The presence of a Capuchin Monastery in Scandiano was preceded by intense charitable work carried out by the friars to assist the local population.
The history of the Monastery began in 1622, when Marquis Ottavio Thiene donated land to the Capuchin friars for the construction of a religious complex, including a church dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. The first brotherhood officially settled there on May 14th 1623, the date that marks its actual foundation. The church, characterised by a simple and sober structure typical of the Capuchin order, was built in 1632. Inside, among the artworks, the altarpiece by Fra' Stefano from Carpi, entitled to ‘San Lorenzo da Brindisi’ (1774), shows pictorial venetian influences from 18th-century. The wooden tabernacle by Friar Fedele of Scandiano stands out in the chapel of the high altar. It is shaped like a small temple and rests on small columns which form niches housing the effigies of the saints to whom the church is dedicated, St Anthony and St Francis. In front of the church, towards the churchyard, there is a long tree-lined gravel path where the 14 stations of the Holy Cross are placed, small shrines with polychrome stucco bas-reliefs. Today, the monastery and the church, located in Viale San Francesco, are still active and open to the public. In May 2023, celebrations were held to mark 400 years of the friars' presence in Scandiano, an event that also saw the presentation of a book dedicated to its history.

How to get to Scandiano

By car: From the A1 motorway - Milan, exit at Reggio Emilia. Follow the road signs for “Reggio Emilia Centro”, “Sassuolo”, and “Scandiano”.

From the A1 motorway - Bologna, exit at the Modena-Nord, take the Via Emilia towards Milan, and follow the road signs for “Reggio Emilia”, “Rubiera”, and “Scandiano”.

By train: From both the north and south, get off at Reggio Emilia station, then take the local train on the Reggio Emilia-Sassuolo line, or you can take the bus (for information: www.actre.it).

By plane: From Bologna Airport (www.bologna-airport.it), take the train to Reggio Emilia, and from there, take the local train to Scandiano or the A1 motorway. From Milan Airport (www.sea-aeroportimilano.it), take the train to Reggio Emilia, or the A1 motorway.

Scandiano is only a few kilometers from many cities in northern and central Italy: 60km from Bologna, 35 from Parma, 20 from Modena, 13 from Reggio Emilia, 180 from the Adriatic Riviera, 160 from Milan, 90 from Ferrara, 155 from Florence, 75 from Mantua, 100 from Piacenza, 95 from Verona.