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    Weekend in the heart of Padua

    A complete itinerary to live a weekend in the heart of Padua. This city really has a lot to offer and two days would not be enough to fully appreciate it. Here is a proposal to appreciate the most important places, the flavors and the atmosphere of this wonderful city, with the promise of returning as soon as possible.

    DAY 1

    Morning
    It starts from the heart of the city and then from the spectacular Prato della Valle square  , one of the largest squares in Europe. Crossing it you can go to visit the  Basilica of Santa Giustina , an imposing Renaissance-style church. A few hundred meters away is the ancient  Botanical Garden , a site recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site. The last stop of the morning is Piazza del Santo , which overlooks the Basilica of S. Antonio , one of the symbols of Padua, an undisputed destination for the faithful and art lovers. If you have time, you can also visit the  Scuola del Santo  or the nearbyOratory of S. Giorgio .

    Afternoon
    By returning to the route and walking along Via del Santo, you can reach the city center again, passing in front of Palazzo Zabarella , the site of painting exhibitions, and to the  Tomb of Antenor , the founder of Padua according to legend. A fundamental stop is the one at the splendid  Palazzo della Ragione , which will amaze you with the genius of those who designed and frescoed it. The day ends by visiting the austere  Cathedral  and the adjacent  Baptistery , one of the jewels of the capital of the fourteenth-century fresco.

    DAY 2

    Morning We
    start by visiting Palazzo del Bo ' , in the heart of the historic center, home to the ancient University. Once out, you can take a walk admiring the shops and buildings of the historic center and observe the excitement that animates  Piazza delle Erbe ,  Piazza della Frutta  and  Piazza dei Signori  in the morning hours. A few steps from the squares of the center, there is the original  Caffè Pedrocchi : visit the  Museum of the Risorgimento  on the first floor and then treat yourself to an aperitif inside the famous café.

    Afternoon
    In the afternoon, leaving Porta Altinate , you can head towards Piazza Eremitani : where the Church of the Eremitani stands  . A few minutes of visit to reach the  Eremitani Civic Museums , from which to access the enchanting  Scrovegni Chapel  frescoed by Giotto . In addition to the chapel and the museum rooms, you can also visit the Museum of Applied Arts of  Palazzo Zuckermann nearby .

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    Cathedral Basilica

    The current Duomo, whose project Michelangelo participated , was completed between the 16th and 18th centuries, based on a design by Andrea da Valle .
    With the exception of the facade - which remained unfinished - the building was completed in 1754, by the architect Girolamo Frigimelica , and consecrated in the same year.
    From the outside, particularly from Via Dietro Duomo you can see the three apses with which the central nave ends, the two terminal apses of the transept, the bell tower, the dome with the high drum and the large lantern.
    The interior, harmonious and monumental, has a Latin cross. It has three naves separated by pillars, a transept and side chapels, the raised presbytery above the crypt. Among the most important works of art preserved inside are the many funerary monuments of the transept, some of which date back to the previous church; the eighteenth-century stoups placed at the entrance of the main nave, the wooden pulpit in the middle of the nave full of decorative elements, the organ of the high altar. Some statues depicting the patron saints of Padua, sculpted by Giuliano Vangi, embellish the new Presbytery, inaugurated in 1997.
    Cathedral Basilica
    Cathedral Basilica

    The current Duomo, whose project Michelangelo participated , was completed between the 16th and 18th centuries, based on a design by Andrea da Valle .
    With the exception of the facade - which remained unfinished - the building was completed in 1754, by the architect Girolamo Frigimelica , and consecrated in the same year.
    From the outside, particularly from Via Dietro Duomo you can see the three apses with which the central nave ends, the two terminal apses of the transept, the bell tower, the dome with the high drum and the large lantern.
    The interior, harmonious and monumental, has a Latin cross. It has three naves separated by pillars, a transept and side chapels, the raised presbytery above the crypt. Among the most important works of art preserved inside are the many funerary monuments of the transept, some of which date back to the previous church; the eighteenth-century stoups placed at the entrance of the main nave, the wooden pulpit in the middle of the nave full of decorative elements, the organ of the high altar. Some statues depicting the patron saints of Padua, sculpted by Giuliano Vangi, embellish the new Presbytery, inaugurated in 1997.
    Basilica del Santo

