Things to Do and See in Padua

Padua, the provincial capital, was founded over 3,000 years ago on a bend in the Brenta River. Countless visitors are drawn to the city’s artistic masterpieces, starting with the vast collection of frescoes by artists such as Giotto, Giusto, Mantegna, Guariento, and Altichiero, which adorn numerous palaces and churches throughout the city. Many paintings, on the other hand, are housed in the Art Gallery of the Civic Museum at the Ereminati. Padua’s most famous monument is undoubtedly the Scrovegni Chapel, located within the public garden of the Arena. A true concentration of art can also be found in the numerous squares scattered throughout the city, such as Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Frutti, where one of Padua’s most iconic monuments—the Palazzo della Ragione, known as the “Salone,” dating back to the early 1200s—towers over both squares. Not far away is Piazza dei Signori, an elegant square with a Renaissance flair, surrounded by famous monuments such as the Church of St. Clement, the Palazzo del Capitanio, and the imposing tower adorned with the famous astrolabe clock designed in the 14th century. And then there is Piazza del Duomo, with the Cathedral and the ancient Baptistery dedicated to St. John the Baptist, entirely decorated with a splendid cycle of frescoes by Giusto de’ Menabuoi. Nearby stands the Bishop’s Palace, which in 2000 became the home of the Diocesan Museum, where visitors can admire splendid works of art and the majestic Hall of the Bishops. The famous Caffè Pedrocchi, established in the early 19th century, is located here; directly across from it stands Palazzo Bo, home to the prestigious University of Padua—the second-oldest in Italy—where the great Galileo Galilei also taught. The world’s oldest Botanical Garden has also been included among the World Heritage Sites; it was founded originally for the cultivation and study of medicinal plants and houses the Church of the Eremitani within its grounds. Finally, worth noting is Piazza del Santo, which features not only the Monument to Gattamelata—a work of heroic classicism and proportion that ranks among the greatest masterpieces of the Renaissance and by Donatello, dedicated to Gattamelata— the majestic Basilica of Saint Anthony, a Romanesque-Gothic structure with Byzantine-Venetian influences, dedicated to the city’s patron saint; and the ancient Oratory of Saint George, with the adjoining Scoletta del Santo and the famous Sala Priorale, superbly frescoed by the great artists of the era. Elsewhere in the province, the numerous Venetian villas are not to be missed, such as Villa Contarini, the largest and most spectacular in the region; Villa Emo Capodilista; and Villa Barbarigo Ardemani, nestled in a spectacular period garden featuring a boxwood maze stretching over 1,500 linear meters; the Catajo villa-fortress; Villa Cornaro and Villa Pisani, both listed among the Palladian villas designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Among the charming small towns, highlights include Cittadella, surrounded by imposing city walls featuring 32 watchtowers; Monselice, with its imposing fortress overlooking the entire surrounding area; Este, with the Carraresi Castle; and Montagnana, with the Castle of San Zeno and the Rocca degli Alberi.