Padova Things to Do

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Arriving in Padova, (or pre-visit on line) get yourself this valuable card!

For 14 Euros (2007) It entitles you to free, or reduced admission to the many attractions of Padova and its surrounding areas. Plus free travel on public APS buses and free car parking for 48 hours (or the whole weekend if purchased on a Friday)

Discounted boat trips on the Brenta Canal and entrance to some of the Villas are also included

A useful booklet comes with the ticket, that lists all the attractions that the card covers.

Each card is valid for 1 adult and 1 child under 12.

Often I find that 'discount cards' aren't really value for money, but this was well worth buying

I purchased mine from the Tourist Info (TI) office opposite St Anthonys Basillica.

You can also buy it from the TI office at the train station or Galleria Pedrocchi.

I booked my ticket for the Scroveni chapel at the same time. This is included in the card price - I just had to pay an extra £1 booking fee.

I also bought a ticket for the Padova City sightseeing bus, for 6 euros instead of 12 euros which is normally valid for 24 hours, but with the Padova card it was extended to 48 hours use!

As my accommodation was out of the city centre, I used my card quite a bit on the bus.

Without this card a bus ticket valid for 75 minutes was 1 euro.

I also used it for free entry to the Palazzo della Ragione and The Caffe Pedrocchi.

I had hoped to visit The Botanical Gardens and The Observatory, which are also included on the card, but I ran out of time.

Be aware when planning Your visit to Padova that many of the museums etc close on a Monday

The Palace of Reason is one of Paduas most important monuments.

It is sandwiched between the Piazza delle Erbe and the Piazza della Frutta.

The centre of Padova probably rose from an ancient Roman Forum, and through the centuries, this has remained an important civic, political and economic area.

Originally built between 1218 and 1219, the first floor contained 3 large halls where judges held court. Smaller rooms were for city officials such as the Tax collector. There was also a chapel to Sant Prosdocimo.

In 1306 Fra' Giovanni degli Eremitani enlarged this space - raising the walls to 6 metres and designing a new roof, decorated in stars and planets to resemble the sky.

Pietro d'Abano who was Professor of medicine and natural philosophy at Padova University inspired this work, which was created by Giotto (with help from his assistants, this took 2 years to complete) The renovation was carried out to to accomodate the law courts. (which functioned until the end of the 18th Century).

However, on Feb. 2nd 1420 fire destroyed this masterpiece of art and construction.

Restoration began immediately. A naval architect - Bartolomeo Rizza, rebuilt the ship bottomed vault, but removed all the partitioned rooms - thereby creating the vast single hall. Which became known as 'Il Salone' The Great Hall

Much of Giottos work was lost, but frescoes were repainted by local artists Nicolo Miretto and Stefano da Ferrara- being completed in the 1450s.
Further work was added by Jacopo da Montagnana and Domenico Campagnola.

A hurricane on August 17th 1756 blew off the roof, damaging the frescoes again.

3 Years later, the vault was re constucted, and Francesco Zannoni started restoring the frescoes (27.07.1762 - 27.09.1770) The original sky decoration, which had had more than 7,000 painted stars wasn't recreated.

Further work was carried out in 1963.

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It's hard to imagine that this attractive landmark of Padua was originally swampland.

In 1775, Andre Memmia - the patrician of Padova aka "The Provider of Padova" declared a programme of reclamation and restoration.
During excavations, ruins of an ancient Roman theatre were found.

"The Square" as the area is popularly known, contains a grassed island - L'Isola Memmia, which is surrounded by a water filled moat, crossed by four stone bridges.

The inner and outer 'banks' of the moat are surrounded by 78 stone statues, each representing a famous citizen of Padua, or someone with connections to the city. One of the statues is of Memmia himself.

Surrounding the moat is a pathway, then a broad roadway that encircles the square. This is popular with joggers, rollerbladers and cyclists.

At 90, 000 sq metres, this is the largest square in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe - possibly only second to Moscow's Red Square

New Years Day and the Festival of Annunciation each August a party is held here with music and fireworks

Prato della Valle originally had so many trees growing, that very little grass was able to grow. Now, all but one of the original trees has died, so there is plenty of grass for the many students, workers and visitors to sit on.

I first saw this impressive square on the Sunday, when a lively market was held. I only saw a small part of the market as not realising this was just held on the last Sunday of each month!,

I'd planned to go back later in my stay. Hmmm- I'm now regretting not buying one of the old posters that I'd liked.

One of my favourite visits to 'The Square' was at sunset, when the sun, statues and clouds were reflected in the water.

I sat for quite a while entranced by the sight of the reflected clouds which appeared to be underneath the water.

