Padova Favorites

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Favorite thing: If you notice advertisements in magazines, especially in magazines that discuss recipes and food making, you will know that Luxardo spends a lot of money to promote their liquors all over the world.
Recently, 2010, they even received television coverage for their liquors being used at a White House cocktail party, and Luxardo recieved a letter from President Obama thanking them for their fine appertifs, etc.
The Luxuardo production of liquors is made just outside of Padova and you can visit a tasting room where you can taste the many types of liquors they make. When you are there you will see that they make many different kinds and they even have a wine production.
Do not be afraid to ask to try lots of kinds, and you don't have to drink each one, they will just pour the small amount out of the glass.
I also want to suggest that you could make this a special outing as the Luxardo factory is located at the bottom of the hills south of Padova. In these hills are many trattorias and wineries. Besides the drive into the hills is very beautiful and you have views of the villages below. It is really a wonderful part of the Veneto region, set aside for a kind of wilderness by the Veneto law.
I will suggest that you see my pages on some restaurants and one really good winery. Take a look.

Fondest memory: You will find the people in this area to be friendly and helpful.
The hills are so full of green, even in the winter. The best time is April when the cherry blossoms are out.
Many restaurants sit on the edge of the hills and have a great view.
They are located at:
Via Romana 42
Torreglia 35038
Telefono: 049 99 090
Hours: 9-12:30 3:00-7:00 Closed Sundays
Torreglia can be found by driving past Abano Terme and following signs to Torreglia

Favorite thing: Padova municipality lately upload in it's site some interesting audio guide to play with your mp3 player. They provide five different itineraries to discover the city. The guides are available in italian and english. Download your mp3 audio guide You will get the mp3 files and a map showing you where to stop and listen.

Favorite thing: Scrovegni Chapel is a gem, the number one attracion in Padova, you must see it. The Giotto paintings are incredible, he was known as the father of the renaissance, living almost one hundred years before so many famous painters. This paitings is impossible to describe in words, you must see by yourself.
The visit needs to be prebooked by phone dialing 0039 049 2010020 or in their Cappella degli Scrovegni On line booking system, they will give you the time you are supposed to be there and you can plan the rest of your visit according to this time. The afternoon seems to be a bit less busy as school visit are normally during morning.
Before entering the Chapel you will see a video that will explain the main facts. The video seems to be available only in Italian. I suggest you read about the Chapel BEFORE coming in, as the visit is limited to only 15-20 minutes.
The ticket you purchase includes the possibility to visit the Padova museum and Palazzo Zuckerman, if you have the spare time they are both worth a visit.

Fondest memory: I have seen the Chapel two times, first before and than after the renewal work they did in 2001. The difference is awesome, the Giotto paintings are simply incredible. The only negative thing is the short time they will give you to see.. it is not enough to see everything well.

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Favorite thing: We used this card extensively and it is well worth the 15 Euro for 48 hours, or 20 Euro for 72 hours. The literature states a 48 hour card can be used for 72 hours if purchased in afternoon of a friday. This is not true, and they said they need to change to text.
The card allows entry to all major, and some minor tour sites. The main one is Erimitani Scorvegni, which costs 11 Euro normally, so with taking n 6-8 other sites, the price is great value. Palazzo Ragione, St. Anthony's basilica, Prodecchi cafe, Zuckerman museo, are some of the major places to get in.

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Favorite thing: Padova is all beautiful but my favourite place was Prato della Valle with it's 87 white statues and beautiful fountains! It's a very relaxing place as well. People laying around this lovely prato makes you feel welcome to do so as well! :)) But we only stayed for about half an hour cause we had to visit other places in just one day! Don't worry...don't need more than a day here to visit the most important things in Padova...(the second picture is with a fountain in Prato della Valle as well)

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Favorite thing: Most of the people have wrong idea about ghetto, considering it as something what was established during the nazi rule in Germany. Ghetto, however, has much longer history which goes back into the medieval times. Actually, ghetto was established in the Venetian Republic, forsing Jews to live in the separate quarters of the town in order to keep them under the controll. According to this brutal and dicriminating law, Jews couldn't step out of the ghetto after the sunset. Hitler, who was adorned by Duce and most of his ideas, have applied this rule during Nazism times of Germany.
There exist ghetto, or what was left of, in most of the Veneto towns.

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Favorite thing: Padova is relatively small town, a kind of places we like to live in. Like many other Italian cities it has "centro storico" (the old core of the town), which was usualy build around the cathedral. There are number of small and bigger squares inside the city area and each one has its particular charm. The biggest one is, world wide famous, Prato della Valle, which is one of the biggest and most beautiful squares in whole of Europe.
The old core of the town has many churches, beautiful palaces and very charming medieval houses with porticoes, which are spread all over the city centre.

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Favorite thing: Prato della Valle has been of primary importance in the life of Roman, medieval and modern Padova. The present look of the square was designed by architect Domenico Cerato in 1775 -76. In the middle of it there is an islet, Memmia, and all around there are eighty-seven statues in white stone presenting the famous citizens of the city trough the history.