Castello del Catajo

The origins of the Castello del Catajo trace back to a simple country house. From 1570, Pio Enea I. Obizzi, whose family originated from Burgundy and had settled in the Republic of Venice, began expanding it into a representative palace. The condottiere Obizzi, who served Venice, commissioned the architect Andrea Da Valle, who completed the construction between 1570 and 1578. After the Obizzi family died out in 1803, the castle passed into the possession of the Archdukes of Modena. Under Francis IV of Modena, the upper part of the building was added. Later, the Austrian heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand, inherited the estate. An extensive collection of musical instruments, weapons, and paintings that was housed in the castle was moved to Vienna and Konopiště. During World War I, the castle fell to the last Austrian Emperor Charles I. After the war, the Italian state confiscated the building as war reparations and sold it in 1926 to the Dalla Francesca family.

The Castello del Catajo is located in Battaglia Terme in the province of Padua in the Veneto region, Italy, at an elevation of approximately 10 meters above sea level.

The castle is currently privately owned. Visitors can enter a courtyard, which was once used for theatrical performances and tournaments. Next to the entrance is a baroque elephant fountain. The Piano Nobile is adorned with frescoes by Giambattista Zelotti, a student of Paolo Veronese, which glorify the deeds of the Obizzi family, including battles, naval engagements, scenes from the Crusades, family events, and allegorical representations.

• Castello di Monselice (castle), approx. 6.8 km away
• Basilica di Santa Giustina (sacred building), approx. 13.2 km away
• Basilica di Sant’Antonio (sacred building), approx. 13.8 km away
• Montagnana City Walls (city fortification), approx. 26.5 km away