Padernello Castle, built by the noble Martinengo family, dominates the little rural village of Padernello. Surrounded by a moat, it is accessible by the still functioning draw bridge.
The earliest-known written evidence about the presence of a fort dates back to 1391, when it was described as a house-tower, while the building of the actual castle began in the first half of the 15th century.
During the 18th century, according to the architectural rules of the age, the Castle was transformed into the refined manor-house still evident today.
The last inhabitant, Count Filippo Molin Ugoni Salvadego, died in 1965, and Padernello Castle was abandoned, forgotten, and its rooms plundered. This period of neglect and decay culminated in 2002 with the terrible collapse of a significant part of the Castle, including the ballroom and the kitchens.
In 2005, has been purchased by the Municipalty of Borgo S. Giacomo and by a group of private societies. In the same year, Fondazione Castello di Padernello has been founded, a non-profit organization that works for the maintenance of the Castle.
