Italian Trip Diary -- Day #12 -- Padua

Sunday, June 24, 2001, Padua:

Sunday morning we walked through the old town to the Basilica.  There was a huge throng trying to get into the church for mass, so we elected to visit Oratorio di San Giorgio and the Scuola del Santo on the south side of the Piazza del Santo.  

Oratorio di San Giorgio (right) and Scuola del Santo (left) on Piazza del Santo in Padua.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

We were admitted by a very old custodian who did not speak English.  He gave us some rather stern instructions in Italian (which none of us speak).  The Oratorio is completely covered with frescoes recounting the lives of three saints – St. Lucy, St. Catherine and St. George.  The paintings are by Altichiero da Verona (a contemporary of Giotto) and Jacopo d'Avanzi.  

"Coronation of the Virgin' (in the lunette) and 'Crucifixion' (above the altar) frescoes by Altichiero da Verona and Jacopo d'Avanzi, in the Oratorio di San Giorgio, circa 1377-1384.  Photo from Wikipedia 

The custodian apparently has closed-circuit television surveillance of the Oratorio, because he came storming in when we started taking pictures – which is apparently against the rules.

Scenes from the life of Saint George by Altichiero da Verona (a.k.a Altichiero da Zevio)
 in Oratorio San Giorgio.  Upper panel 'Saint George Baptizing Saint Servius'.
Lower panel 'Saint George Liberated from Torture by Two Angels'.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

He had to unlock the Scuola next door which has magnificent frescoes about the life of St. Anthony at least partially painted by Titian.

'Saint Anthony Grants the Gift of Speech to the Newborn' by Titian, fresco, 1511.  Photo from Wikipedia

Both Carl and Doug decided to take pictures and the custodian first blinked the lights and then when we didn’t stop, he came storming in again and gave George (who had never even held the camera) a stern lecture (in Italian) with much gesturing.  We were saved by the appearance of a young man in jeans and sandals who let himself into the Scuola and began arranging music on the top of the organ.  We later saw the same young man in monk’s robes preparing to lead a prayer service there.

Somewhat shaken by ours encounters with the custodian, we left and made our way into the Basilica through the crush of people now leaving at the end of the service.  St. Anthony of Padua is apparently a place where families from all over the area make Sunday pilgrimages.  The Piazza was very festive after the mass, with lots of families gathering children darting all over the square and assisting doddering grandparents through the crowds.

The Basilica is a preview of the Byzantine style of San Marco in Venice with multiple domes and minarets springing up above the triangular pediment of the façade in an incredibly complex configuration.  

Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua.  The side aisles were added after the nave was finished, 
accounting for the slight 'barn' silhouette of the pediment.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua from the rear cloister.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Angel Gabriel atop the highest spire of the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

Inside, the Basilica is filled with art -- frescoes, mosaics, sculpture and reliquaries.  The chapel behind the altar contains more than a hundred relics of saints – all in elaborate gold and silver cases encrusted with precious stones and crystal.  The actual tomb of Saint Anthony in the north transept is covered with photographs of people seeking the saint’s help.  Filled with worshippers at midday on Sunday it has a powerfully solemn, yet festive effect.

Coming out into the sunshine on the Piazza, we decided to stop for lunch at an outdoor cafe on the south side of the square not far from the famous equestrian statue by Donatello.

Equestrian statue of Erasmo da Narni (Gattemelata) by Donatello, bronze, 1453.  
Photo by Blomme-McClure

We sat near a large family group who had obviously just come from mass at the Basilica and were enjoying the early afternoon with a festive lunch.

Caffe Bar Gattemelata on Piazza del Santo in Padua where we stopped for lunch.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

After lunch we walked back through the old town with its University and coffee houses where the Risorgimento was enthusiastically embraced. 

University of Padua's Main Building.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Palazzo del Bo (part of the University) with Cafe Pedrocchi on right.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Cafe Pedrocchi, founded in 1772 and expanded to the present cafe in 1831-39, was the meeting place of
intellectuals from the University and leaders of resistance to the Austrian Empire.
Photo by Blomme-McClure

These rather ribald posters, apparently satirical commentary on politcal figures, were posted on walls around the University area.  Today I'm wondering if the one on the right is a caricature of Silvio Berlusconi.  Photo by Blomme-McClure

Then we visited the Municipal Gallery (Erimitani Museums) at the other end of town.  It is recently renovated and has a well-presented, if mediocre, collection of art and a well-reputed collection of antiquities.  Since it was a hot day, we were not very enthusiastic about being in a rather stifling space with no air conditioning.

The Scrovegni Chapel next door was closed for renovations, so we couldn’t see the famous frescoes by Giotto that are inside.  (It has since reopened with a spiffy new air filtration and humidity control system).  So we headed to the Caffe Cavour (Piazza Cavour 10, Padova, 8751224) for gelato before strolling back to the hotel.

That evening we had dinner at the Ristorante Cavalca (Via Daniele Manin 8, Padova, 8760061) not too far from the Hotel Belle Arte.  Dinner was fine except for a very loud, very drunk French Canadian at the next table who made the meal intolerable for everyone in the small dining room.  The charming young waiter seemed very apologetic and tried to be extra helpful with his limited English.