A tour dedicated to Padua the city of fresco, UNESCO Heritage Site which will take you on a journey through the splendour of the city which in the 14th century, thanks to the Da Carrara family, reached the highest artistic and cultural levels.
From 24 July 2021, the city of Padua entered the UNESCO World Heritage List for the second time for its “Fourteenth-century fresco cycles in Padua”. The first time took place in 1997 with the Botanical Garden, located in the historic center of the city, founded in 1545 and the oldest in the world, which was considered a world heritage site, as a “representation of the cradle of science, of scientific exchanges and understanding the relationships between nature and culture “.
The tour dedicated to Padua the city of fresco UNESCO Heritage Site starts from Prato della Valle, one of the largest squares in Europe, a large green island created in the 18th century, surrounded by a canal on whose waters are reflected 78 tall statues representing heroes and illustrious men of Padua and the Veneto region.
You will walk among the bridges and tree-lined avenues retracing the salient features of Padua’s history thanks to the most famous characters, from the Trojan hero Antenor, who fled from burning Troy to undertake the adventurous journey to the West that led him to found the city of Padua, to poets, scientists, scholars, artists and men of letters who have brought prestige to the city. Titus Livius, Torquato Tasso, Ludovico Ariosto, Andrea Mantegna and Francesco Petrarca have given great impetus to Padua’s culture over the centuries.
Step by step you will reach the Basilica dedicated to Saint Anthony: built starting in 1232, after the canonisation of the Franciscan friar Anthony, today it contains a rich mixture of styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance with some references to Byzantine art. Inside you will be enchanted by the splendour of the frescoes and decorations by great masters such as Altichiero da Zevio, Jacopo Avanzi, Donatello and Giusto de’ Menabuoi.
You will also admire Giusto de’ Menabuoi‘s decoration of the Chapel of the Blessed Luca Belludi: a close friend of Saint Anthony, he was a man of great culture and intelligence, and is still taken as an example by Paduan students who, in view of a particularly difficult university exam, often find themselves kneeling in front of the Blessed to pray for the success of their studies.
You will continue the tour of Padua the city of fresco UNESCO Heritage Site towards the Bo, the seat of the University of Padua, and retrace its ancient history, which saw the passage of famous professors, including Galileo Galilei, who spent “the best eighteen years of his life” in the city.
The tour continues towards the heart of Padua where you will reach Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta, and enter the majestic Palazzo della Ragione, known as “il Salone”, built in the 13th century as a municipal court and seat of justice. The frescoes on the walls, rebuilt in the 15th century after a fire, take up the original theme of astrology, the stars, planets and signs of the zodiac.
You will then return to the fourteenth-century Carrarese in the Baptistery of the Cathedral where, with your nose in the air, you will be enchanted by the theory of saints, angels and biblical scenes masterfully frescoed by Menabuoi, appreciating once again the cultural and artistic impetus given to the city by the powerful Da Carrara family throughout the fourteenth century.
Continue your walk through Piazza dei Signori, one of Padua’s favourite destinations for the traditional ritual of the aperitif, until you reach Caffè Pedrocchi. Built at the beginning of the nineteenth century by Antonio Pedrocchi, son of a coffee maker from Bergamo, who gave his friend architect Giuseppe Jappelli the task of enlarging it, it was at the time a meeting place for literary men, and today is the elegant meeting place for Paduans on important occasions.
Guaranteed departure with a minimum of 4 paying adults.
EXPLANATIONS DURING THE TOUR: only touristic guides can and are allowed to explain the monuments, the city and the museums. Accompaniers just help you in case you need it or take you to the most beautiful places chosen for your tour.
MEETINGS: In case the meeting point with the guide/accompanist is in the place of the tour it is necessary to give an active telephone number, which will be given to the guide/accompanist. In case you can’t find the guide/accompanist please call the number +39 333 994 52 88. If you don’t contact us, the agency cannot be retained as responsible.
OPENING TIMES OF THE MONUMENTS: Some monuments are not always open. If you are interested in visiting a special monument, tell us in the moment of request of quotation. In case you don’t asked us, the agency cannot be retained as responsible.
TRANSFER SERVICES: The transfer service for the client, if done with the Minivan of the agency, is included as a transfer service for free and carried out for courtesy only in order to full fill the necessities of the tour.
WEATHER: The tour takes place even in case of bad weather. If the tour is cancelled it is to protect your safety. The tours to Venice take place even in case of high water.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN DURING THE TOURS: Tours could be held in multiple languages at the same time.
RESPECT FOR TIMETABLES AND GROUPS: With the confirmation of the tour, you accept the timetable indicated in the program. In order to have an above-board tour, it will not be possible to change the timetable except it is a decision of the tour leader.
TECHNICAL ORGANIZATION: Lovivo Tour Experience by E3 srl, Viale delle Terme, 107 / B 35031 Abano Terme (Padua), T. +39 049 2969340 F. +39 049 2969349, e-mail info@lovivo.it www.lovivo.it,EUROP ASSISTANCE Insurance Policy n. 9040153, Guarantee Fund: IL SALVAGENTE s.c. a r.l. n. 2020 / 1- 3114, Authorization of the Province of Padua 1226 of reg. of 18.08.2016.
