Andrea Moroni – architect

Talented designer contributed to the beauty of Padua

Padua's Basilica di Santa Giustina is one of
Andrea Moroni's best known works

Architect Andrea Moroni, who designed many stunning buildings in Padua and the Veneto region, died on 28 April 1560, 536 years ago today, in Padua.  

Moroni was the architect of some acclaimed Renaissance buildings but has tended to be overlooked by architectural historians because his career coincided with that of Andrea Palladio.

Moroni, who spent most of his working life in Padua, made a name for himself with the Benedictine Order and obtained commissions for two Benedictine churches in Padua, Santa Maria di Praglia and the more famous Santa Giustina.

His contract with Santa Giustina was renewed every ten years until his death and he settled down to live in Padua.

He was commissioned by the Venetian Government to build the Palazzo del Podestà, which is now known as Palazzo Moroni in Via VIII Febbraio, and is currently the seat of Padua city council. It is considered one of the most significant Renaissance buildings in the entire Veneto region.

Moroni was also involved in the construction of the Orto Botanico, Padua’s famous botanical gardens, where medicinal plants were grown, and he designed some of the university buildings.

The Orto Botanico, the world's first botanical
gardens, was designed by Moroni

It is known that he supervised the construction of Palazzo del Bo, the main university building in the city, but there is some controversy over who designed the palace’s beautiful internal courtyard. Famous names such as Sansovino and Palladio have been suggested, rather than Moroni, contributing to his talent tending to be overlooked over the centuries.

The Loggia of Palazzo Capitaniato and the 16th century Palazzetto are also attributed to him.

Born into a family of stonecutters, Moroni was the cousin and contemporary of Giovan Battista Moroni, the brilliant painter. They were both born in Albino, a comune to the north east of Bergamo in Lombardy. The architect has works attributed to him in Brescia, another city in Lombardy about 50 kilometres to the south east of Bergamo. He is known to have been in the city between 1527 and 1532, where he built a choir for the monastery of Santa Giulia.

He probably also designed the building in which the nuns could attend mass in the monastery of Santa Giulia and worked on the church of San Faustino before moving to live and work in Padua.

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Church of the Eremitani frescoes

The day a major work of art was ruined by bombs

Mantegna's Stories of St James
was one of the works destroyed 

Padua was badly bombed by the Allies on this day in 1944 and the Church of the Eremitani was directly hit, causing devastating damage to the 15th century frescoes painted by Andrea Mantegna in one of the side chapels.

It was one of the worst losses suffered by Italy’s cultural heritage during World War II as Mantegna’s frescoes were considered a major work of art.

Mantegna, who was born in Isola di Cartura near Vicenza in 1431, was commissioned to paint a cycle of frescoes in the Ovetari Chapel, one of the side chapels, depicting scenes from the lives of Saint James and Saint Christopher. The commission marked the beginning of his artistic career when he started work at the age of 17 in 1448. He was in his mid 20s by the time he had finished the cycle in 1457.

Tragically, the German invading army had established their headquarters in Padua next to the Church of the Eremitani, which was why the chapel and the wonderful frescoes were so badly damaged.

They were reduced to more than 88,000 separate pieces and were found mixed in with plaster and bricks on the ground.

A detailed photographic survey of the work had been made previously and it was therefore possible later to reconstruct the artist’s work and recompose part of the cycle depicting the Martyrdom of Saint James. Other frescoes by Mantegna had been removed before the war to protect them from damp and they have also now been reinstated.

In other chapels, 14th century frescoes by Guarentio and Giusto de’ Menabuoi miraculously survived.

The Church of the Eremitani found itself
next door to a German army headquarters

La Chiesa degli Eremitani, or The Church of the Hermits, is a former Augustinian Gothic-style church close to the Cappella Scrovegni in Piazza Eremitani in the centre of Padua.

The church was built for Augustinian friars between 1260 and 1276 and dedicated to the Saints Philip and James.

The friars remained in the church and adjoining monastery until 1806 when Padua was under Napoleonic rule and the order was suppressed. The church was reopened for services in 1808 and became a parish church in 1817.

