Our next destination was the Hotel President Terme, in the charming town of Abano Terme,  a scant ten kilometers away from Padua.  Train service, from the central station in Padua, is available, and relatively easy to do, considering that it was such a short trip.  However, for that very reason, and the fact that we…

We continued to explore the Botanical Garden. The glass structure you see in the picture below houses the famous “Goethe Palm” tree, so called because the poet referred to it in an essay he wrote.  It is the oldest plant in the entire garden, having been planted in 1585. Pictured below is one of three…

We arrived at our next destination for the day, the Orto Botanico di Padova, or the Botanical Garden of Padua.  Founded in 1545 by the Venetian Republic, this is the world’s oldest academic botanical garden still in its original location.  The garden covers approximately 22,000 square meters of land, and is run by the University…

The Chiesa di San Francesco Grande can be found on Via San Francesco, and dates from 1414.  The portico in front is made up of 37 arches, all with terracotta decorations.  The lunettes of the porch were decorated with frescoes depicting stories from the life of San Francesco, by Francesco Squarcione, but, sadly, these are…

The Auditorium Cesare Pollini, now known as the Auditorium Claudio Scimone, is the theatre affiliated with the music school, the Conservatorio di Musica Cesare Pollini, and dates from 1878.  It can be found at Via Carlo Cassan, #17. The Museo Storico della Terza Armata, or the Historical Museum of the Third Army, is a museum…

After breakfast, we began our fourth day in Padua, by heading back over to the park that houses the Musei Civici, as we had timed tickets to see the Cappella degli Scrovegni.  We arrived a few minutes early, and so took that opportunity to admire the artwork placed in the park, outside the chapel. The…

Ever since the medieval period, the ground floor of the Palazzo della Ragione, and the surrounding piazzas (Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Frutti) have hosted the city’s main food market. The Palazzo della Ragione is one of the main landmarks of the city of Padua.  It is called “Il Salone”, or “The Big Hall”…

We headed over to our next destination, the Musei Civici degli Eremitani, which is located on the side of the Giardini dell’Arena.  The Giardini is a park area that houses the remains of the ancient Roman arena, the Musei Civici, as well as one of the the city’s main tourist attraction, the Cappella degli Scrovegni. …

Before long, we came upon a section of the old city walls. Affixed to a section of the ancient city walls, you will see a plaque that honors three local men who lost their lives fighting against Nazi fascism. The Porta Savonarola was one of the main gates leading into the city of Padua.  The…

Next to the Scoletta del Carmine, you will find the Basilica del Carmine, also known simply as I Carmini, which dates from 1446. The portal over the entrance of the basilica dates from 1737, and the three statues we see on top are by Tommaso Bonazza. The carved wooden door dates from 1412. A plaque…

On our third day in Padua, our first stop was the Musei Civici di Padova, in Palazzo Zuckermann.  This civic museum complex is housed in the palace built by the industrialist, Enrico Zuckermann, who founded Zedapa, a  company that manufactured buttons and small metal objects.  The palace was designed by the architect, Filippo Arosio, and…

The painting over the altar of the Cappella di San Benedetto Abate is the work of Jacopo Palma the Younger. The altar in the Cappella dei Santi Innocenti houses the relics of the Holy Innocents, who were three victims of Herod.  The statue of Santa Rachele, at the top, is by Giovanni Comin. The ark…