    The religious heritage of the City of Padua is extraordinarily rich, strongly impregnated with the intense spiritual presence of one of the most loved saints in the world, St. Anthony and devotion to Mary.
    A strong faith that has been woven with a great artistic fervor leaving in Padua and the province wonderful masterpieces, treasure chests of art treasures of all time.
    To visit the main places of faith, you can start from the Basilica of S. Antonio , better known as the Basilica of the Saint, a majestic and complex religious building that began in 1232, a year after the death of S. Antonio.
    The external aspect of the Basilica is a mixture of Lombard, Tuscan and Byzantine; the 8 domes and the two bell towers are oriental.
    The interior houses the body of the Saint in a sarcophagus (ark) located in the splendid Cappella del Santo, the work of various artists including Tullio Lombardo, Andrea Briosco and Gianmaria Falconetto.
    The Basilica preserves outstanding ancient and contemporary works of art including the Chapel of Blessed Luca Belludi entirely frescoed by Giusto de 'Menabuoi (1382), the Chapel of S. Giacomo and S. Felice with a beautiful pictorial cycle by Altichieri da Zevio (1374 -78), the high altar with Donatello's sculpturesamong which the Crucifix stands out (his is also the equestrian monument to the "Gattamelata" on the square of the Basilica) and then works by the Giotto school, by Sansovino, Briosco, Sanmicheli, Parodi, Achille Casanova, Ubaldo Oppi, Pietro Annigoni.
    The cloisters of the convent are also beautiful, especially the cloister of the magnolia rich in marble memories.

     

    Go to the site

     
    Basilica del Santo
    Basilica del Santo

    The religious heritage of the City of Padua is extraordinarily rich, strongly impregnated with the intense spiritual presence of one of the most loved saints in the world, St. Anthony and devotion to Mary.
    A strong faith that has been woven with a great artistic fervor leaving in Padua and the province wonderful masterpieces, treasure chests of art treasures of all time.
    To visit the main places of faith, you can start from the Basilica of S. Antonio , better known as the Basilica of the Saint, a majestic and complex religious building that began in 1232, a year after the death of S. Antonio.
    The external aspect of the Basilica is a mixture of Lombard, Tuscan and Byzantine; the 8 domes and the two bell towers are oriental.
    The interior houses the body of the Saint in a sarcophagus (ark) located in the splendid Cappella del Santo, the work of various artists including Tullio Lombardo, Andrea Briosco and Gianmaria Falconetto.
    The Basilica preserves outstanding ancient and contemporary works of art including the Chapel of Blessed Luca Belludi entirely frescoed by Giusto de 'Menabuoi (1382), the Chapel of S. Giacomo and S. Felice with a beautiful pictorial cycle by Altichieri da Zevio (1374 -78), the high altar with Donatello's sculpturesamong which the Crucifix stands out (his is also the equestrian monument to the "Gattamelata" on the square of the Basilica) and then works by the Giotto school, by Sansovino, Briosco, Sanmicheli, Parodi, Achille Casanova, Ubaldo Oppi, Pietro Annigoni.
    The cloisters of the convent are also beautiful, especially the cloister of the magnolia rich in marble memories.

     

    Go to the site

     
    Basilica e Scoletta del Carmine

    Built in the 14th century , rebuilt in Renaissance forms by Lorenzo da Bologna, the Basilica del Carmine was finished in the 18th century . The facade designed by G. Gloria (1737) has a tympanum portal, decorated with statues of two Saints and the Madonna, works by G. Bonazza .  
    The adjacent Scoletta preserves splendid sixteenth-century frescoes by Giulio and Domenico Campagnola, Girolamo dal Santo, Stefano dall'Arzere , recently restored.
    Built in the 14th century, as the seat of the brotherhood of the same name, it is decorated with an important cycle of 16th century frescoes, representing stories of Christ and Mary. The frescoes are the work of Girolamo Tessari called by the Saint (Expulsion of Gioacchino from the Temple, Apparition of the Angel to Gioacchino, Holy Family of Nazareth, Pentecost, Dormitio Virginis, Assumption of Mary), Giulio Campagnola (Nativity of Mary, Presentation of Mary to Temple, Visit of Mary to the Temple) Domenico Campagnola (Meeting of Joachim with Santa Anna), Stefano dall'Arzere (Adoration of the shepherds, Adoration of the magi and Purification) and collaborators.
    Basilica e Scoletta del Carmine
    Basilica e Scoletta del Carmine

