03. Early Europe & Colonial Americas, Art & Humanities, Europe, Italy

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

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.

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the gorgeous park I got horribly lost in!
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my hotel…finally

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

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you can’t really see it but that’s as close as you can get to his incorrupt tongue
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St. Anthony’s Tomb: I actually had  no idea why I was standing in line until I got right up to it

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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!

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JMO

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