Stop 1: take cab to Prato della Valle
Prato della Valle at a 90,000-square-meter is the second largest square in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. Today, the square is a
large space with a green island at the center, l'Isola Memmia, surrounded by a small canal bordered by two rings of statues. Prior to 1635,
the area was largely a featureless expanse of partially swampy terrain just south of the old city walls of Padova. In 1636, a group of
Venetian and Veneto notables financed the construction of a temporary but lavishly appointed theater as a venue for mock battles on horseback.
The musical entertainment that served as the prologue to the jousting is considered to be the immediate predecessor of the first public opera
performances in Venice, which began the following year. In 1767, the square, which belonged to the monks of Santa Giustina, became the public
property of the city of Padua. In 1775, Andrea Memmo, whose statue is in the square, decided to reclaim and restructure the entire area. The
projectwas never fully completed. Today there are 78 statues (40 in the exterior ring and 38 statues in the inner ring); following the original
plan, there had been 88 statues.
Stop 2: Basilica of St. Anthony
Although the basilica is visited as a place of pilgrimage by people from all over the world, it is not the cathedral of the city, a title
belonging to the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Mary of Padua. The basilica is known locally as "il Santo". It is one of the national shrines recognized
by the Holy See. Construction of the Basilica probably began around 1232, just one year after the death of St. Anthony. It was completed in 1310
although several structural modifications (including the falling of the ambulatory and the construction of a new choir screen) took place between
the end of the 14th and the mid-15th century. The Saint, according to his will, had been buried in the small church of Santa Maria Mater Domini,
probably dating from the late 12th century and near which a convent was founded by him in 1229. This church was incorporated into the present
basilica as the Cappella della Madonna Mora (Chapel of the Dark Madonna).
The Basilica Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption is on the east end of
Piazza Duomo, adjacent to the bishop's palace. The church building, first erected as a cathedral in the 4th century, has undergone major reconstructions
over the centuries. The present church is the third structure built on the same site. The first cathedral was erected after the Edict of Milan in 313 and
destroyed by an earthquake on 3 January 1117. It was rebuilt in Romanesque style: the appearance of that medieval church can be seen in the frescoes by
Giusto de' Menabuoi in the adjoining baptistery. The current building dates from a reconstruction during the sixteenth century. Construction began on the
new Renaissance building in 1551 and went on for two centuries, being completed in 1754, yet leaving the façade unfinished.
Stop 4: Piazza dei Signori
Piazza dei Signori for centuries hosted official civic and government celebrations, while the larger squares of Piazza delle Erbe (herbs) and Piazza della
Frutta (fruits) hosted commerce and public festive celebrations. The square is dominated by the famous Clock Tower. The square arose in the fourteenth century
with the demolition of an old district that stretched in front of the church of San Clemente. The square was designed to give importance to the tower and access
to the Carrara Palace on the east side. It became the scene of tournaments and courtship. According to tradition it was from the noblemen or signori Carrara that the
square took its name.
Stop 5: Piazza della Frutta
This square, once also called Piazza del Peronio, was for centuries, with Piazza delle Erbe , the commercial center of the city. One of the largest markets in
Italy takes place in the two squares. The square is dominated by the mass of the Palazzo della Ragione, part of the large Palazzo Comunale, and the Torre degli
Anziani. The square is characterized by the Peronio Column.
Stop 5: Scrovegni Chapel
The Scrovegni Chapel, known by the surname of its patron Enrico Scrovegni, a well-known medieval usurer, is dedicated to Santa Maria della Carità and is famous
all over the world for the extraordinary cycle of paintings by Giotto. The work is the greatest fresco masterpiece of the artist and testifies to the profound
revolution that the Tuscan painter brought to Western art. The cycle was completed by Giotto in just two years, between 1303 and 1305.