    Built in the 14th century , rebuilt in Renaissance forms by Lorenzo da Bologna, the Basilica del Carmine was finished in the 18th century . The facade designed by G. Gloria (1737) has a tympanum portal, decorated with statues of two Saints and the Madonna, works by G. Bonazza .  
    The adjacent Scoletta preserves splendid sixteenth-century frescoes by Giulio and Domenico Campagnola, Girolamo dal Santo, Stefano dall'Arzere , recently restored.
    Built in the 14th century, as the seat of the brotherhood of the same name, it is decorated with an important cycle of 16th century frescoes, representing stories of Christ and Mary. The frescoes are the work of Girolamo Tessari called by the Saint (Expulsion of Gioacchino from the Temple, Apparition of the Angel to Gioacchino, Holy Family of Nazareth, Pentecost, Dormitio Virginis, Assumption of Mary), Giulio Campagnola (Nativity of Mary, Presentation of Mary to Temple, Visit of Mary to the Temple) Domenico Campagnola (Meeting of Joachim with Santa Anna), Stefano dall'Arzere (Adoration of the shepherds, Adoration of the magi and Purification) and collaborators.
    Basilica Santa Giustina

    The basilica of S. Giustina, among the largest Christian basilicas in Europe, preserves inside the paleochristian chapel dedicated to S. Prosodocimo (end of the 5th century), the oldest sacred building in Padua that has come down to us. Among the works of art there is a beautiful altarpiece by Veronese dedicated to St. Giustina, the first martyr of Padua, the old choir of the second half of the 15th century and the wooden choir, the work of Riccardo Taurigny (16th century). The arche di s. Mattia and S. Luca Evangelista . In the Martyrs 'corridor there is the martyrs' well built in 1566.
    The abbey is also home to a rich libraryand a prestigious center for book restoration .

     

    Go to the site

     
    Basilica Santa Giustina
    Basilica Santa Giustina

    The basilica of S. Giustina, among the largest Christian basilicas in Europe, preserves inside the paleochristian chapel dedicated to S. Prosodocimo (end of the 5th century), the oldest sacred building in Padua that has come down to us. Among the works of art there is a beautiful altarpiece by Veronese dedicated to St. Giustina, the first martyr of Padua, the old choir of the second half of the 15th century and the wooden choir, the work of Riccardo Taurigny (16th century). The arche di s. Mattia and S. Luca Evangelista . In the Martyrs 'corridor there is the martyrs' well built in 1566.
    The abbey is also home to a rich libraryand a prestigious center for book restoration .

     

    Go to the site

     
    Baptistery of the Duomo

    Between 1375 and 1378 , with a refined and elegant touch, Giusto de 'Menabuoi decorated the entire Baptistery with a cycle dedicated to the most salient episodes of the Old and New Testaments , illustrating them with liveliness and narrative concreteness.
    In the large dome Paradise, with Christ Pantocrator in the center surrounded by winged angels and arranged in concentric circles, the Madonna accompanied by a double host of angels and a triple host of saints, thus symbolically acting as a link between Christ and humanity.
    In the last row, the outermost are represented 37 saints revered in Padua. In the small apse are presented in 43 small panels the scenes of the Apocalypse and, in the dome, the Pentecost. On the altar of the apse there is a beautiful tempera altarpiece on wood. At the center of the Baptistery there is a baptismal font from 1260.
    The decoration was commissioned by Fina Buzzaccarini wife of Francesco il Vecchio da Carrara, Lord of Padua in the fourteenth century .

    Listen or download the SoundTouring audio guides  dedicated to the Baptistery for free.
    Baptistery of the Duomo
    Baptistery of the Duomo

    Between 1375 and 1378 , with a refined and elegant touch, Giusto de 'Menabuoi decorated the entire Baptistery with a cycle dedicated to the most salient episodes of the Old and New Testaments , illustrating them with liveliness and narrative concreteness.
    In the large dome Paradise, with Christ Pantocrator in the center surrounded by winged angels and arranged in concentric circles, the Madonna accompanied by a double host of angels and a triple host of saints, thus symbolically acting as a link between Christ and humanity.
    In the last row, the outermost are represented 37 saints revered in Padua. In the small apse are presented in 43 small panels the scenes of the Apocalypse and, in the dome, the Pentecost. On the altar of the apse there is a beautiful tempera altarpiece on wood. At the center of the Baptistery there is a baptismal font from 1260.
    The decoration was commissioned by Fina Buzzaccarini wife of Francesco il Vecchio da Carrara, Lord of Padua in the fourteenth century .

    Listen or download the SoundTouring audio guides  dedicated to the Baptistery for free.
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    Consorzio DMO Padova
    Piazza Antenore, 3
    35121, Padova
    Contatti:
    telefono +39 049 8201396
    mail leisure@padovaconvention.it