Padova (Padua) is a wonderful, vibrant university town located just 30 minutes by train from Venezia (Venice) and about 4 1/2 hours from my home in Lucca.  It’s a wonderful place, full of important churches, art, museums, and historic buildings. It is one of my favorite cities to visit in Italy.    

One of the city’s major attractions, the stunning Scrovegni Chapel, is filled with Giotto frescoes. They are exquisite and beautifully preserved. 

The Basilica of Saint Anthony draws worshippers along with those who appreciate art, architecture, history, and Italian culture.  They are two of Padova’s major attractions, essential to see on a first visit to the city.

One of the major advantages of living in Lucca is the ability to visit places like Padova easily and often, sometimes just using it as a base for exploring nearby places. 

That was the case on my most recent visit, one in which I didn’t (gasp!) visit either the Scrovegni Chapel or the Basilica of Saint Anthony.  

Instead, my travel companion and I spent time leisurely walking through town. We popped into lesser-known churches.  We visited the market (and drooled over the food choices).  We spent time in two of the city’s wonderful parks. 

We made a spontaneous stop at a fantastic Monet exhibit in one of the city’s museums.   The closest we got to Saint Anthony’s Basilica was sitting in a nearby cafe where we sipped an Aperol Spritz while gazing at the beautiful and unique domes of the church. 

Along with a small group of friends, I boarded a boat for a day-long Brenta Canal cruise between Padova and Venezia and a chance to visit 3 historic villas along the way.  More detail about that in some future coming posts.

One afternoon, we hopped a train to nearby Vicenza to get a flavor for the city and see a 500+ year old theater designed by Palladio. 

For anyone who has not yet been to Padova, a 4 day stay would allow for a visit to the Scrovegni Chapel (advance tickets required) and the Basilica of Saint Anthony, a one day Brenta Canal cruise, and a couple of days to wander the city visiting some of the other historic places, churches, the market, the Prate della Valle park and leisurely strolling around this beautiful and vibrant city.

And don’t forget to try the Venetian style cicchetti ! It makes a wonderful dinner.