The church has a single nave with plain walls decorated with ochre and red bricks and has a vaulted wooden ceiling. It houses the ornate tombs of two lords of Padua, Jacopo II da Carrara and Ubertino da Carrara, designed by Andriolo de Santi.

The 15th century side portal is also known as the Door of the Months because of the four panels by the sculptor Nicolo Baroncelli depicting allegories of the months.

The Musei Civici agli Eremitani (Civic Museum) of Padua is now housed in the former Augustinian monastery to the left of the church.

(Picture credit: Church of the Eremitani by Didier Descouens via Wikimedia Commons)

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Porta Altinate Padua

13th century gate is a popular way to enter the city 

One of Padua’s only two remaining medieval gates, Porta Altinate, provides a way into the centre of the city for thousands of people each day.

The 13th century Porta Altinate

Padua’s tram stops on Riviera dei Ponti Romani and when passengers get off they can quickly walk through Porta Altinate to reach the two main squares, Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta.

Porta Altinate was one of the gates in the walls built around Padua in the 13th century to protect the city from hostile attacks.

The walls were constructed on the orders of the comune of Padua and there are still a few remnants of them left in parts of the city.

In 1256, Porta Altinate was stormed and destroyed by troops fighting to overthrow the notorious tyrant Ezzelino III da Romano. It was the day the hated ruler finally lost his power over the city. 

The gate was rebuilt in 1286 and the event is recorded in an inscription by the historian, Conte Carlo Leoni, on a memorial stone under the archway.

Porta Altinate’s lookout tower has since been reduced in height and the gate now stands between modern buildings.

Looking at it from Piazza Garibaldi, the gate would once have been reflected in the waters of a canal behind it, but this was filled in to create the section of road called Riviera dei Ponti Romani, which was named in honour of the Roman bridges which now lie below the surface of the road.

Monument to Alvise Pisani

Inside the archway is a monument in baroque style to Alvise Pisani, who was captain of Padua from 1686 to 1687 and then became Doge of the Republic of Venice. The monument was the work of artists studying in Padua at the time.

But the intricately carved stonework is probably missed by many of the pedestrians and cyclists who are in a hurry to pass through the gate each day on their way into Padua.

The Baptistery in Padua

Dazzling fresco cycle has survived nearly 700 years

Standing next to the Duomo in Piazza Duomo, Padua’s Baptistery (Battistero) is a superb example of Romanesque architecture.

The original building was constructed in the 12th century but it was modified in about 1370 to become a memorial chapel for Francesco il Vecchio di Carrara and his wife, Fina Buzzacarini.

The 14th century Baptistery is to the right of the Duomo

The couple invited the artist Giusto de’ Menabuoi to fresco the interior with pictures representing stories from the Bible.

De’ Menabuoi, who was originally from Florence, worked on the interior of the Baptistery between 1376 and 1378. His frescos are remarkable for the brilliance of the colours he used and the details from the Bible he brings to life.

To understand the cycle of pictures you should ideally stand near the old entrance to the Baptistery, which was sealed up when the building was modified. Traces of it can be seen in the structure of arches.

The cycle begins in the cupola with Paradise and finishes in the apse with the Apocalypse. There are 37 episodes from Genesis that lead on in sequence to the 43 scenes from the last book of the New Testament.

In the centre of the apse, on a small marble altar, is a Polyptych, also by De’ Menabuoi, featuring the Madonna and Child, with a picture of the Baptism of Christ above it, while on either side are panels depicting the stories of the Saints.

In the panel showing Christ healing the sick, look out for a figure in a red headdress, which is believed to be a portrait of the poet Petrarch, who died shortly before the frescos were painted.

Venetian soldiers damaged the Cararra family’s grand burial monuments in 1405 and daubed green paint on the emblems of Francesco il Vecchio, but restoration work was carried out on the Baptistery in the 20th century.

Visitors to the Baptistery can see how the Duomo would have looked in the 14th century, before its 16th century makeover, as it appears in De’ Menabuoi’s frescos.

The Baptistery is open from 10 am to 6 pm every day.

Treviso day trip

  

The pretty town of Treviso is only about 40 minutes away from Padua by rail and provides a relaxing alternative to Venice for a day out.

