Padova is one of the most important cities in northern Italy. It lies in the eastern region of the Venetian Plain, 35 km from Venice. It is one of the oldest cities in this region: a legend dating back to Vigil's Aeneid affirms that the Trojan prince Antenor, after fleeing his hometown, founded it in 1183 BC. Recent studies confirmed that the town centre was founded in the 11th century BC by the Veneti, the people who lived in northern Italy during the second and first millennium BC. Around the 1st century BC, Padova was turned into a Roman municipium and became a Roman town. Monuments from those times, such as the Roman Amphitheatre and the San Lorenzo Bridge, are scattered around the city.
During the Middle Age and Renaissance, artists such as Giotto, Andrea Mantegna, Filippo di Tommaso Lippi, Donatello and Canova lived and worked here. The architect Andrea Palladio was born in Padova in 1508.
Padova is famous for its university, one of the oldest in the world. For the sake of greater academic freedom, some students and professors of the University of Bologna moved to Padova and founded the University in 1222.
From the 15th to the 18th century, it was one of the most important universities in the world. Several of the most illustrious scholars of that time studied or taught here: Copernicus, Nathaniel Eaton, Falloppio, William Harvey and Giovanni Battista Morgagni, to cite only a few of them. Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Pisacopia was another important student at the university: when she graduated in 1678 she was the first woman in the world to earn a doctoral degree.
Galileo Galilei also lived and taught in Padova: here he studied the Moon and Jupiter with his telescope, discovered the four Galilean moons, and taught anatomy in the first anatomy theatre in the world. In the historical seat of the university, the Bo Palace, it is possible to visit the anatomy theatre and see Galileo’s original desk.
Today, Padova is still one of Italy's most important university town. The Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova and the university itself are well-known worldwide for their astronomical community and heritage which honours the tradition started more than 400 years ago by Galileo Galilei.
Places of Interest
| Specola | |
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credits: www.beniculturali.inaf.it |
The Specola is the home of the historical astronomical observatory of the University. It is situated in the highest tower - the Torlonga - of the ancient castle of the city. |
| Scrovegni Chapel (Cappella degli Scrovegni) | |
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credits: turismopadova.it |
The Scrovegni Chapel is Padova's most famous monument. Built by the Scrovegni family in the early 1300s, the chapel contains a fresco cycle completed by Giotto in 1305. Website: Cappella degli Scrovegni |
| Basilica of Saint Anthony (Basilica del Santo) | |
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credits: Stefan Lew, wikipedia.it |
The Basilica of Saint Anthony, also known in Padova as "il Santo" (the Saint), is the most important church in the city. Its construction begun in 1232, the year after St. Anthony's death, and it was completed in 1310. The tomb of St. Anthony is in the Basilica, and some of his relics are displayed in a chapel inside the main building. For this reason, it has always been a destination for pilgrimages. The church is lavishly decorated with frescoes and other artwork produced by several artists over the centuries since its construction. Contiguous with the Basilica is a convent whose cloisters are open to visitation daily, along with the main church. Website: Basilica di Sant'Antonio |
| Bo Palace (il Bo) | |
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credits: Marco Bisello, wikipedia.it |
The Bo Palace is the historical seat of the University of Padova. It was originally the residence of the Papafava family, but after 1405 it became an inn called "Hospitium Bovis" (Hotel of the Ox), whose sign was the head of an ox. When the University took possession of the building in 1539, it kept the head of the ox as its official emblem and the name "the Bo" (the Ox) continued to be used. Today, the Bo Palace is the home of the rectorate and the law school. The building has two wings: the old one and the new one, which was built in 1932. In the Palace, tourists can visit the anatomy theatre and the original desk of Galileo Galilei: guided tours are available every day from Monday through Saturday. Website: Il Bo |
| Palazzo della Ragione | |
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credits: Stefan Bauer, wikipedia.it |
The Palazzo della Ragione was the city courthouse from the 14th to the 18th century. The upper floor is a single great hall that is said to be the largest hall in all Europe with a roof unsupported by columns. In order to support its weight, the wooden roof is shaped like the hull of a ship. The building separates two of the three main squares in the city: "Piazza della Frutta" (Square of the Fruits) and "Piazza delle Erbe" (Square of the Herbs), which host two daily markets. |
| Prato della Valle | |
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credits: wikimapia.org |
Prato della Valle is the city's largest square and one of the largest in Europe. It has been an important part of the city since the Roman period, but it assumed its current configuration between the 18th and 19th century thanks to the architect and politician Andrea Memmo. Prato della Valle is comprised of a central island, called "Isola Memmia" (Memmia's Island), which is surrounded by a small canal bordered by two rings of statues. Sculpted by various artists between 1775 and 1883 using stone from Vicenza, these statues represent several important people linked to the history of Padova. The most interesting statue is the one sculpted by Antonio Canova representing the scientist Giovanni Poleni. However, the original masterpiece was substituted with a copy in 1963 in order to protect the original from damage. |
