One of the highlights of my time in Italy last autumn was my visit to Padova, or Padua as it is known outside Italy. I stayed for a few days and covered a fair bit of the lovely city.
Padova is a university city, which means it is lively and fun. There is nothing like lots of students to liven a place up. The city is ancient. Padova was known for its art with the Etruscans and the Greeks of Taranto before the time of the Romans. It is still a city of art and culture.
My first tip is to visit the Scrovegni Chapel to see Giotto’s magnificent frescoes. You can see more on this here. Giotto’s frescoes would be a good enough reason alone to visit Padova.
While in the area, go next door to the Church of the Eremitani. It was begun in 1276 and completed in the early years of the 14th century. The wooden ceiling is constructed with multiple arches in the style known as the “ship’s keel”. There are beautiful marble tombs and restored frescoes…take the time to wander slowly.
Prato delle Valle was once the site of a Roman theatre. Excavations revealed a semicircular orchestra pit with a radius of 15.52 metres. Now it is a huge green space. Isola Memmia, the centrepiece, is surrounded by a circular canal with stone balustrades and four quaint bridges. 87 white stone statues border the canal on either side. See more here.
Take time to wander in the Botanical Garden begun in 1545, the first of its kind in Europe. See my visit here.
Palazzo Bo is the heart of the university. Poke you head into the entrance to see the lovely staircase and the magnificent doors, where the students who died in WWII are remembered. Go inside to see the Anatomy Theatre or the modest wooden podium from which Galileo Galilei lectured in physics from 1592 to 1610.
Walk past Casa Olzignani, in Via Umberto I, with its Gothic facade. The house was built in 1466 by P Lombardi and is considered one of the finest works of 15th century Paduan architecture.
Go to Caffe Pedrocchi (see another post here) and try their very special coffee. It is also an excellent spot for aperitivo.
Piazza dei Signori has a magnificent clock tower installed in 1344. I can’t show you, it was covered in scaffolding for repairs when I was there. I did see the Lion of St Mark standing on an ancient Roman column and a very lovely old building.
Not to be missed is the magnificent Palazzo della Ragione, the Municipal Palace built between 1218 and 1219. The squares on either side are often filled with market stalls and there are several inviting place to stop for lunch or a snack. Don’t miss the huge upstairs room with the giant wooden horse…see here for more photos.
I stayed in the Hotel Casa del Pelligrino, opposite the stunning Basilica of Saint Anthony with its towers and cupolas. Photos are not allowed inside so I can’t show you the Ark of St Anthony or the 9 marble high reliefs from 1521, that made me want to reach out and touch them, or the other incredible things that kept me enthralled for ages.
I can show you the exterior and the bronze monument to Gattamelata (Honeyed Cat), real name Erasmo da Narni. It is by Donatello.
Of course there is much more to Padova than these recommendations, but these, at least, are not to be missed.
Here are a few more random moments from my time in Padova.
