What to visit in one day in Padua?
Refined and vivacious, Padua welcomes some places that you should definitely visit during your vacation in Veneto. The testimonies of its glorious past give background to the vivacious coming and going of the students who have always occupied the city, home to one of the oldest and most important universities in Europe, making it one of the most active and interesting cultural centers in Veneto. Let’s go to our post of the day: What to visit in one day in Padua? Here at Your Travel to Italy with Ana Patriciayou make the trip of your dreams!!! ALSO: see our “Accommodation in Italy – Tips for your holidays!”
Introduction
Padua is a city with so many artistic treasures and places of interest, a city that will know how to fascinate each of its visitors. Don’t give up a stroll in the historic center of Padua and let yourself be enchanted by this ancient Venetian city. As we only have one day available to make the most of this journey, we selected the most important attractions of the city and will focus on the Historic Center: from Giotto’s famous frescoes at Capella degli Scrovegni (Scrovegni Chapel) passing through the old university, Caffè Pedrocchi and Palazzo della Ragione (Ragione Palace), to the Basilica of St Anthhony and the Basilica of St Justina. The ideal way to visit the Historic Center is walking through the streets and crossing the splendid squares and old bridges.
1) What to visit in one day in Padua? CAPELLA DEGLI STROVEGNI (SCROVEGNI CHAPEL)
Our visit begins with the Capella degli Strovegni, a famous vault frescoed by Giotto, a great masterpiece of Italian painting from 1300 and a jewel in the city of Padua. The Chapel is open every day from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm (from March to October it extends until 10:00 pm) and visits last approximately 20 minutes. The ticket costs 13 Euros and also includes admission to the Hermitage Museums and the Zuckermann Palace, where you can find works by Tintoretto, Veneziano, Giogione, Tiziano and Giotto. It is advisable to book early. From Capella degli Strovegni to the heart of the city, it is a stone’s throw away.
2) What to visit in one day in Padua? CAFFÈ PEDROCCHI
After immersed in the blue of Giotto, a break is necessary at Caffè Pedrocchi, in the same square, the oldest bar in the city. Built in 1831, a meeting point for artists and intellectuals, it allows tourists and travelers to settle in its elegant interior and enjoy the city center, without the obligation of consummation. The famous bar without doors, called this because until the beginning of 1900, it was open 24 hours, it is a place with a unique atmosphere, a meeting point for students and intellectuals. The upstairs rooms, decorated with themes of different styles, are often the stage for concerts, social events, literary meetings, conferences and exhibitions. Read about breakfast in Italy.
3) What to visit in one day in Padua? PALAZZO BO AND PALLAZO DELLA RAGIONE (BO PALACE AND RAGIONE PALACE)
After the break, we continue the visit towards the Palazzo Bo, the main headquarters of the University of Padua, where he also taught Galileo Galilei. From the university, one turns right and after a few steps we reach the Palazzo della Ragione, the secret emblem of Padua, the former seat of the city’s courts.
4) What to visit in one day in Padua? PIAZZA DEI SIGNORI (“GENTLEMEN SQUARE”)
Very close by we find Piazza dei Signori, an elegant square with a Renaissance touch, surrounded by famous monuments such as the Church of St. Clement and the imposing Torre dell’Orologio (“Clock Tower”), very famous, designed in 1300 to show the hours and minutes, but also the month, day, moon phase and the astrological “place”.
5) What to visit in one day in Padua? PIAZZA DEL DUOMO (“CATHEDRAL SQUARE”)
We continue on our tour to reach Piazza del Duomo, dominated by the majestic Cathedral and the old Baptistery dedicated to St John Baptist, entirely decorated by a splendid fresco cycle by Giusto de ’Menabuoi. Next to the cathedral we have the Palazzo Vescovile, which became the headquarters of the Diocesan Museum, where inside we can admire splendid works of art and the majestic Salone dei Vescovi (Hall of Bishops).
6) What to visit in one day in Padua? PRATTO DELLA VALLE
We continue our journey and arrive at Pratto della Valle, one of the largest squares in Europe. It is formed by a central green elliptical island, called Memmia island, in honor of those who ordered that construction. The island is surrounded by a canal about 1.5 km in circumference and on the banks of the canal there are statues representing illustrious characters from the past. In the southern part of the square, there is the enormous Basilica of St Giustina, which houses the tombs of St Justina and the evangelist Luke.
7) What to visit in one day in Padua? BASILICA OF SAINT ANTHONY
At that point there was nothing left but to visit the Catholic place of worship in the city of Padua, the Basilica of St Anthony. The construction ended in 1310 after eighty years of work. It has different styles, in fact, the facade has a romantic-lombard style, the domes recall Byzantine art and the bell tower, in the form of a minaret, evokes Islamic art. It is one of the largest churches in the world. Inside are relics of St Anthony of Padua. Every year, as you can imagine, it gets crowded with tourists and pilgrims devoted to the saint. Shall we visit the Basilica of St Anthony?
How to get to Padua?
Padua, due to its geographical position in the center of the Veneto plain, can be easily reached via the main roads in Italy.
1) How to get to Padua? BY AIRPLANE
The nearest airports are those of Venice – Marco Polo Airport (How to get from Marco Polo Airport to the center of Venice?) and Treviso. You can reach Padua with both, by bus or taxi with fixed rates. The train station is reached by most urban buses, in fact, the station is 10 minutes from the historic center, special, do not underestimate it.
Also read our Special Posts on Airports in Italy:
- HOW TO GO FROM THE ROME AIRPORT TO THE CENTER OF ROME?
- HOW TO GO FROM THE MALPENSA AIRPORT TO THE CENTER OF MILANO?
- HOW TO GO FROM VENICE AIRPORT TO VENICE CENTER
2) How to get to Padua? BY TRAIN
It is easily reached because all the trains on the Milan / Venice and Bologna / Venice axis stop in Padua. With the fast trains you can arrive in 4 hours from Rome or Turin, just over 2 hours from Milan or Florence. It is also possible to reach the main locations in the northeast by train: Venice and Vicenza in half an hour, Verona and Treviso in an hour, Cortina in 2 hours, also with direct connections. Also find out “What is the difference between trains in Italy?”. Would you like to save? So buy your ticket online in advance and save a lot, read the Post “How to buy a train ticket in Italy?“.
3) How to get to Padua? BY CAR
Highway A4 (Milan – Venice), exit at West Padua or Highway A13 (Bologna – Padua), exit at South Padua. The signs to reach Venice are very clear. TRAVELING BY CAR IN ITALY: EXAMPLE OF ROUTES. If you are renting a car be sure to read our posts in the section Driving in Italy on the blog Your Travel to Italy. In addition to car itinerary tips, we have everything about signage, tolls, roads and many more tips.
Traveling by car in Italy
How about if I give you a rental car option? Are you ready for it? If you are renting a car be sure to read our posts in the section Driving in Italy on the blog Your Travel to Italy. In addition to car itinerary tips, we have everything about signage, tolls, roads and many more tips.
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Conclusion
What To Visit In One Day In Padua? To conclude: In one day we can see a lot, but there is still a lot to get know. This is a great reason to return to Padua calmly and make the most of the city’s beauties. And if you feel insecure or have no time, and need help to organize your trip, do not hesitate to look for me! I will love to help you make your dream trip to Italy. And how can I do that? Continue reading this post until the end and you will understand how can we make your life and journey easier.
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