You can still stroll along by the canals, but unlike in Venice they are fringed by willow trees and adorned with the occasional water wheel and you won’t encounter large tour groups coming in the opposite direction.

A peaceful Treviso canal

There are plenty of restaurants serving authentic cucina trevigiana and cucina veneta, but at more modest prices than you will find in Venice, and lots of places to sample locally-produced Prosecco. Treviso is close to the so-called strada del prosecco, the road between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, which is lined with wineries producing Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), the stamp of quality given to the best Italian wines. 

When you arrive in Treviso it takes only about ten minutes to walk from the railway station through the 16th century Venetian walls and along Via Roma, Corso del Popolo and Via XX Settembre, which form one continuous street leading to Piazza dei Signori, at the centre of Treviso and close to the main shops, bars and restaurants.

The piazza’s red-brick Palazzo dei Trecento, was originally built in the 13th century as its name suggests, but had to be rebuilt after suffering bomb damage in 1944.

Leading off the piazza is Via Calmaggiore, Treviso’s main street, which has smart shops behind its ancient porticos, such as Benetton, Gucci and Sisley, as well as shops selling cosmetics and leather goods.

At the end of Via Calmaggiore you will come to Treviso’s Duomo, originally built in the 12th century but remodelled in the 15th, 16th, and 18th centuries. Look out for Titian’s Annunciation, painted in 1570 and the frescos painted by his arch rival, Pordenone.

Porticos at the side of Canale Buranelli

Off Piazza dei Signori in the other direction you will come to Piazza San Vito which leads to perhaps the most picturesque part of Treviso, Canale Buranelli. You can walk alongside the canal under the porticos of the houses and see the flower decorated balconies of the ornate buildings on the other side. From Canale Buranelli, turn down Via Palestro to reach Via Pescheria. From there you can access the Pescheria (fish market), which is held daily on a very small island in the middle of Treviso’s River Sile, so that the unsold fish can be thrown straight back into the river after trading has finished. 

Restaurant recommendation:

For traditional Treviso cooking, try Trattoria Toni del Spin in Via Inferiore behind Piazza dei Signori. The restaurant is in an historic building and has the atmosphere of a traditional Treviso tavern. Toni del Spin is open every day except for Monday lunch times. 

Local specialities:

Try tagliatelle al sugo d’anatra (tagliatelle with duck sauce), risotto con funghi (mushroom risotto) and bigoli in salsa di acciughe (pasta with anchovy sauce). Also sample the locally-grown Treviso radicchio (a type of chicory).

Via VIII Febbraio Padova

An uprising against the Austrian occupying forces, when students and ordinary citizens fought side by side, took place in Padova on 8 February in 1848.
A street in the centre of the city is now named Via VIII Febbraio to commemorate the revolt against the Austrian soldiers, when both the University of Padova and Caffè Pedrocchi briefly became battlegrounds.

Shots were fired inside Caffè Pedrocchi

The Padova rebellion was one of a series of revolutions in Italy during 1848, which had started with the Sicilian uprising in January.
The Austrians were seen as arrogant and aggressive by ordinary citizens and the ideas of Mazzini and Cavour about a united Italy were becoming popular with progressive thinkers.
Students and professors had been meeting in rooms at the University and in Caffè Pedrocchi to discuss their discontent.
The uprising began with the storming of a prison and prisoners being set free. Then many ordinary citizens came to fight alongside the students against the armed Austrians, who clubbed the Padovans with their guns as well as firing at them.
You can still see a hole in the wall of the White Room inside Caffè Pedrocchi made by a bullet fired by an Austro-Hungarian soldier at the students.
Padovan students and citizens and some Austrian soldiers were killed and wounded in the fighting. Many people were arrested by the soldiers and in a crackdown later, some students and professors were expelled from the university.
The revolt was short lived and there was no other rebellion against the Austrians in Padova. But the 8 February uprising was thought to have encouraged Charles Albert of Savoy, King of Sardinia-Piedmont, to later declare war on Austria.

