The town's name derives from the Latin word "caldarium", with the meaning of "hot bath", an explicit reference to the presence of hot springs in the nearby. Caldiero is a municipality in the province of Verona, located between Mount Rocca and the Adige, famous for its production of wine, Arcole DOC.
Important finds evidence the presence of settlements since the Bronze Age. The Roman colonization, a part from the name, did not leave significant traces in the area, definitely deleted during the ravages of the Barbarians, which intensified after the fall of the Empire and a series of disastrous natural events. No doubt the hot springs were popular already in pre-Roman times, but were not valued as they deserved: in medieval times, in fact, they were only used to soak the linen, even though at the time, the moral line of the Catholic religion considered scandalous to show oneself scantily dressed in public. Only since the XIV century the important resource was promoted, under the Venetian Republic domain, who began the reclamation of the marshlands, the construction of drainage channels and the building of elegant villas still visible today. During the XVII century, the plague caused numerous victims and subsequently when the promiscuity of the baths was declared dangerous, they were abandoned. Similar to most of the localities of the area, this corner of Veneto also submitted the Napoleonic conquest.
Attractions:
- the XIX century Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Matthias, which like several churches in Veneto, features an elegant façade embellished with columns resting on square bases and with Corinthian capitals that support a pediment decorated with frames and a bas-relief. Among the columns, at the sides of the portal, there are two niches with statues of the two patron saints. The building is flanked by a XV century Bell Tower and a XVII century Baptistery. Within the single nave plan features a series of similar columns and preserves beautiful frescos, an altarpiece depicted by Brusasorzi and a XVI century one of the artist Barchus;
- the Church of San Lorenzo in Caldierino;
- the church of San Pietro in Colle, of ancient origins, features a gable façade of great simplicity, a Bell Tower with mullioned windows. Inside preserves the remains of valuable frescoes;
- the Baths of Juno;
- Villa Da Prato, built in the late XIII century, was rebuilt in the XVII century;
- the XVI century Villa Faccioli-Loredan;
- the Nature Park of Monte Rocca.