Our second day in Padua began with a bit of rain.  That did not stop us from getting outside and exploring.  The Cassa di Risparmio del Veneto was one of the oldest savings banks in Italy, dating from 1822.

The Porta Altinate was the main west gate of the city of Padua.  It dates from the 12th century, and gets its name from the fact that it stood at the beginning of the road that led to the city of Altino.  The gate was built on one of the pillars of an ancient Roman bridge that crossed one of the city’s canals, which has been since covered over.

Inside the arch of the gate, you will find the Monumento a Alvise Pisani, a monument dedicated to Alvise Pisani, who was the Captain of Padua from 1686 through 1687.  He would later become the Doge of the Venetian Republic.

A plaque marks the building that housed the Hotel Savoia, which is where Milan Rastislav Stefanik stayed, when he came to Padua in order to meet with General Armando Diaz, in the hope of getting the Italian Army to cease its operations in Czechoslovakia.  Stefanik was a famous Slovak politician, diplomat, and astronomer, in addition to being an aviator.  A few months later, he would lose his life in a plane crash, while returning to his home, from Italy.

In Piazza Cavour, you will find the Monumento a Camillo Benso, Conte di Cavour, who was an Italian politician, and the first President of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom of Italy, in 1861.

Two plaques on a nearby wall remember those who lost their lives in the fight for Italian Liberation, as well as those who were interred in Nazi camps during World War II.

A plaque honors those who lost their lives in World War II.

The Casa di Ezzelino is the oldest surviving private house in the city, having been built in the 12th century by an ancestor of Ezzelino II, also known as Ezzelino, the Terrible.  Even though much of the interior of the palazzo was damaged by a fire in 1760, the exterior was not harmed.  The house is still privately owned, and so, unfortunately for us, it is not open to the public.  On the side of the building, there is a monument that was erected at the site where Flavio Busonera, a Paduan who was a member of the Resistance, and was hanged by the German Forces in 1944.

The Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale, or the National Institute of Social Security, is housed in a building dating from 1937.  The building was designed by Gino Peressutti.

 

Next up: We visit Padua’s memorial to the victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks, as well as the University of Padua!

 

Note: This blog is written in English and Spanish, and the author takes no responsibility for the quality of any other translations that may appear.  If you have enjoyed this post, please, check out our archives for more posts from Padua, as well as other Italian destinations.  Grazie!