A courtyard inside the university

In 1866 Italy finally expelled the Austrians from the Veneto and Padova became annexed to the Kingdom of Italy .
Caffè Pedrocchi has been a meeting place for business people, students, intellectuals and writers for nearly 200 years. Founded by coffee maker Antonio Pedrocchi in 1831, the café was designed in neoclassical style and each side is edged with Corinthian columns.
It quickly became a centre for the Risorgimento movement and was popular with students and artists because of its location close to Palazzo del Bò, the main university building. It became known as ‘the café without doors’, as it was open day and night for people to sit and read, play cards or debate.
Caffè Pedrocchi is now a Padova institution and a 'must see' sight for visitors. You can enjoy coffee, drinks and snacks all day in the elegant surroundings.
The University of Padova was established in 1222 and is one of the oldest in the world, second in Italy only to the University of Bologna. The main university building, Palazzo del Bò in Via VIII Febbraio in the centre of Padua, used to house the medical faculty. You can take a guided tour to see the pulpit used by Galileo when he taught at the university between 1592 and 1610.

Duomo di Padova

Don’t overlook the importance of the Duomo

While many visitors to Padua flock to see the Basilica di Sant’Antonio, dedicated to the city’s patron saint, and the Scrovegni Chapel, with its remarkable frescoes by Giotto, it is easy to overlook the outwardly plain-looking Duomo.

But Padua’s Cathedral in Piazza del Duomo dates back to the 16th century when a competition was held for architects to design a building that could compete with the Basilica of Sant’Antonio and the Basilica of Santa Giustina.

Padua's 16th century Duomo.

Among the architects who entered were Jacopo Sansovino, Michelangelo and Andrea da Valle

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It is thought that Michelangelo’s designs won the competition but that the building work was entrusted to Andrea da Valle to oversee. However, over the centuries many other architects also contributed to the work.

The Basilica Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, referred to in Padova as the Duomo, was finally consecrated in 1754 with its façade left unfinished.

The nave is flanked by an aisle on each side and there are four chapels in the right aisle and five in the left with two great cupolas over the nave.

The Canons’ Sacristry to the left of the Presbytery houses a small, but very interesting art gallery.

The Presbytery contains two magnificently preserved organs by Gaetano Callida and down a flight of steps, the crypt holds the remains of Saint Daniel.

The present Duomo is the third structure to have been built on the site. The first was erected in 313 and destroyed by an earthquake in the 12th century. The church was rebuilt in Romanesque style and visitors to the Baptistery next door can see how it would have looked in the 14th century, as it appears in the frescoes executed at that time by Giusto dè Menaboui.

The north door of the current Duomo leads out to Via Dietro Duomo, the street behind the Duomo, where the building at Numbers 26 – 28 was once the home of the poet, Francesco Petrarch, while he was a canon of the Cathedral of Padua.

The Duomo has been the seat of the Bishop of Padua since the fourth century.

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Remembering the genius of Renaissance artist Giotto

The brilliant 14th century painter Giotto di Bondone, who gave Padova its greatest work of art, died on 8 January in 1337 in Florence.

Giotto's depiction of the Last Judgment on the
frescoed walls of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova

Although much of his work is no longer in existence, the artist who was known simply as Giotto is remembered after nearly 700 years as one of the greatest painters of the early Renaissance period.

It is believed Giotto was born in about 1267 in Florence but it is not known how he learned to paint with such a sense of space, naturalism and drama. His work represented a crucial turning point in the history of art because he painted lifelike, solid figures and put in fascinating background details.

He is believed to be the first artist to make a decisive break with the Byzantine style of painting and draw figures accurately from life.

Giotto’s revolutionary style was followed by many other painters later in the 14th century and it is said that he was actually paid a salary by the commune of Florence because of his excellence.

His most stunning surviving work is undoubtedly the interior of the Scrovegni chapel in Padova. His cycle of frescoes is still considered to be one of the greatest works of art in the world.

Dedicated to Santa Maria della Carita (Saint Mary of the Charity), the chapel was decorated by Giotto between 1303 and 1305. The work was commissioned by Enrico degli Scrovegni, who was hoping to atone for the sins of usury committed by himself and his dead father.

