Padova Things to Do

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Santa Sofia is the oldest church structure in Padova, built originally in the 10th century, on the site where Mithraeneum to stand. It has original and unique structure.
The Mithraeneum was usually natural cave, windowless and dark. It was pagan temple worshiping god Mitra.
The very suggestive Romanesque facade was constructed from 1106 to 1127. It was dedicated to Bishop Sinisbaldo in 1123, before it was even been finished. The interior of Santa Sofia is sparse. It has three naves divided with the columns and is very spacious. The bell tower was added in the 13th century.

The Piazza della Frutta is a market square in Padua's historic center. The vendors in the Piazza sell fruit, as well as clothing and other items. On the day that we were there, it was fairly slow, with less than half the square occupied by vendors.

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The Piazza dei Signori is a large square in the historic center of Padua that is full of outdoor cafes and restaurants. It is a pleasant place to have dinner at the end of a long day of sightseeing. The Piazza's most famous sight is the clocktower of the Cararra Palace, which looms over the square's far end. Other buildings bordering the square are the Church of San Clemente and the Grand Lodge of the Guard.

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The Church (Chiesa) of Santa Maria Dei Servi is a small, but old and interesting church located along one of the main street's in Padua's historic center. We almost walked right by it, but saw someone coming out a door and decided to go in out of curiosity. It is an active parish church, and was raising money for renovations when we visited. The church dates back to around 1400 and has an attractive altar area and some interesting paintings and sculptures decorating its interior. Its ceiling consists of dark wooden beams.

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Padua's cathedral (the Duomo) is not nearly as interesting as the St. Anthony Basilica or Scrovegni Chapel, the two churches in town that get more tourists. The cathedral was built between 1550 and 1750 on the site of two previous cathedrals. The exterior is rather plain and the interior is also not very ornate, with a white ceiling and walls and a fairly plain altar (compared to other European cathedrals). The small baptistry, which is adjacent to the cathedral, is the exact opposite. It's interior is covered with beautiful 14th century frescos, and we were glad that we took the time to visit it. The ceiling of the baptistry is covered with a fresco of hundreds of saints surrounding Jesus. The walls have a numebr of frescos depicting biblical scenes, including the wedding at Cana, John the Baptist, and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. There is a small charge to enter the baptistry, but it is well worth it, in our opinion. Unfortunately, we don't have any photo from the interior of the baptistry, because photography and video were not permitted.

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The Palazzo della Ragione is one of Padua's most famous and impressive historic buildings. It was built around 1200 AD and orignially served as the hall for Padua's parliament. The lower floors contain a market that seels food, among other things. The upper floor of the Palazzo is a vast enclosed space (80m x 25m), whose soaring 20m high walls are covered by frescos from the 1400s. Many of the frescos feature signs of the zodiac. The frescos were originally painted by Giotto in the 1300s, but had to be redone 100 years later when they were badly damaged by a fire. At one end of the upper floor is a large horse statue by the artist Donatello. On the outside of the building are covered walkways with painted vaulted ceilings. You have to pay a small fee to enter the upper floor, but it is worth it to see one of the most interesting buildings in Italy.

The Eremitani Civic Museum is Padua's museum of art and archaeology. It is located in a former monastery and has two floors. The first floor features archaeological artifacts from the city's Roman past. The second floor features a nice collection of a hundreds of mostly Italian religious and secular paintings from the 1300s to the 1700s. Artists whose paintings are exhibited include Tintoretto, Titian, Tiepolo, Veronese, Bellini, and Giotto. The museum also has a small cafe.

The Erimitani Museum is also where you you to pick up tickets for the Scrovegni Chapel, which is adjacent to it. Give yourself about two hours to see the museum's two floors. On the day that we were there, there were surprisingly few visitors, which made for a very pleasant visit.

The exterior of the museum is nothing special to look at. The main reason to go there is to see its good collection of paintings.

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The Basilica of St. Anthony is one of Padua's most famous tourist attractions. It was built in the 1200s after the death of St. Anthony, a native of Padua. The basilica's architecture is a mix of romanesque and byzantine styles, with its exterior featuring a number of domes. The interior's highlights are the tomb of St. Anthony, the altar (which features sculptures by Donatello), and a number of small side chapels that contain beautiful paintings and sculpture. One of the side chapels, the Treasury Chapel, contains a number of relics of St, Anthony. St. Anthony's tomb was originally located in a small church, which was subsequently incorporated into the basilica as a side chapel. Hundreds of religious pilgrims pray at the tomb everyday and leave notes attached to it.