Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
( 049 827 21 19;
www.ortobotanico.unipd.it
;
Via dell'Orto Botanico 15 ; adult/reduced €4/3; 9am-1pm &
3-7pm Apr-Oct, 9am-1pm Mon-Sat Nov-Mar)
South of Piazza del Santo, a Unesco World Heritage
Site is growing. Padua's Orto Botanico was planted in 1545 by Padua University's medic-
al faculty to study the medicinal properties of rare plants, and served as a clandestine
Resistance meeting headquarters in WWII. The oldest tree in here is nicknamed 'Goethe's
palm'; it was planted in 1585 and mentioned by the great German writer in his
Voyage in
Italy
.
PRATO DELLA VALLE
At the southern edge of the historical centre is Italy's largest public piazza, the Prato della
Valle. At the centre of the enormous elliptical space is the grassy Memmia island, en-
circled by a canal and bordered by two concentric circles of statuary. There are 78 statues
in all, commemorating the great and good of Paduan history, plus 10 empty pedestals. Ten
Venetian dogi once occupied them, but Napoleon had them removed after he took Venice
in 1797.
Originally the location of a public market, the square now serves more recreational pur-
poses and it's a favourite spot for locals to soak up the summer sun. It is also the location
for Padua's Capodanno (New Year's Day) and Ferragosto celebrations, when the piazza
thumps with live music beneath extravagant fireworks.
PARK
TO MARKET
One of the most enjoyable activities in Padua is browsing the markets in
Piazza delle Erbe
and
Piazza della
Frutta
, which operate very much as they've done since the Middle Ages. The rules of the market are surpris-
ingly democratic: stallholders must rotate location, so everyone gets a chance at the main thoroughfares, and all
produce must be clearly labelled with provenance, category of freshness and price.
Stalls in Piazza delle Erbe are dedicated to fresh fruit and vegetables and are tiered in terms of quality. Those
with less choice products are on the outer perimeter, with better stalls nearer the Palazzo delle Ragione. Beneath
the arcades, known locally as
Sotto il Salone
(
www.sottoilsalone.it
)
, specialist butchers, cheese makers, fishmon-
gers,
salumerie
and fresh pasta producers sell their wares, while on the other side of the
palazzo
, in Piazza della
Frutta, stalls with non-local produce, spices, nuts, dried fruits, herbs and grains cluster.
The markets are open all day, every day except Sunday, although the best time to go is before midday.