Scrovegni Chapel is a must see for anyone visiting Padova. The town of Padova is seen by many as an easy day trip from Venice. Trains depart every half hour with the trip taking between half and three quarters of an hour depending on which train you take.

From the railway station take the main corso d' popolo towards the town centre. Scrovegni Chapel is located less than a kilometre away in a park on the left . Number 3, 8 10 or 12 buses from the station go past the chapel.

There is timed entry to the chapel and prior bookings are compulsory. Tickets must be collected one hour prior to entry at the ticket office of the Erimitani Museum - 100 metres from the Chapel Entrance. You must arrive at the airconditioned waiting area 5 minutes before your entrance time. Only 25 people are allowed into the Chapel at any given time. Visits only last for 15 minutes so as not to damage the microclimate of the interior of the chapel.

The chapel walls are completely covered with paintings by Giotto between 1303 and 1305 and the Chapel is considered to be one of the masterpieces of the art world. It is worth the effort to see these beautiful frescoes.

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It was founded in 1222 and is to be the second oldest and one of the largest with 63,000 universities in Europe. It was at a peak in 14-18th centuries, and the student body had split into segments based on where they came from for many years. The first three buildings were bought by the Capoudivacca family in 15th century, and it was the official unicersity in 1493. A group of buldings were added in mid 1500's. Only the tower and one building remain from the originals. Legendary persons such as Dante, Copernicus, and Galileo (taught here 18 years) attended here. It is named after an inn called Bo-or ox in our English lingua, meaning the central government and university together. The Palazzo Bo is the central focal point for the university, which has buildings around ther and in the rest of the old city. The entry is a mystery and we did not go in except for the Risorgimento and many decorated rooms and wallpaper, by entering through CAfe Pedrocchi. The cost is 3 Euro and maybe not always open when you wish. Much is said to be posbily closed to touring.

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This was constructed to house the administrative functions of the city, or it was a municipal building. It is called Palace of Justice, of Il SaloneConstruction began in 1172 and completed in 1218. It had been separted into three sections, but after a fire of 1420 that gutted the inside, the walls were torn down. What now exists is one huge hall the is about 270 feet long and 100 feet wide, and the roof is all wood from the original days and 75 feet high. There are 333 fresoces from 1425-40 done by Meretti and Ferrara, when they were replacing the Giotto first works of 1310. The theme is of medieval astrological cycle, and is a great site to see all the detail and symbolism. The cavello ligneo/wooden horse is about 15 feet in height and constructed in 1466 to emulate Donatello famed horse that is in front of Saint Anthony Basilica.
Open times are 9-7 daily except Monday when closed. Entry is 8 Euro, but a Padova card for 15 Euro allows entry along with many other sites in the city. We were charged another 3 Euro to Ragione, maybe because of special exhibit that day, but did not seem like that was case.

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Saint Anthony died in 1220 at middle age, but by then he was renowed for his faithful and untiring preaching of the faith. he was cannonized and Franciiscan Friars began construction of a larger church to commemorate the saint. That was 1231, and it took 60 years to complete the basilica, that holds the tomb of Saint Anthony. The coffin was opened in 1981 to determine the condition of the body. It is said his tongue was still in good condition. This saint has led millions of pilgrams to the church through the years. The overall complex is unbelievablly huge, and holds many special sites. There are sculptures done by Donatello, the treasury Chapel has marble statues, there is s dioceasan type museum in the back that shows the sacred jewelry and other reverant items and paintings of devotion commemorating the deceased tradgedies, and a media show and museum section on St. Anthony
The adjacent Oratorio di S. Giorgio and Scuola del Santo are equally important treasures to see the interiors. The fantastic ceiling frescoe done by Altichiero da Zevio in mid 1300's is one that you can stare at for an hour and stake in the beauty and meaning.
The basilica is open daily 6:30 to 8:00PM and free. The oratorio, schuloa and museo are open 9-12 and 14-1800To access other areas, a charge of 3 or 4 Euro is made. Or you can get a Padova card and use for many museums and churches for 14 Euro.

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This at one time was a Roman colleseum. It was torn down, but the 14th-18th century buildings surrounding the center remained. There are 78 statues of famous people of the town over the centuries, on both side of a circular canal, and four bridges cross over the water to what is called l'isola Memmia. It is stated to be the largest square in Europe ant 90,000 SQ meteres. In 1775 Procurator of Venice, Andrea Memmo started the reclamantion of what was mostly a swamp area. This is when they found the old Roman amphitheatre while putting in water piping. He had Domenico Cerato design the structure of the garden. With influencial manipulation, the statues were designed and money funded the private project. The park inspired Prato residents who wre proud of the park and frequented it. After a decline in the 1990's, the larger trees were replaced by smaller ones to allow a more open feeling.