Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
and whipped up with olive oil, and then served with polenta), which makes a
decent (though pricey) starter. Far better is Padua's traditional chicken dish,
bigoli
con sugo di gallina imbriaga,
made with extra-thick spaghetti; it's wickedly good,
although portions are small.
In the center of town,
Ristorante Pizzeria PePen
(Piazza Cavour, 15;
%
049-
8759483)
offers a choice of indoor or outdoor seating, and a menu of pizzas and
more substantial dishes that hasn't really changed in 23 years. If you're tired of
pizza (which is quite average here), try the
gnocchi Verdi,
potato pasta stuffed with
ricotta cheese radish and porcini mushrooms. You can also order that Paduan spe-
cialty,
fegato,
liver prepared with onions and served with polenta. Incidentally,
right across from PePen is
L'Enoteca Santa Lucia
(Mon-Sat 6pm-1am)
where you
can choose to sample a selection of cheeses while enjoying a glass of wine.
€€
€€€
If you're going to make an evening of it, and don't mind splurging on the
best seafood in town,
Ristorante Isola di Caprera
55
(Via Marsilio di Padova,
11-15;
%
049-8760244; Mon-Sat)
is the place worth dressing up for. Smart,
classy, and certainly living up to its reputation, this place is so popular that you'll
need to make reservations. Definitely.
WHY YOU'RE HERE: THE TOP SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS
Padua's attractions are varied; it's not just Renaissance art and museums stuffed
full of Roman rocks, although there's plenty of that, too. Venture through the nar-
row streets and alleyways of the atmospheric Ghetto, and you'll get a strong sense
of history and an equally strong impression of student life. The university itself is
something of an event, and its main building makes for a fascinating visit; if you
hit town at the right time, the students' public graduation rituals can keep curi-
ous visitors entertained for hours. South of the center, the huge Il Santo basilica
is visited by millions of pilgrims, who come to ask the city's patron saint for a
blessing.
The central
tourist office
is in the Galleria Pedrocchi
(
%
049-8767927;
www.apt.padova.it; Mon-Sat 9am-12:30pm and 3-7pm),
where you can collect a
wealth of information about the city and surrounding areas; there's also a booth
on Piazza del Santo, and an office at the train station (
%
049-8752077).
If you want an alternative look at the city, try contacting Antonio Altizio
(
%
347-7328053; aaltizio@hotmail.com); he works for Padua tourism, but occa-
sionally indulges visitors with tours of some of the city's less familiar attractions
and experiences.
Giotto's Sublime Frescoes & Nearby Museums
If you budget for only one attraction in Padua, make it the
Cappella degli
Scrovegni (Scrovegni Chapel)
555
(Piazza Eremitani, 8, off Corso Garibaldi;
%
049-8204550/1 for information, or
%
049-2010020 to make a reservation;
www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it; see below for admission fees and hours),
which is
decorated with Giotto's remarkable frescoes (he's widely considered the father of
Renaissance art, and this chapel will show you why).
The chapel was built by Enrico Scrovegni in 1303 as a bid to try and atone for
the sins of his father, a moneylender so despised that he was denied a Christian