The frescoes narrate events in the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ and cover the side walls of the chapel. On the wall opposite the altar is Giotto’s magnificent Universal Judgment, which tells the story of human salvation and includes the figure of Enrico degli Scrovegni offering up a model of the chapel to the Virgin Mary in a desperate bid to save his father from hell.

Under a bright blue sky, the realistic figures with their powerful facial expressions and colourful clothes tell the bible stories in a way they had never been told before.
In later life, Giotto was made ‘first court painter’, with a yearly pension by King Robert of Anjou in Naples. He lived in Naples till 1333 but none of his work there has survived.

On his return to Florence he was asked to design the new Campanile for the Cathedral in 1334 and his last known work was the decoration of a chapel in the Bargello.
It is thought Giotto was about 70 years of age when he died on 8 January 1337.

The Scrovegni Chapel in Parco della Arena

Some sources say he was buried in Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence’s Duomo, while others believe he was buried in the earlier church on the site, Santa Reparata.
In the 1970s bones were discovered beneath the paving of Santa Reparata and forensic examination confirmed they were those of a painter.

The bones were reburied with honour near the grave of Brunelleschi in the church, but it is still by no means certain they are actually the remains of Giotto.

It is a miracle Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel have survived for nearly 700 years. The chapel was acquired by the city of Padova in 1880 and specialised restoration operations have been carried out to preserve them subsequently.

The building, the quality of air and the best way to conserve the frescoes have all been carefully studied.

The chapel can be accessed from Giardini dell’Arena off Piazza Eremitani. There is a separate building where visitors can watch a video to prepare them for seeing the frescoes.

Visits are carefully organised so people can enter the chapel and look at the frescoes without jeopardising their condition.

Tickets should be booked in advance and collected an hour before the visit. For details visit www.cappelladegliscrovegni.it.

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Villa Giusti Padova

Armistice talks were held at Padova villa

A villa just outside Padova was the location for the signing of the armistice between Italy and Austria-Hungary that ended the first world war on the Italian front in 1918.
After the Allied troops were victorious in the battle of Vittorio Veneto, the Austria-Hungary commanding officers had asked for a ceasefire and for peace talks.

Caffe Pedrocchi in the centre of Padova houses a
Risorgimento and contemporary history museum

They were invited to Villa Giusti at Mandria just outside Padova, which was owned by Count Giusti del Giardino, a former mayor of Padova and an Italian senator.
During the war, the villa had been the temporary residence of King Victor Emanuel III when he was away from the front.
The armistice signed on 3 November ended the fighting and was seen by many Italians as the final phase of the Risorgimento, a movement started in 1815 to unify Italy. The bells of a nearby church rang out when news came from the villa that the armistice had been agreed.
Villa Giusti in Via Armistizio, Mandria, is just outside Padova. Guided visits can be made to the villa by arrangement. The furniture in the room where negotiations were conducted remains just as it was on that day. Visitors can even see the round table on which the armistice was signed. Tel: +39 049 867 0492.
Two separate towns in the Veneto region, Ceneda and Serravalle, were merged and renamed Vittorio in 1866 in honour of King Vittorio Emanuele II. After the last, decisive battle in the First World War had taken place nearby, the city was renamed Vittorio Veneto. Franco Zeffirelli shot some of the scenes for his film version of Romeo and Juliet against the backdrop of 15th century buildings in Seravalle.
Inside the Caffe Pedrocchi in the centre of Padova there is a museum with exhibits demonstrating Italy's struggle for independence through the Risorgimento and the two world wars. Il Museo del Risorgimento is open daily. For more details visit  www.caffepedrocchi.it

Look out for Lugana wine

If you enjoy a light, white wine with a hint of flowers, try a bottle of Lugana when in restaurants in Padova or other towns in the Veneto.

Lugana can be enjoyed with many local dishes

Lugana is a straw yellow, almost pale green, colour and is a very delicate wine, with a slight hint of fruit. 

It is made from Trebbiano di Lugana grapes by several of the vineyards set on the hills around the southern shores of nearby Lago di Garda.

Lugana wine can be enjoyed as an aperitivo in a bar, is particularly good with antipasto or risotto made with fish, and makes an excellent accompaniment for the chicken and duck dishes you will see among the secondi piatti in many restaurants in Padova.

