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Padua Attractions
A Pilgrimage for the Absent-Minded
Giotto's frescoes attract art lovers and the city's university students, but pilgrims of another ilk have long secured Padua's place on the map. For more than 700 years, the enormous Basilica di Sant'Antonio has drawn millions from around the world. A mendicant Franciscan monk born in Lisbon, Antonio spent his last years in Padua. He died here in 1231 and was canonized almost immediately, and the basilica -- a fantastic mingling of Romanesque, Byzantine, and Gothic styles -- was begun within a year.
St. Anthony is one of the Roman Catholic Church's most beloved saints -- and one of Italy's most popular namesakes -- universally known for his powers to locate lost keys or sunglasses, lost causes, lost everything. Countless handwritten messages left in a kind of mailbox in the side of his tomb within the church call upon this power to help find everything from lost love to lost limbs. For example, I lost something rather important in Padua -- my annotated copy of this book! A quick visit to St. Anthony did the trick: When I left the church and switched my cellphone back on, I received a call from the cafe where I had been that morning. The proprietor had found the missing book.
Both the church and the miracle worker are simply referred to as "il Santo," and the church warrants a visit for its artistic treasures and architectural importance, as well as for its religious significance.
The one unmissable sight in Padua is the Cappella degli Scrovegni (daily 9am–7pm; check website for evening openings 7–10pm) at Piazza Eremitani, an outwardly unassuming chapel commissioned in 1303 by Enrico Scrovegni, a wealthy banker. Inside, however, the chapel is gloriously decorated with an astonishing cycle of frescoes by Florentine genius Giotto. The frescoes depict the life of the Virgin Mary and the life of Jesus, culminating with the Ascension and Last Judgment. Seeing Giotto’s powerful work in the flesh is spine-tingling; this is where he made the decisive break with Byzantine art, taking the first important steps toward the realism and humanism that would characterize the Renaissance in Italy.
If you have time, try to take in Padua’s other historic highlights. The vast Palazzo della Ragione on Piazza del Erbe (6€; Tues–Sun 9am–7pm, closes 6pm Nov–Jan) is an architectural marvel, a cavernous town hall completed in 1219, decorated with 15th-century frescoes by Nicola Miretto. Pay a visit also to the Basilica di Sant’Antonio (Piazza del Santo); admission free; daily 6:20am–7:45pm, closes 6:45pm Nov–Mar), the stately resting place of St. Anthony of Padua, the Portuguese Franciscan best known as the patron saint of finding things or lost people. The exterior of the church is a bizarre 14th-century mix of Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic styles, while the interior is richly adorned with statuary and murals. In the piazza outside, don’t miss Donatello’s stupendous 1453 equestrian statue of the Venetian condottiere Gattamelata (Erasmo da Narni), the first large bronze sculpture of the Renaissance.
Cumulative Tickets
If you plan on taking in all the sights of Padua during a short visit -- or even if you plan on visiting the Scrovegni Chapel and only one other sight -- a PadovaCard is a worthwhile investment. In addition to free use of the city's buses and free parking in some areas, the 15€ card gets you admission to the Cappella degli Scrovegni (you must call to make reservations), Musei Civici Eremitani, the Palazzo della Ragione, and other sites in Padua and the province as well as a seat in Caffè Pedrocchi. The card is valid for 48 hours and can be shared by both an adult and a child younger than 12. You'll find the card for sale at tourist offices and at sites at which you can use the card. A 72-hour card costs 21€. See www.padovacard.it.
6 Results
- Religious Site
Basilica di Sant'Antonio
This enormous basilica's imposing interior is richly decorated, filled with tombs, works of art, and inlaid checkerboard marble flooring. It's all there to honor one man, Padua's patron Saint Anthony. Simply and commonly referred to as "il Santo," Anthony was born in Lisbon in 1195… - Landmark
Bo
Galileo's battered desk and podium, from which he taught from 1592 to 1610, are still on display in Italy's second-oldest university (after Bologna). His name joins a legendary honor roll of students and professors -- Petrarch, Dante, the poet Tasso, and Copernicus -- who came here… - Landmark
Caffè Pedrocchi
The Pedrocchi is a historic landmark, as beloved by the Padovans as "their" own St. Anthony (who actually hailed from Lisbon). When it first opened in 1831, it was the largest cafe in Europe. Famous literary and political characters and local luminaries made this their command post… - Religious Site
Cappella degli Scrovegni
This is the one uncontested must-see during your stay in Padua. This recently renovated cycle of vibrant frescoes by Giotto revolutionized 14th-century painting -- it's considered among the most important art leading up to the Renaissance. While some experts have questioned whether… - Religious Site
Chiesa degli Eremitani
Padua's worst tragedy was the complete destruction of this church by Allied bombs in 1944; some art historians consider it the country's greatest artistic wartime loss. It has been remarkably restored to its original early-13th-century Romanesque style, but the magnificent frescoes… - Landmark
Palazzo della Ragione
The picturesque open-air markets of Piazza delle Erbe (Square of the Herbs) and Piazza della Frutta (Square of Fruit) frame this massive 13th-century palazzo and have stood as the town's political and commercial nucleus for centuries. Before being distracted by the sprawling outdoor…
Padua Shopping
Markets
The outdoor markets (Mon-Sat) in the twin Piazza delle Erbe (for fresh produce) and Piazza della Frutta (dry goods) that flank the enormous Palazzo della Ragione are some of Italy's best. The third Sunday of every month sees the area of the Prato della Valle inundated by more than 200 antiques and collectibles dealers, one of the largest antiques and collectibles fairs in the region. Only early birds will beat the large number of local dealers to the worm.
A less important street market is the weekly Saturday outdoor market of nonantique goods in the Prato della Valle, selling clothes, pet food, household goods -- nothing fascinating, but an interesting peek into local life and a good place to pick up kitchen items to re-create your own cucina italiana back home. It has a number of inexpensive shoe stands hawking goods from the many factories for which the nearby Brenta Canal area has long been renowned. Both the antiques fair and this weekly market will give you a reason to visit the 18th-century Prato della Valle, said to be one of the largest piazzas in Europe. Located just southwest of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, it is ringed by a canal and populated by more than 80 statues.
Padua Nightlife
The classical music season usually runs from October to April at different venues around town. The historic Teatro Verdi, at Via dei Livello 32 (tel. 049-877-7011 or 049-8777-0213; https://www.teatrostabileveneto.it/en/), is the most impressive location. Programs are available at the tourist office. Look for posters advertising performances by the world-class Solisti Veneti, who are Padovans but spend most of the year traveling abroad.
As a university city, Padua has a large, very visible student population. You can network with the student crowd at any of the popular cafes along Via Cavour, or in the osterie, wine bars, and beer dives in the porticoed medieval side streets encircling the Palazzo della Ragione (the area around the Bo) and its bookend Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta. In the summer, the toned-down nightlife is to be found mostly around Prato della Valle.
