Hotel Europa is handy for historic centre of Padova

Entrance to Hotel Europa

Close to the Scrovegni Chapel, convenient for the tram and in the heart of the most exclusive shopping area, the four star Hotel Europa is in an excellent location in Padova.

A large, smart, comfortable hotel in Largo Europa, the Europa is just a short walk from the historic centre of Padova and the bars, restaurants and shops in Piazza della Frutta and Piazza delle Erbe.

The Eremitani Church and Scrovegni Chapel are only a street away while some of the best shops and department stores in the city are virtually on the doorstep.

The hotel serves an excellent buffet breakfast and the friendly staff are always on hand to advise about what to see and do in Padova, or to provide restaurant recommendations and book taxis.

Next to the hotel is one of Padova’s most historic restaurants, Trattoria Zaramella, which was recommended in the 2009 Michelin Guide.

And a few metres from the hotel at the end of Largo Europa there are stops for the tram service to the railway station and the tram that goes to Basilica di Sant’Antonio and Prato della Valle.

There is free wifi throughout the hotel and there are meeting rooms and special facilities available for business travellers.

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

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Elegant Caffe Pedrocchi part of Padova's history

The historic Caffe Padrocchi is at the heart
of daily life in Padova

Right in the centre of Padova, the Caffe Pedrocchi has for nearly two centuries been a meeting place for business people, students, intellectuals and writers.

Founded by coffee maker Antonio Pedrocchi in 1831, the café was designed in neoclassical style by architect Giuseppe Jappelli and each side is edged with Corinthian columns.

Caffe Pedrocchi quickly became a centre for the Risorgimento movement, which was dedicated to liberating Italy from Austrian rule.

The café also became popular with students and artists because of its location in Via VIII Febbraio close to Palazzo Bo, the main university building. It was at the centre of a student uprising in 1848.

It later became famous even outside Padova as a venue that never closed its doors, where people were welcome to come to talk, read, play cards and debate as well as to eat or drink, at any hour of the day.

The upstairs rooms are elaborately decorated in medieval, Moorish, Egyptian and Greek style and are now used for lectures, concerts and exhibitions.

Caffe Pedrocchi has become a Padova institution and is a must-see sight for visitors. You can enjoy coffee, drinks and snacks all day in the elegant surroundings. A lunch menu is served between 12.30 and 14.30 every day except Wednesdays.

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Padova’s famous university was housed in ancient tavern

Palazzo del Bò

The University of Padova , originally established in 1222, is one of the oldest universities in the world - second in Italy only to the University of Bologna.

The main university building is Palazzo del Bò in Via 8 Febbraio, which was named after the tavern known as Il Bò (‘the ox’ in Venetian dialect) that had been acquired by the university as new premises in 1493.

Originally this building housed the university’s renowned medical faculty. You can take a guided tour and see the pulpit that was used by Galileo when he taught at the university between 1592 and 1610 and the anatomy theatre, built in 1594, which is the oldest surviving medical lecture theatre in the world today.

The university grew larger in the 16th century and other buildings near Palazzo del Bò became part of the complex. The palazzo itself was modified at this time by architect Andrea Moroni.

Today Palazzo del Bò has two main wings. There is a 19th century part, which was restored in the last century, and the older wing is to the left hand side of the building.

To find Palazzo del Bò, leave Piazza Cavour, passing Caffe Pedrocchi on your right, and walk down Via 8 Febbraio. The university building is on the left hand side of the street at its corner with Via San Francesco.

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Padova celebrates Festa di Sant’Antonio

The Basilica di Sant'Antonio

Padova has enjoyed several days of services, concerts and events to mark the 2012 Festa di Sant’Antonio.

It is estimated that more than 100,000 visitors congregated in the city for the saint’s feast day on 13 June.

Special services were held in the Basilica di Sant’Antonio and a statue of the saint was carried through the streets in the early evening.

The celebrations continued in soaring temperatures over the next few days as pilgrims from all over the world visited the Basilica, which houses the saint’s tomb and relics.

Antonio (Anthony in English) was born in Portugal where he became a Catholic priest and a friar of the Franciscan order. He died on 13 June, 1231 in Padova and was declared a saint by the Vatican a year after his death, which is considered to be a remarkably short space of time.

Antonio is one of the most loved of all the saints and his name is regularly invoked by Italians to help them recover lost items.

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Palazzo della Ragione dominates centre of Padova

The Palazzo della Ragione dominates
Padova's market squares

In the medieval heart of Padova, the enormous Palazzo della Ragione (palace of reason) separates the two market squares, the Piazza delle Erbe and the Piazza della Frutta.

The palace was built at the beginning of the 13th century to house the court of justice on the upper floor and to provide space for shops under the porticos at ground level.

Inside the building, there is a vast main hall, known locally as il Salone. It is believed to be the largest medieval hall in the world, measuring an impressive 80m (260 ft) long by 27m (90 ft) wide.

The palace was enlarged in 1306 by the addition of external loggias and the building of the current roof, which is in the shape of a ship’s keel. Although the building was damaged by fire in the 15th century and a tornado in the 18th century, it has remained an impressive landmark at the hub of commercial activity in Padova.

The squares on either side of the palace are lined with fascinating shops, bars, restaurants and historic buildings and have been the locations for the city’s food market for more than 800 years.

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Sample some Prosecco – the perfect pick-me-up for tired tourists

A Prosecco from
Valdobbiadene

Look out for Prosecco, a refreshing, delicate sparkling white wine sold by the glass in many bars in Padova.

Named after the variety of grape it is made from, Prosecco is lighter and more delicate than Champagne because it is bottled while young rather than being fermented.

It is made in the areas of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano in the Veneto, to the north east of Padova.

It was probably named after the town of Prosecco near Trieste where the grape, one of Italy’s oldest, is believed to have originated.

Italy produces 150 million bottles of Prosecco a year, mostly from the area around Valdobbiadene.

Fortunately for the rest of the world, Prosecco travels well and is reasonably priced when put on sale. It is best drunk young.

When on holiday in Italy, Prosecco is the ideal aperitivo to enjoy before lunch and dinner and is a refreshing drink to order in a bar when you are having a break from sight seeing. Salute!

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Ristorante Zairo recalls history of Prato della Valle

Dine out in style while you are in Padova at Ristorante Pizzeria Zairo in Prato della Valle.

A bas relief of chariot races at Zairo

The elegant restaurant is decorated with chandeliers, statues and frescoes, echoing the grandeur of the square where it is situated.

When Zairo was renovated in 1988, the original architecture of an earlier church on the site was uncovered and this has been skilfully incorporated into the design of the restaurant along with a 17th century fresco that has been preserved.

The restaurant’s statues and wall decorations recall the Roman activities that would once have taken place within the elliptical space of Prato della Valle, such as chariot races and theatre entertainment.

Zairo’s menu offers a wide choice of meat and fish dishes, some typical of the Veneto and some specialities from Puglia . There is also an extensive pizza list. For more details visit www.zairo.net

The restaurant is at number 51 Prato della Valle, close to the Basilica of Santa Giustina.

Zairo is open from 12.00 to 14.30 and from 19.00 to 01.00. It is closed on Mondays.

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