Highlights of Padua (Padova) Italy

On my last post--click here-- I showed you the spectacular frescos in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy. There are many other highlights to see on a visit to Padua, and one is a stop on Prato della Valle, a 90,000 square meter elliptical square and park. This was once the site of a Roman theater, and then a swampy terrain. It was transformed in the late 1700's by Andrea Memmo into the largest square in Italy, and one of the largest in Europe!  (All photos and collages will enlarge if clicked on)

Today, the square is a large space with a green island at the center, l'Isola Memmia, surrounded by a small canal bordered by two rings of statues.

The 78 life-sized marble statues that rim the canals are of spiritual and intellectual leaders of Padua. Most of them are professors and students who have worked and studied at Padua University. The statues on the four bridges crossing the narrow canals were reserved for Popes, Doges, and politicians.

The square and the "palazzi" buildings constructed between the 14th and the 18th centuries, that surround the square. are all very picturesque. We enjoyed walking around to view it from all sides. 

The Basilica and Abby of Santa Giustina as seen from the Prato.

The Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua is one of the largest churches in the world, visited every year by more than 5 million pilgrims. Construction of the Basilica began in 1232 and its principal part was completed towards the end of that century. It was dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua, who was born around 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal, and who died in Padua on June 13, 1231. Saint Anthony was known for his powerful preaching, expert knowledge of the scriptures, and his undying love and devotion to the poor and sick. He was one of the most quickly canonized saints in the Roman Catholic Church.  His tomb is inside the basilica, where many come to pray.

The basilica is enormous and very beautiful inside. No photography is allowed inside to keep the sanctity of devotion to those making a pilgrimage there. Some of the artwork treasures inside can be seen on the basilica's website here.

The square surrounding the basilica includes ...

...the house Donatello lived in while he was commissioned to complete sculptures for the basilica and the Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata that stands in the square outside the basilica.

The University of Padua was founded in 1222 and is the second oldest university in Italy after the University of Bologna. 

The civic museum has a fine art gallery as well as historical and archaeological exhibits, libraries, archives, and collections of sculpture and coins. It continues to be one of the most prominent universities in Italy and Europe.

There are many bridges in Padua crossing the various branches of the Bacchiglione, a small river, which once surrounded the ancient walls like a moat.

The tower known as La Specola rises on the spot where Ezzelino III da Romano, the 13th-century tyrant of Padova, had built his fortified castle. The present-day tower was erected in the 14th century after the fort was rebuilt by Francesco I da Carrara. In 1767 the building was converted into an astronomical observatory (specula). In 1777 the tower housed a lower observatory

Many Padua natives also call La Specola "Galileo's Tower" along with the legend that this was the place from which the famous scientist performed his extraordinary astronomical discoveries.

Piazza dei Signori and Piazza della Signoria is one of the many plazas of the historic city of Padua

It looked particularly beautiful in the evening.

The piazza was filled with outdoor dining from all the surrounding restaurants. At the west end, it is dominated by the Clock Tower--the Torre dell'Orrilogico.

The astronomical clock that dominates the square is the oldest machine of its kind to be conserved in the world.  The Winged Lion of St. Marks, a symbol of Venetian overlords, stand on a pillar next to the Torre dell'Orrilogico.

On the other side of the Piazza is the Church of Saint Clement.

It was a beautiful evening, and the food we saw on the outdoor tables looked so appetizing, that we stopped for dinner in the piazza before returning to our Bed and Breakfast room. we had assorted salumi. wood-fired pizza and we shared a berry pannacotta. It was all delizioso--delicious! 

Our day in Padua was over--I hope you enjoyed seeing it through our eyes. We visited more churches there, and strolled many of the pretty streets, and wished we had more time to explore more. The next morning we were headed by train to Bologna, where a cousin of my husband lived with his family. My husband had not seen him since he was a young boy so we were looking forward to spending the day with him seeing the sights in his beautiful city. Stay tuned for those posts!

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The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy

After spending a day in Verona--click here and here to read those posts--my husband and I traveled by train to our next stop, Padua, Italy, the next day. Padua is only an hour away from Venice, and for many centuries it was a rich commune that challenged both Verona and Venice as the seat of power in the Veneto region of Northern Italy before Venice permanently occupied Padua in 1405.  It became famous as containing Italy's second oldest university, founded in 1222, where Galileo Galilei was once a lecturer. I was nostalgic to return to Padua, as it was another of the cities I visited long ago as a high school student, although the only site we visited was the Basilica of Saint Anthony--more about that in my next post. This trip to Padua I was determined to visit the Scrovegni Chapel, which contains religious frescos painted by Giotto di Bondone in 1305, and are considered one of the most important masterpieces of Western Art! 

The Scrovegni Chapel is located in Piazza Eremitani, a short walk from the train station. The chapel was originally attached to the Scrovegni family palace, built after 1300, following the outline of the remains of a Roman arena that was located there. Advance reservation to visit the chapel is mandatory and can be made on the Scrovegni Chapel website, 24 hours in advance. Visits are timed, and only 25 people at a time are admitted.  It is required that you stand in an air-conditioned waiting room for 15 minutes so that the microclimate can be stabilized. Then the chapel inner doors are opened quickly to allow everyone inside and closed immediately.  Inside you are allowed 15 minutes to view the frescos. This is all done to preserve the integrity of the frescos from damage. I was not sure I could bring my camera into the chapel, so I left it at our Bed and Breakfast rental.  Happily, we were allowed to use our cell phones to take photos and videos as long as the flash was off. 




Mindful of our time limit, I took the video above quickly when I entered--click here to watch it on my facebook page if you can't see it above. It took Giotto two years to paint the 38 fresco paintings within the chapel.

The beauty and colors of the fresco paintings on the chapel walls were exquisite! 

Commissioned to the Tuscan artist by the affluent Paduan banker Enrico Scrovegni in the early 1300s, the frescoes depict the narrative lives of the Virgin Mary and of Jesus Christ. Enrico Scrovegni's tomb, seen above, is also located inside the chapel.

The ceiling of the chapel.

Close-ups of Mary and Jesus that are located on the ceiling.

The fresco paintings are considered so significant as the figures they depict are no longer elongated or stylized as in the Byzantine style, they wear clothes that hang naturally, and are three-dimensional in shape. They come alive and tell a story. Giotto also made use of perspective, which was not common at the time. They are considered the precursor to the Renaissance style of art.

Around one hundred years after Giotto di Bondone's death, artists of the emerging Renaissance began to seriously study and imitate his work at Scrovegni. Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Masaccio and Raphael all visited and studied the chapel at one time or another to learn the techniques of their predecessor.

Paintings of Jesus' life were on one side of the chapel.

Paintings of Mary's life were depicted on the opposite side.

The Last Judgement is depicted above the entrance portal and symbolic representations of virtues and vices adorn the side walls. On the triumphal arch over the altar, you can see God, who instructed the archangel Gabriel to announce the birth of Jesus.

Please click on to enlarge

Some close-ups of segments of the paintings

The bottom tiers of the longer walls of the chapel feature 14 allegories, in monochrome, symbolizing Vices on the north wall and Virtues on the south wall, along with faux marbling and small altars on either side.

The Scrovegni Chapel has remained a symbol of artistic genius and innovation throughout the centuries and I was thrilled to visit it. There is much more to see in Padua and in my next post I'll show you more sights from this historic and magnificent city.

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