Vibrant art city with its mix of modern and medieval, it is cultured and casual at the same time.
Padua is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the area.
Padua stands on the Bacchiglione River, 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Venice and 29 km (18 miles) southeast of Vicenza. The Brenta River, which once ran through the city, still touches the northern districts. Its agricultural setting is the Venetian Plain (Pianura Veneta). To the city’s south west lies the Euganaean Hills, praised by Lucan and Martial, Petrarch, Ugo Foscolo, and Shelley.
The city is picturesque, with a dense network of arcaded streets opening into large communal piazze, and many bridges crossing the various branches of the Bacchiglione, which once surrounded the ancient walls like a moat.
Saint Anthony, the patron saint of the city, was a Portuguese Franciscan who spent part of his life in the city and died there in 1231. It hosts the University of Padua, founded in 1222, where Galileo Galilei was a lecturer between 1592 and 1610.
The city is the setting for most of the action in Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew. There is a play by the Irish writer Oscar Wilde entitled The Duchess of Padua.
Where to go
Food & Restaurants
Eating out in Padua can be classified by its simplicity and its quality.
Accommodation
What are the most popular hotels in Padova? Whether you’re traveling for business or going on vacation, there are many popular hotels to choose
