Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PADUA
When I first visited Padua, I arrived expecting some donkey-cart village populated
by a fraternity of wizened academics, draped in ancient robes, paying eternal
homage to Galileo Galilei, who taught here, at the country's second-oldest uni-
versity, some 400 years ago.
My quixotic visions were quickly laid to rest when I discovered this to be very
much a hip, happening city. Instead of doddering academics, I found the city's
historical center to be a bustling student playground perfectly nestled among the
ancient
piazze,
churches, and crumbling Roman fortifications. While thousands
of young people come here to be educated, Padua receives millions of visitors pay-
ing their respects to St. Anthony, whose holy remains are enshrined in the city's
fantastic, massive basilica. However, the city's most sublime crowd-puller has got
to be the interior of the Scrovegni Chapel, covered with Giotto's fantastic legacy,
a fresco cycle that—7 centuries ago—marked a shift in Western art.
DON'T LEAVE PADUA WITHOUT . . .
TAKING IN THE FABULOUS FRESCOES BY THE FATHER OF WEST-
ERN ART
Giotto's magical take on the drama and pathos of biblical narratives
makes for Padua's finest 15 minutes. Unfortunately, that's as much time as you'll
be allowed inside the Scrovegni Chapel, which is decorated with beautifully ren-
dered episodes from the Gospels as well as a remarkable rendition of the night-
marish torments awaiting sinners condemned to eternal damnation.
RELIVING YOUR COLLEGE DAYS, THE PADUAN WAY
When students
at the University of Padua celebrate graduation, festivities take on a raucous,
heady edge: The lively
goliardia
celebration is a blend of academic upheaval and
pagan ritual that takes place in the vicinity of the
Palazzo del Bò
(p. 350). You
can catch more than a passing glimpse of these public displays, usually held in July
and September, after wandering through the historic courtyards of the Bò, Italy's
second-oldest university, and where you'll find a statue of the world's first female
university graduate. If you're not around for the graduation ceremonies, you can
always join the pub-crawling students as they meander through the watering holes
of the atmospheric Ghetto quarter.
PAYING YOUR RESPECTS TO BELOVED ST. ANTHONY
Join the
pilgrims who throng to the
Basilica di Sant'Antonio
(p. 350) to pay homage to
the remains of the patron saint who is said to help bring back that which has gone
missing or gotten lost. While visiting with spiritual devotees from around the
world, you can take in the work of the great sculptor Donatello.
SEEING THE CITY'S MOST UNDERRATED ATTRACTION
Visit the
tiny, almost undetectable 12th-century
Baptistery
(p. 350), at the side of the
Duomo. Here you'll discover an enchanting fresco cycle by Giusto de'Menabuoi.
After your visit, you can join the beautiful people sipping drinks at the outdoor
cafes at the edge of the Duomo's piazza.
