Padua
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1. Basilica di Sant'Antonio
Thousands of faithful make the pilgrimage here each year to pray at the tomb of St. Anthony, while others come to admire works by the 15th-century Florentine master Donatello. His equestrian statue (1453) of the condottiere Erasmo da Narni, known as Gattamelata, in front of the church is one of the great masterpieces of Italian Renaissance sculpture. It was inspired by the ancient statue of Marcus Aurelius in Rome's Campidoglio. Donatello also sculpted the series of bronze reliefs in the imposing interior illustrating the miracles of St. Anthony, as well as the bronze statues of the Madonna and saints on the high altar. The huge church, which combines elements of Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic styles, was probably begun around 1238, seven years after the death of the Portuguese-born saint. It underwent structural modifications into the mid-15th century. Masses are held in the basilica almost constantly, which makes it difficult to see these artworks. More accessible is the restored Cappella del Santo (housing the tomb of the saint), dating from the 16th century. Its walls are covered with impressive reliefs by important Renaissance sculptors.
Piazza del Santo, Padua, Veneto, 35123, Italy049-8225652Sight Details
Rate Includes: Basilica free, museum complex €7, Museum complex closed Mon. -
2. Cappella degli Scrovegni
The spatial depth, emotional intensity, and naturalism of the frescoes illustrating the lives of Mary and Jesus in this world-famous chapel broke new ground in Western art. Enrico Scrovegni commissioned these frescoes to atone for the sins of his deceased father, Reginaldo, the usurer condemned to the Seventh Circle of the Inferno in Dante's Divine Comedy. Giotto and his assistants worked on the frescoes from 1303 to 1305, arranging them in tiers to be read from left to right. Opposite the altar is a Last Judgment, most likely designed and painted by Giotto's assistants. To preserve the artwork, doors are opened only every 15 minutes. A maximum of 25 visitors must spend 15 minutes in an acclimatization room before making a 15-minute chapel visit (20 minutes in certain months). Tickets should be picked up at least one hour before your reservation. It's sometimes possible to buy admission on the spot. A good place to get some background before visiting the chapel is the multimedia room.
View Tours and ActivitiesPiazza Eremitani 8, Padua, Veneto, 35100, Italy049-2010020-reservationsSight Details
Rate Includes: €14, includes Musei Civici and Palazzo Zuckermann -
3. Musei Civici degli Eremitani
Usually visited along with the neighboring Cappella degli Scrovegni, this former monastery houses a rich array of exhibits and has wonderful cloister gardens with a mix of ancient architectural fragments and modern sculpture. The Pinacoteca displays works of medieval and modern masters, including some by Tintoretto, Veronese, and Tiepolo. Standouts are the Giotto Crucifix, which once hung in the Cappella degli Scrovegni, and the Portrait of a Young Senator, by Giovanni Bellini (1430–1516). Among the archaeological finds is an intriguing Egyptian section, while the Gabinetto Fotografico is an important collection of photographs. Set aside at least 60–90 minutes to appreciate the scope of this fabulous museum complex.
Piazza Eremitani 8, Padua, Veneto, 35121, Italy049-8204551Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10, €14 with Scrovegni Chapel and Palazzo Zuckermann; free with PadovaCard, Closed Mon. -
4. Palazzo del Bo
The University of Padua, founded in 1222, centers on this predominantly 16th-century palazzo with an 18th-century facade. It's named after the Osteria del Bo (bo means "ox"), an inn that once stood on the site. It's worth a visit to see the perfectly proportioned anatomy theater (1594), the beautiful Old Courtyard, and a hall with a lectern used by Galileo. You can enter only as part of a guided tour; weekend/public holiday tours allow access to other parts of the university; most guides speak English, but it is worth checking ahead by phone.
Via 8 Febbraio, Padua, Veneto, 35122, Italy049-8275111-university switchboardSight Details
Rate Includes: €7; €12 extended tour weekends and public holidays -
5. Abano Terme
A very popular hot-springs spa town about 12 km (7 miles) southwest of Padua, Abano Terme lies at the foot of the Euganean Hills among hand-tilled vineyards. If a bit of pampering sounds better than traipsing through yet another church or castle, indulge yourself with a soak, a massage, stone therapy, a skin peel, or a series of mud treatments, which are especially recommended for joint aches. A good-value day pass (€35) is available at the central and well-equipped Hotel Antiche Terme Ariston Molino Buja ( aristonmolino.it). For a longer stay check out the latest offers on the Abano spa hotel hub website ( www.abano.it). The nearest railway stop on the Bologna–Padua line is Terme Euganee–Montegrotto. Alternatively, you can board a train on the Milan–Venice line, disembark at Padua, and board an Abano-bound bus in front of the train station. The trip takes about half an hour.
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6. Burchiello Excursion, Brenta Canal
During the 16th century the Brenta was transformed into a mainland version of Venice’s Grand Canal with the building of nearly 50 waterside villas. Back then, boating parties viewed them from burchielli—beautiful river barges. Today the Burchiello excursion boat makes full- and half-day tours along the Brenta in season, departing from Padua and Venice; tickets can also be bought at travel agencies. You visit three houses, including the Villas Pisani and Foscari, with a lunchtime break in Oriago (€23 or €30 extra). Note that most houses are on the left side coming from Venice, or the right from Padua.
