Padua: Frescoes, Museums and Pilgrim Routes

Padua offers a range of ways to spend your stay: frescoes and architecture, the history of medicine, religious art and waterside paths. The options range from individual works of art to a 25-kilometre pilgrimage route.

Frescoes and Architectural History

The Palazzo della Ragione is one of Europe’s largest halls with an unsupported roof; construction began in 1218. Inside, it preserves a medieval astrological fresco cycle featuring 333 panels. Today, the Palazzo hosts exhibitions and cultural events and plays a central role in Padua’s public life. This is where architectural history, painting and an ongoing cultural use come together.

The Scrovegni Chapel was decorated with frescoes by Giotto between 1303 and 1305. They tell episodes from the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ, culminating in a monumental Last Judgement. An entrance building with a climate-controlled waiting room accommodates larger visitor numbers while also protecting the delicate frescoes. The Scrovegni Chapel is part of Padova Urbs picta: alongside it are seven other monuments featuring significant examples of painting of comparable artistic value.

The Basilica del Santo also takes visitors through different chapters of art and architectural history. It was built from 1231 onwards as an extension of the older chapel that housed the mortal remains of Saint Anthony. In the chapel now known as the Cappella delle Benedizioni, Giotto decorated the walls with frescoes in the first decade of the 14th century. All the frescoes in the Oratorio di San Giorgio are by Altichiero da Zevio. They depict scenes from the life of Jesus, as well as stories about Saint George, Saint Lucy and Saint Catherine.

The Basilica di Santa Giustina was built as a cemetery basilica in honour of Giustina, a martyr from Padua. Its construction history begins in the early Christian period and continues uninterrupted beyond the Renaissance. Together with the fresco sites, it offers a glimpse of the city’s different religious and artistic traditions.

Medicine, Archaeology and Plant Life

The MUSME explores the history of medicine, from an ancient discipline to a modern science, with a particular focus on the medical school of Padua. The museum combines a traditional collection of artefacts with a modern science centre. Using ancient artefacts, interactive exhibits, videos and multimedia games, MUSME explains the mysteries of the human body in the order they were discovered over the centuries.

MUSME is located in the monumental complex of the former Ospedale di San Francesco Grande. This was Padua’s first city hospital and was built in 1414. The Museo Archeologico offers a different historical perspective: its 14 galleries explore the continuity of settlement in the area around Padua, from prehistoric times to the Roman period.

The greenhouses in the Garden of Biodiversity simulate tropical, subhumid, temperate and arid climate zones. Around 1,300 plant species are cultivated there, representing the plant life of our planet. This figure is approximate; particular emphasis is placed on the diversity of the climate zones and plants represented.

City Walks and Pilgrim Routes

The Anello fluviale di Padova is an easy walk. It starts at the Porte Contarine and soon reaches the Scrovegni Chapel. The route follows the artificial, 11-kilometre-long Piovego Canal, the Venetian city walls and the university district; it then continues along the San Gregorio and Scaricatore canals. This offers a different way to experience the city than visiting individual collections and frescoes.

The Cammino di Sant’Antonio, by contrast, is a 25-kilometre route between Camposampiero and Padua that retraces Saint Anthony’s final journey. Almost the entire route is travelled on foot. If you plan to take this route, check its conditions before setting out. Pilgrims who complete the Cammino receive a certificate in Latin, signed by the rector, in the sacristy of the Basilica; the confirmation procedures may also change.

Market and Getting Around

The Mercato Sotto il Salone is located beneath the Palazzo della Ragione and is considered the city’s oldest trading centre. Its selection of local and regional produce includes cheese, cured meats, ham, meat, fish, wine, fruit and vegetables. The specific products on offer may vary.

The city centre is an easy walk from the train station. When planning your stay, you can focus on art and architectural history, medicine and archaeology, or one of the routes described here. For the Cammino, the distance and current route conditions are important practical considerations; the other themes offer their own highlights for your time in Padua.

Discover more destinations: Abano Terme, Albignasego, Anguillara Veneta, Arquà Petrarca, Baone, Cinto Euganeo, Este, Monselice, Montegrotto Terme, San Siro, Teolo, Torreglia, Treponti, Villa Di Teolo, Villalta, Stanghella, Rubano, Piove Di Sacco, Padua, Ospedaletto Euganeo, Mira, Mestrino, Maserà Di Padova, Limena, Conselve, Cittadella, Camposampiero, Campodarsego, Bovolenta, Santa Maria, Ponte San Nicolò, Carmignano Di Brenta, San Giorgio In Bosco, Levada, Vo', Valle San Giorgio, Villanova Di Camposampiero, Montagnana, Piazzola Sul Brenta, Galzignano Terme, San Giorgio Delle Pertiche, Cadoneghe, Borgoricco, Noventa Padovana, Piombino Dese, Saccolongo, Curtarolo, Cornoleda, Lozzo Atestino, Vigonza, Boara Pisani, Masi, Due Carrare, Bassa, Fontaniva, Ronchi Di Campanile, Codevigo, Pernumia, Brugine, Trebaseleghe, Sant'antonio, Rovolon, Busiago, San Martino Di Lupari, Megliadino San Vitale, Bagnoli Di Sopra, Terradura, Sant'elena, Pontelongo, Pelosa, Vescovana, Selvazzano Dentro, Casette, Feriole, Solesino, Fornace Laterizi, Massanzago-Ca' Baglioni, Sant'angelo Di Piove Di Sacco, Vigodarzere, Conche, Sarmeola, Correzzola, Lissaro, Agna, Legnaro, Casalserugo, Tribano, Polverara, Grantorto, Ghetto, Cartura, Loreggia, Santa Margherita, Villa del Conte, San Giorgio In Brenta, Saletto, Campodoro, Pontecasale, Sant'Urbano, San Salvaro, Granze, Pozzonovo

For the regional travel overview: Veneto.