Check the date on the bottle because Lugana is at its best when drunk young.  It should be served chilled, preferably between eight and ten degrees centigrade.

Respected producers of Lugana include Ca’ dei Frati, Visconti and Zenato. Salute!

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Palazzo del Capitanio

See the oldest clock in Italy

The beautiful clock tower of the Palazzo del Capitanio is on the east side of Piazza dei Signori, a square in the historic centre of Padova.

The elegant Torre dell'Orologio

The palace was originally part of a complex of buildings that had served as the court of the Carraresi, but after Padova came under the control of Venice in the 16th century, it was remodelled to house the head of the militia and be the seat of the governing authority.

In 1532 the entrance was rebuilt to a design by Giovanni Maria Falconetto with a clock tower over a triumphal arch in classical style surmounted by a statue of the lion of St Mark.

The Torre dell’Orologio was intended as a symbol of Venetian power, which then extended over the mainland of Italy. The tower houses clockworks that are believed to be the oldest still in existence in Italy.

They were designed by Maestro Novello copying an invention by astronomer and physician Jacopo Dondi in the 14th century. As well as depicting the hours, the blue clock face features a weekly and monthly lunar calendar and displays the astrological signs.

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Take a day trip to Castelfranco Veneto

Within a short distance of Padova by train or car, the historic city of Castelfranco Veneto is smart and prosperous with a wealth of good shops, restaurants and bars.

On arrival, head to the lively Piazza Giorgione, where you can sit outside one of the bars and feast your eyes on the imposing 12th century defensive walls surrounding the historic centre, which is known to locals as Castello.

Castelfranco Veneto's defensive walls

The dark red brickwork has faded to pale pink in places and the towers have weeds growing out of them but you can still see why the walls behind the moat kept neighbouring armies at bay.

If you go through the walls at Via Garibaldi and walk past the 18th century Teatro Accademico you will reach Piazza San Liberale and the pink and white Duomo.

To the right of the altar is the jewel in Castelfranco’s crown, Enthroned Madonna and Child with St Francis and St Nicasio by local artist Giorgione. As one of only a handful of paintings definitely attributable to the Renaissance genius, it is amazing that it has remained above the tomb for which it was originally commissioned.

At nearby Casa Giorgione you can see the frieze in a first floor room that makes experts believe the house was the artist’s birthplace. Study the objects and scrolls he is thought to have painted as a youngster and join in the long running debate about their meaning. Some see the frieze as a reference to the frailty of the human condition - grimly prophetic for someone who was to die at 30 during an outbreak of plague in Venice.

Bars in Piazza Giorgione

To try dishes typical of the Veneto, visit one of the friendly, family-run osterie inside the ancient walls. Try specialities such as trippe (tripe), baccala (salt cod) or seppie (cuttlefish).

Make sure you sample the famous Castelfranco variegate, a special type of radicchio, which is served as a vegetable or in pasta and risotto.  Look out for the popular local dish, risi e bisi (rice with peas), cooked Castelfranco-style with cheese.

If you are a fan of Prosecco, the Veneto’s light, dry sparkling white wine, you will enjoy a trip along the road between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, 40 km of gentle hills with ancient hamlets and wineries offering the opportunity to taste Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) the stamp of quality given to the best wines.

There are designer clothes shops and shoe shops in Piazza Giorgione but if you want something unusual to take back with you look out for a small shop selling antiques and bric a brac in Via Garibaldi opposite the Teatro Accademico.

Castelfranco Veneto is about 30 km from Padova and there is a good train service between the two cities.

 

See Donatello masterpiece in piazza in Padova

One of the greatest works by early Renaissance sculptor Donatello is standing out in the open air in Padova for all to see.

The Florentine’s bronze equestrian statue of Gattamelata is to the left of the Basilica di Sant’Antonio as you approach from the direction of Via del Santo.

Donatello's bronze statue in Piazza del Santo. 

The statue was completed in 1453 and portrays the military leader Erasmus da Narni, who was known as Gattamelata (honeyed cat.)

