Padua: University, World Heritage and Historic Sites
Accommodation in Padua
Padua offers a range of themes to explore during your stay: university history, religious sites, archaeology, botany and historic market architecture. If you’re looking for a hotel in Padua, it may help to first identify the subjects that interest you most. The sites below reveal different sides of the city and provide a concrete framework for your cultural itinerary.
University, museums and World Heritage
The first permanent anatomical theatre was established at Palazzo del Bo in 1594. In 1678, the world’s first woman earned a university degree there. These two dates mark different chapters in the history of the university: the establishment of the anatomical theatre and an early milestone for women at the university. The history of Palazzo del Bo can be explored through these two clearly dated events.
Padova Urbs Picta has also been a UNESCO World Heritage site since the summer of 2021. This theme adds a distinct focus to a cultural stay alongside the city’s university history. The Cappella degli Scrovegni is part of the Eremitani museum complex. The complex also includes an archaeological museum with finds from the ancient Venetic, Roman and Egyptian periods. Together, these sites comprise a named chapel and collections from several historical periods.
MUSME is housed in a 15th-century palazzo that once accommodated the city’s first hospital. The building’s history and its former purpose are among the points of interest for a museum visit. At La Specola, the tower is the oldest part: it opened to the city as an astronomy museum in 1994. Both places connect the history of a museum with that of its building.
The tomb of Saint Anthony is still located in the Chapel of Saint Anthony. The so-called “Ultimo Cammino” retraces the route Sant’Antonio took in June 1231: from the Santuari Antoniani di Camposampiero, via the Santuario Antoniano dell’Arcella, to the Basilica del Santo in Padua. The named stops make the historical connection between the starting point, the intermediate stop and the destination easy to follow, without mixing together several themes or periods.
Botany and historic city sites
An “Horto Medicinale” was planned for the Orto Botanico. Plants with natural therapeutic properties were to be studied and tested there. This original purpose links the garden’s history to botany and the planned study of medicine.
The Giardino della biodiversitĂ comprises four greenhouses with around 1,300 plant species. They come from tropical, subhumid, temperate and arid habitats. The four categories and approximate number of species give an overview of the range of plant worlds represented there.
Construction of Palazzo della Ragione dates back to 1218, and it is one of Padua’s landmarks. On its ground floor is the Sotto Salone, a covered market with two corridors. Historic shops and food businesses are located there. The site thus combines the palazzo’s striking history with a specific market layout consisting of two corridors.
Planning visits and getting around
When planning museum visits, it’s also worth considering transport links: most museums on Padua’s museum route are located within the limited traffic zone (ZTL). Bus, tram or taxi are recommended for getting there. If you plan to include several museums on the route, take this recommendation into account when planning your travel.
This selection of themes can help you plan your stay around your interests, such as university and science history, religious sites, archaeological finds or botany.
Discover more destinations: Pozzonovo, Loreggia, Montagnana, Baone, Cadoneghe, Cinto Euganeo, Ponte San Nicolò, Teolo.
For the main travel overview: Padua.
