Rick Steves Village Italy in 14 days
Menu
Padua
Day 1
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Meet our guide and tour members
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First dinner together
Day 2
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The Scrovegni Chapel
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Church of the Eremitani
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The University of Padua
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Walk through the market
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Palazzo della Ragione
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St. Anthony's Basilica
We knew from the reviews and comments on the Rick Steves forum that the hotel was very quaint and decorated with eclectic artwork. It was fun to compare each level as we walked up to our room on the top floor. Each floor seemed to have a different color palette. Our room was bright, cheery, and very comfortable. Tricia, our tour guide, had already posted a message about our first gathering. She put up one of these messages every evening before we went off to bed to let us know what to expect the next day.
Di Dove Sei?- Where are you from?
It was time to officially meet our tour mates. Tricia introduced herself and then it was the group's turn. We each shared our names, home towns and the number of Rick Steves tours we had traveled on. We discovered that Bryan and I were the only people who had not been on a previous tour.
Amico in Italiano- Buddy/Friend in English
It was time to pick our buddies. I had read about the buddy system on the Rick Steves forums. The buddy system makes sure everyone is accounted for when it is time to leave or change locations throughout our travels. It had sounded like an uncomfortable system to me, similar to getting chosen for a team in elementary school. It does work great and it gets everyone involved with the other tour members quickly. Bryan and I enjoyed getting to know our buddies and we had fun spending time with them throughout the tour.
It was soon time for our first dinner together. Tricia gave us an introductory tour of Padua on our way to dinner at the restaurant Corte dei Leone. They seated us in a private room in the back of the restaurant. The separate room and the endless bottles of wine made getting to know each other very easy. Now if we can just remember everyone's names!
Click any photo to take a closer look
Our second day was to start at 7:15 with breakfast, but I convinced Bryan to get up even earlier to take early morning pictures around the Prato della Valle. The Prato is an oval-shaped piazza with a lagoon surrounded by statues of famous Paduans. This oval shape reflects the Roman theater that once stood on that site and it is one of the largest "squares" in Europe. Tricia told us that the area is used as a park and often an open-air market.
Click any photo to take a closer look
Bryan and I returned to the hotel for breakfast and then set off with the group for a very busy day. Our hotel was in a great location and we were able to walk to all the sites we visited. The first stop of the day was the Scrovegni Chapel. This chapel was a private chapel that a wealthy Paduan had built between 1303 and 1305. He hired the artist Giotto to paint the interior. Groups are allowed only 15 minutes to take in the vibrant frescos telling the story about the lives of Mary and Jesus. The paintings are very colorful, with many details. I spent our allotted time taking as many pictures as possible so I could study them later. I enjoyed revisiting the chapel by watching the video clip on the Rick Steves' Europe YouTube channel when we returned home.
Click first photo in each group to enlarge entire gallery
Once our tour of the chapel was done, we were joined by our local guide Carla. She led us into the Church of the Eremitani, which is next door to the Scrovegni Chapel. This church is an example of the many churches, pieces of art, and cities that were damaged as the Allied forces moved through Italy, pushing Mussolini and Hitler out at the end of World War II. The area was bombed because it was believed that the German troops were inside the Church.
Carla then guided us through Padua, making sure to point out the arch of the original city wall that still stands in the middle of the modern city. We arrived at the University of Padua and learned how it was founded in 1222 by students who wanted a more liberal environment than the nearby University of Bologna offered. This university is home to the first anatomical theatre where students and artists could freely study and learn from the human body.
The first photo below is a picture of the 3D model of the anatomical theater and the second picture was taken looking up into the actual gallery. The perspective doesn't show that it is over 2 stories high. The day we were touring was graduation day for the Medical college. It was so fun to see the graduates in their crowns of laurel with their friends and family all beaming with pride.
Our group said goodbye to Carla and followed Tricia through the vibrant colors of the market to a little seating area where Tricia had organized a lovely break for us. Here is where we tried our first spritz, known as lo spritz in Italian. This popular Italian cocktail is made with Aperol liquor, prosecco, and soda water. We also had a snack of tramezzini. These sandwiches are very similar to a white bread sandwich we would have at home. Tricia gave us a few ideas for our free afternoon and evening and we all headed off to enjoy Padua.
Bryan and I visited the Palazzo della Ragione- the Palace of Justice. Tricia had explained earlier that it was the law courts in the 1200s. The artwork on the walls were various animals and fantastical creatures that indicated the different courts. The pictures told the people where to go for their court cases. For example, your case is being heard in the court of the Lion. The pictures were nice, but nothing compared to the beautiful art we had seen earlier in the day.
Our last stop of the afternoon was the Basilica of St. Anthony. I was amazed at the magnificent, vivid colors of the interior of the basilica compared to the somewhat muted tones of the exterior. There is an unusual display of the Saint Anthony's relics at the one end of the basilica and his beautiful white tomb along one side. Part of the ceiling is painted in vibrant blues, whites, and golds as if the ceiling is open to the night sky.
After visiting St. Anthony's, Bryan and I had cocktails in the square with a few of fellow tour mates while soaking up the Italian sunshine and people watching. Bryan and I had dinner in a restaurant off the Plato della Valle. We enjoyed a dish of fresh mozzarella and tomatoes as an appetizer. Bryan had baked oysters and I had a dish of pasta and shrimp in a white sauce. After dinner we took a leisurely walk back to our hotel for a good night's sleep.
