Padova Part I: Arriving & Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua

I spent a very full day in Padova, so full I’m going to break it up into three posts:

1. Arriving & Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua
2. The Botanical Garden
3. Scrovegni Chapel & leaving

I boarded a train at 7:13 am Saturday morning in Novara for a roughly three-hour train ride to Padova (Padua in English). I arrived around 10:30 am and then promptly got very lost. I walked around for about an hour rolling my obnoxious floral carry-on through cobblestone streets and gardens, until (with many strangers’ assistance) I found my way to my embarrassingly close-to-the-train-station hotel. Of course, if I followed directions properly, it was just one right turn from the street the station was on.

I was back on the streets of Padova around noon, and headed to Basilica of St. Anthony. He is commonly known as the patron saint of lost things, but also generally a very popular Catholic saint. So, needless to say, the church was gigantic! Super huge and beautiful – it took my breath away as I walked up to it from a side street. The photos below are the church and a sign that informed me that I was here on the 750th anniversary of when they found his incorrupt tongue. 🙂 I thought that was just great and so weirdly Catholic.

Read more: Feast of St. Anthony of Padua

Also, in the same piazza as the church of St. Anthony is this bronze equestrian statue by Donatello, Gattamelata, it was covered in my art history and Italian classes and I think I was the only person who actually noticed it. But that’s ok!

JMO