It is believed to be the earliest Renaissance equestrian statue that still survives and was a precedent for later sculptures honouring military heroes.

The soldier and his horse are both portrayed in life size by Donatello instead of being larger than life as with classical equestrian statues.

Gattamelata, who died in 1443, is actually buried inside the basilica.

Donatello was commissioned by the family to create a monument in memory of the great Commander of the Venetian Republic.

The statue is mounted on a pedestal that resembles a sepulchre. Gattamelata appears in the style of a Roman emperor astride his horse. His head is uncovered and the realistic expression on his face shows his decisive spirit. 

Hotel Belludi 37

Charming Hotel Belludi is right in the historic centre 

An ideal base for a stay in Padova is the area between the beautiful Basilica di Sant’Antonio and the city’s main square Prato della Valle.

The Hotel Belludi 37 is about halfway between these two main sights in a converted palazzo in Via Beato Belludi. It is in a perfect location for people wishing to explore the city on foot with most of the ‘must see’ attractions within a short walk of the hotel.

The entrance to Hotel Belludi 37

Despite its traditional façade the Hotel Belludi 37 is very modern on the inside with a simple contemporary décor and modern furniture in all the guest rooms.

The reception desk just inside the entrance hallway is always manned by very friendly and helpful staff and a staircase with ornate wrought iron balustrading leads up to the guest rooms and the breakfast room.

The hotel offers free wireless internet and the use of bicycles for getting around Padova. It is in an area well off for bars and restaurants but is close to tram and bus stops if you want to travel further afield.

Many guests have commented after their stay that the Belludi 37 feels more like a four star than a two star hotel. Some have said that they appreciated the friendly service so much they returned to Hotel Belludi on their next visit to Padova.

For more information, to check prices and make a reservation, visit our hotel bookings partner www.venere.com

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What to eat and drink in Padova

Free guide to restaurants in Padova

There are many good restaurants in Padova serving fine Italian food and visitors will have no difficulty finding places to eat.

The tourist offices in the city give out the publication Gustare Padova, a free guide to recommended restaurants, if requested.

While in Padova there is a unique opportunity to try some of the local specialities rather than just sticking to tried and trusted favourite dishes.

Cucina padovana (Padovan cooking) is similar to that of Venice but with a few traditions all of its own.

Look out for risotto ricco alla padovana which is served with duck and chicken and risotto with radicchio, a vegetable grown locally.

Popular pasta dishes include tortelli di zucca dolce (sweet pumpkin stuffed ravioli) and bigoli con ragu d’anatra (little strings of pasta with a duck sauce).

Various cuts of chicken and duck, served with a variety of different sauces and vegetable accompaniments, feature strongly among secondi piatti in most restaurants.  

It is good to sample the wines produced in the area and in Padova you will see Pinot Bianco and Soave among the white wines on many menus.

If you like red wine you will be spoilt for choice as Merlot, Bardolino and Valpolicella are all produced in the Veneto .

And if you fancy something sparkling make sure you sample some light, refreshing Prosecco while in Padova.

Not far from the city is the so called strada del Prosecco, the road between Valdobbiadene and Conegliano, which is lined with wineries producing Prosecco DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), the stamp of quality given to the best Italian wines.

Receive a warm welcome at Turismo Padova

The Caffe Pedrocchi

There is an excellent tourist information office in the centre of Padova, handily located in Galleria Pedrocchi close to the elegant Caffe Pedrocchi and the fascinating Piazza della Frutta.

There you will be able to ask for help and advice, obtain free maps and leaflets about the main things to see in Padova and request restaurant recommendations.

The Turismo Padova Terme Euganee office also provide information about the spa towns in the Euganean Hills and the medieval walled towns, villas and castles worth visiting throughout the province.

You can buy a PadovaCard to use during your stay which will give you free use of buses and trams, free parking and free or discounted entry to a wide range of sights of historical and artistic interest. A PadovaCard valid for 48 hours costs €16 and one valid for 72 hours costs €21.

The Turismo Padova office in Galleria Pedrocchi is open Monday to Saturday from 9.00 to 13.30 and from 15.00 to 19.00. Or for more information visit www.turismopadova.it.

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