PADUA, another city which, after its Roman origins and a turbulent medieval
existence, achieved a happy equanimity under Venetian rule. We enter the city by
way of Piazzale Stanga, going immediately (by Via Ognissanti and Via Belzoni) to
S. Sofia, the oldest church in Padua (1125) with a magnificent apse.
From here
we go to the Scrovegni Chapel, a small Gothic church in the garden which now
occupies the site of the Arena, the ancient Roman amphitheatre. It contains the
cycle of 38 frescoes, which constitute a gigantic undertaking by Giotto
(1305-6): it is from here, one might say, that Italian painting set out on its
long journey down the ensuing centuries.
Crossing the garden, we come to the Church of the Eremitani (1276), once another
sanctuary of Italian painting, before Allied bombs (1944) almost completely
destroyed the frescoes by Andrea Mantegna which decorated it; important
fragments of them still exist, however.
From here, we go towards the center of
the town, passing by the Caffe Pedrocchi, a picturesque neo-classical building,
and one of the few old Italian cafes still in existence, to three charming
squares, one after the other: Piazza dei Frutti, delle Erbe, and dei Signori.
Between the first two, rises the harmoniously elegant Palazzo della Ragione, an
oblong building with an arcade, a loggia and a curved roof (1218-1306).
In
Piazza dei Signori, we see the elegant Loggia della Gian Guardia (1523) and the
Palazzo (del Capimnio, with its Clack Tower, whose arcade leads into the Corle
Capitaniato and into the nearby square of the same name. Once the Carraresi
Castle, belonging to the lords of Padua, Stood on the site of the Liviano, with
rooms originally painted by Altichiero and Guariento.
Nearby is the handsome Vabaresso Arch, built in 1632 in honor of a Venetian
mayor. We then enter the Piazza del Duomo, containing the Cathedral, with its
rough unfinished facade and its plan based originally on designs by
Michelangelo. To the right of the Cathedral is a beautiful Romanesque Baptistery
(1260) containing a magnificent Polypitch and Frescoes by Giusto de' Menabuoi
(1378).
In the nearby Via Vescovado, we come upon one of the most beautiful
private residence in Padua, the House of Mirrors, so-called because of its
polished polychrome marble surface. Returning to our previous route, we pass by
the Town Hall and reach the ancient Palazzo dell'Universita with its attractive
16th century courtyard.
Going down Via Roma and turning into the quaint Riviera dei Pomi Romani, we come to the square before the Basilica di Sant'Antonio. This
church which presents a fascinating mixture of styles with its Gothic Romanesque
walls and the oriental aspect of its seven domes, contains an immense collection
of art tress ores, including the marvelous High Altar by Donatello. Also by
Donatello is the elegant equestrian statue al' the Italian soldier of fortune,
Erasmo da Norm, known as Gattamelata, which stands in front of the Basilica.
After visiting the church, the lovely cloister and the Museum of St. Anthony,
we proceed to the adjacent Civic museum, which has a fine archaeological
section, but most of all an excellent collection of paintings (works by Giotto,
Lorenzo Veneziano, Jacopo and Giovanni Bellini, Foppa, Vivarini, Morone,
Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese, Van Dyck, Piazzetta, Tiepolo, Ricci,
Longhi, etc.).
Crossing the canal and going through the picturesque Botanical
Gardens, we come into the elegant Prato della Valle, ornamented with canals,
statues, trees and obelisks, an ingenious and poetical creation of the 18th
century. From here, we move on to the imposing Church of S. Giustina, one of the
largest in Christendom (16th century), containing numerous works of art. The
Martyrdom of St. Justina by Veronese is in the apse.
