the area.
Local life and economy
Legnaro's economy runs on two tracks: on one side agriculture and activities linked to Agripolis, on the other its closeness to Padua, which has encouraged the growth of small and medium-sized businesses along with commercial and logistics activities near the main roads. The university presence brings a young, seasonal population that lives alongside a resident community with a long farming tradition.
How to get there
Legnaro lies about eleven kilometres southeast of Padua, easily reached by car via the regional road that links the provincial capital to the Saccisica district, or by the city's suburban bus network. The nearest railway station is Padua, from where local public transport continues on to the town.
Experiences not to miss
- Visitare il campus di Agripolis e le sue aziende agrarie sperimentali
- Visit the Agripolis campus and its experimental farms
To see
What to see in Legnaro
Routes · Trovido Route
