Private Tours of Padova with a Professional Guide

The most famous of the Paduan churches is the Basilica di S.Antonio, we simply call it "Il Santo". The bones of the saint rest in a chapel richly ornamented with carved marbles, the work of various artists, among them Sansovino and Falconetto. The basilica was begun a year after the death of St. Anthony 1232 and completed in the following century. On the square, in front of the Basilica is Donatello’s magnificent equestrian statue of the Venetian general Erasmo da Narni, called Gattamelata It was cast in 1453, and was the first full-size bronze cast since antiquity.

At the centre of the historical city, the buildings of Palazzo del Bò, the old University founded in 1222. The list of professors and alumni is long and illustrious, containing, among others, the names of the anatomist Vesalius, Copernicus, Fallopius, Galileo Galilei, William Harvey. It is also where, in 1678, Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman in the world to graduate. The university hosts the oldest anatomy theatre, built in 1594. Please note that: Self-guided tours are not available at Palazzo Bo: access to the building is only possible by guided tour. I can gladly reserve your ticket, no prepayment requested.

Palazzo Della Ragione (Salone) with its great hall on the upper floor, is reputed to have the largest roof unsupported by columns in Europe; the walls are covered with allegorical frescoes. The first Palazzo was begun in 1172 and finished in 1219. In 1306, Fra Giovanni, an Augustinian friar, covered the whole with one roof. Beneath the great hall, there are two centuries-old markets: Piazza Frutti, Piazza Erbe.

In the Piazza dei Signori is the beautiful loggia called the Gran Guardia, (1493–1526), and the Palazzo del Capitaniato, the residence of the Venetian governors.

It has been the commercial heart of Padova since pre-roman times. It still hosts a bustling and colourful fruit and vegetable market (Mon through Sat)

It's the third square built in the heart of Padova and around the huge medieval Palazzo della Ragione, it hosts a market too (Mon through Sat)