Via Porciglia 34, Padua, Veneto, 35121, Italy049-8760233Sight Details
Rate Includes: €70 half day, €99 full day; lunch extra, Closed Mon. and Nov.–Feb. -
7. Chiesa degli Eremitani
This 13th-century church houses substantial fragments of Andrea Mantegna's frescoes (1448–50), which were damaged by Allied bombing in World War II. Despite their fragmentary condition, Mantegna's still beautiful and historically important depictions of the martyrdom of St. James and St. Christopher show the young artist's mastery of extremely complex problems of perspective.
Piazza Eremitani, Padua, Veneto, 35121, Italy049-8756410 -
8. Medieval towns
For a fascinating and delightful day excursion out of Padua, take a drive (or a bus ride) to see several medieval towns. Monselice, 23 km (14 miles) south of Padua, has a castle perched on a hilltop that is everything a 13th-century castle should be, both inside and out. It also has the Villa Duodo, designed by Palladio's disciple and collaborator, Scamozzi. Este, 10 km (6 miles) west of Monselice, is another example of a medieval walled city. Farther west, the walls surrounding the town of Montagnana, 50 km (30 miles) southwest of Padua, are some of the best preserved in Italy; they enclose a market square, a 500-year-old cathedral, a Palladian Villa, and a medieval castle.
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9. Montegrotto Terme
At this spa town about 13 km (8 miles) southwest of Padua, you can luxuriate in thermal mineral pools. Montegrotto Terme has several hotels whose treatments vary from simple massage and thermal and mud baths to hydrokinetic therapy. Scuba enthusiasts head here for the world's deepest indoor pool, Y-40 Deep Joy. The nearest railway stop, on the Bologna–Padua line, is Terme Euganee–Montegrotto. Taxis are available outside the station.
Montegrotto Terme, Veneto, Italy -
10. Orto Botanico
The Venetian Republic ordered the creation of Padua's botanical garden in 1545 to supply the university with medicinal plants, and it retains its original layout. You can stroll the arboretum—still part of the university—and wander through hothouses and beds of plants that were introduced to Italy in this late-Renaissance garden. A St. Peter's palm, planted in 1585, inspired Goethe to write his 1790 essay, "The Metamorphosis of Plants."
Via Orto Botanico 15, Padua, Veneto, 35123, Italy049-8273939Sight Details
Rate Includes: €10 (€5 with PadovaCard), Closed Mon. May--Mar. -
11. Palazzo della Ragione
Also known as Il Salone, the spectacular arcaded reception hall in Padua's original law courts is as notable for its grandeur—it's 85 feet high—as for its colorful setting, surrounded by shops, cafés, and open-air fruit and vegetable markets. Nicolò Miretto and Stefano da Ferrara, working from 1425 to 1440, painted the frescoes after Giotto's plan, which was destroyed by a fire in 1420. The stunning space hosts art shows, and an enormous wooden horse, crafted for a public tournament in 1466, commands pride of place. It is patterned after the famous equestrian statue by Donatello in front of the Basilica di Sant'Antonio, and may, in fact, have been designed by Donatello himself in the last year of his life.
Piazza della Ragione, Padua, Veneto, 35122, Italy049-8205006Sight Details
Rate Includes: €7 (free with PadovaCard), Closed Mon. -
12. Piazza dei Signori
Some fine examples of 15th- and 16th-century buildings line this square. On the west side, the Palazzo del Capitanio (facade constructed 1598–1605) has an impressive Torre dell'Orologio, with an astronomical clock dating from 1344 and a portal made by Falconetto in 1532 in the form of a Roman triumphal arch. The 12th-century Battistero del Duomo (Cathedral Baptistry), with frescoes by Giusto de' Menabuoi (1374–78), is a few steps away.
Piazza dei Signori, Padua, Veneto, 35139, Italy049-656914Sight Details
Rate Includes: Battistero €5 (free with PadovaCard) -
13. Villa Pisani
Extensive grounds with rare trees, ornamental fountains, and garden follies surround this extraordinary palace in Stra, 13 km (8 miles) southeast of Padua. Built in 1721 for the Venetian doge Alvise Pisani, it recalls Versailles more than a Veneto villa. This was one of the last and grandest of many stately residences constructed along the Brenta River from the 16th to 18th centuries by wealthy Venetians for their villeggiatura escape from midsummer humidity. Gianbattista Tiepolo's (1696–1770) spectacular fresco on the ballroom ceiling, The Apotheosis of the Pisani Family (1761), alone is worth the visit. For a relaxing afternoon, explore the gorgeous park and maze. To get here from Padua, take the SITA bus, or from Venice or Padua, take AVTV Bus No. 53E. The villa is a five-minute walk from the bus stop in Stra. Mussolini invited Hitler here for their first meeting, but they stayed only one night because of the mosquitoes, which continue to be a nuisance. If visiting on a late afternoon in summer, carry bug repellent.
View Tours and ActivitiesVia Doge Pisani 7, 30039, Italy049-502074Sight Details
Rate Includes: €8, €5 park only, Closed Mon.
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