Discover Porzano: San Martino, historic paths and rural culture

Porzano between San Martino and rural history

Porzano is a hamlet of Leno in the Province of Brescia. San Martino is Porzano’s parish church. The Santa Giulia monastery founded a chapel in Porzano dedicated to Saint Martin, which was dependent on the parish church of Bagnolo Mella. A small community lived around the chapel. The parish church and the chapel therefore bear the same saint’s name.

San Martino and sacred art

The restoration of the Church of San Martino in Porzano began in 2015 and included the interior furnishings with frescoes, stucco and altars, as well as three altarpieces. Among the restored works is the painting “Madonna con Santi e putti” by Carlo Baciocchi; it is dated 1672.

Waterways and cultivated land

Porzano’s rural surroundings include waterways connected with the cultivation of the fields. The now-covered Vaso Molina re-emerges at one point in Porzano. There, a weir is regularly moved to distribute water to the fields.

South of Porzano, the Vaso Uggera flows toward the cultivated land and forms part of the local irrigation system. At the Vaso Molina, water distribution takes place at the point where it re-emerges and at the movable weir; at the Vaso Uggera, it results from its southerly course toward the cultivated land.

Historic paths through Porzano

Stage 28 of the Cammino di Santa Giulia passes through Porzano and runs through cultivated fields and along unpaved paths. For Stage 28, the unpaved surface is therefore one of the specific planning features of the route described.

The historic route “Dai Longobardi ai fontanili” passes several archaeological, architectural and landscape attractions in the Leno–Porzano section. In addition to the fields and paths of Stage 28, historical and landscape points of interest are therefore also part of this route.

Religious traditions and celebrations

The living Via Crucis is regarded as a genuine tradition in Porzano. Dozens of costumed performers took part in one performance, including centurions and apostles. The community of Leno gathered in Porzano to celebrate the Passion of Christ on the village streets. The performance combined costumed roles with the celebration of the Passion of Christ in the village’s streets.

The Marian celebration of the Parish of San Martino in Porzano di Leno was called “Feste Mariane Quinquennali” and took place from September 7 to September 15, 2025.

Lombard traces at Campo Marchione

Campo Marchione is a large rural cemetery in Porzano, in the municipality of Leno. It is a Lombard archaeological site with excavated female burials from the 6th and 7th centuries. The burials therefore date significantly earlier than the beginning of the restoration of San Martino in 2015.

More places for planning your trip to Italy

Other places you can discover when planning your trip include Lozio, Casaccie, Soiano Del Lago, San Felice Del Benaco, Niardo, Collebeato, Erbusco and Bassanega.

To the main travel overview: Brescia.