Padua (Padova), Italy

Padua, Italy
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Padua_Prato_della_Valle_at_night.jpg
Author: Andrzej Walczak
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Padua is a city in the Veneto, in northern Italy. Also known in Italian as Padova, it is the capital of the province of Padua. It has a population of 212,500 (as of 2008), within the Padua-Venice Metropolitan Area, which has a population of around 1.6 million people.

Basilica of Saint Anthony at night
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Padova_Basilica_di_Sant_Antonio_BW_1.JPG
Author: Berthold Werner
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Padua is located by the banks of the Bacchiglione River. It is 40 km to the west of Venice and 29 km to the southeast of Vicenza. It is home to the Universita di Padova, which is almost 800 years old. The city has lovely broad public piazzas, with bridges crossing the various branches of the Bacchiglione River.

Padua is perhaps most famous as the setting for the play The Taming of the Shrew by Shakespeare. Among Catholics, it is home to the Basilica of St Anthony, an important pilgrimage site.

Travel to Padua

By Plane
Padua can be reached by plane from the Venezia Marco Polo Airport (VCE), which is 50 km away. There are direct buses and trains to downtown Padua from there.

By Train
You can also reach Padua by train from Venezia, Bologna, Milan and Castelfranco.

Travel within Padua

The easiest way to explore the Inner City of Padua is on foot. For longer distances, you can take the tram. The modern APS Mobilità trams run on rubber tires on just one line, and is very useful to tourists as it passes through many of the tourist spots.

Prato della Valle, Padua
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daniele1357_prato_della_valle.jpg
Author: Dan00nad
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Places of Interest in Padua

Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
The biggest church in Padua, built to house the remains of Saint Anthony.
Caffè Pedrocchi
Famous café that first opened in 1831, a watering hole for the locals.
Duomo
The Cathedral of Padua, designed by Michelangelo in 1552.
Eremitani Museums
Museum complex occupying a group of 14th century monastic buildings.
Orto Botanico
Padua's botanical garden, also the oldest in Europe.
Palazzo del Bo
Main university building of the University of Padua, used mostly for graduation ceremonies.
Palazzo della Regione
Also called the Salone, it was built to be Padua's law court in 1218.
Prato della Valle
Said to be the largest public square in Italy, elliptical in shape as it used to be the site of a Roman theatre.
Scrovegni Chapel
Chapel by Enrico Scrovegni in 1303 in the hope of sparing his father from eternal damnation.
Statue of Gattamelata
Statue of the mercenary soldier at the entrance to the Basilica of Saint Anthony.
Scuola del Santo and Oratorio di San Giorgio
Historical buildings linked together, both containing exquisite frescoes.

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