Prato della Valle i Santa Giustina.
A little further south is the Prato della Valle, considered to be the largest city square in Italy; it is quite a gloomy place, surrounded by excessively wide roads and even a summer festival does not improve the atmosphere much.
The 16th-century Basilica di Santa Giustina adjoins one edge of the square (pn.-sb. 7.30-12.00 i 15.30-19.30, nd. 7.00-13.00 i 15.30-19.30). The only noteworthy ornaments of the naked brick facade are the 15th-century griffins: one with a knight, the second - with a lion; there is nothing interesting in the icy interior, except for a huge painting - Martyrdom and. Justyna by Paola Veronese (in the apse), outstanding workshop carvings on the stalls of the choir and the sarcophagus, which once housed the relics of St.. Luke the Evangelist (apse of the left transept).
Fragments of the church's earlier architecture are more interesting. In the right transept, a stone span opens onto the Corridor of Martyrs, a composition of architectural elements from the 5th to the 12th centuries, leading to the Sacellum di Santa Maria e San Prosdocimo, places, where St.. Prosdocimus. He was the first bishop of Padua in the fourth century, when the church was founded, and is depicted here in a 5th century panneau. 15th-century old choir, accessed by a chain of corridors from the chapel on the left side of the right transept, it contains stalls wonderfully decorated with the marquetry technique.
University
Via Umberto leads to the university, whose main building is the Palazzo del Bó ("ox", from the inn located here earlier). Established in September 1221 r. the University of Padua is the oldest in Italy after Bologna and the coats of arms decorating the courtyard and the Great Hall testify to the social and intellectual rank of its students. W 1594 r. the first permanent anatomical laboratory was built here, which no doubt greatly helped William Harvey (who received his diploma here in 1602 r.) in the formulation of the theory of blood circulation. In years 1592-1610 Galileo taught physics here from a lectern, which can still be seen today. Whereas in 1678 r. Elena Lucrezia Comer Piscopia was the first woman to receive a university diploma in the form of a doctorate in philosophy - her statue is located in the courtyard. (Guided tours IX-VI Mon-Fri. 9.30, 11.30, 15.30 i 17.30, sb. 9.30 i 11.30; VIII pn.-sb. 9.30 i 11.30.)
Central places
The area to the north and west of the university is the core of the city. Walking a bit north of the university, on the left is Caffó Pedrocchi, formerly the main intellectual salon of the city; today, the restaurant serves many other functions - a stylish cafe, concert hall and conference center.
Piazza delle Frutta and Piazza delle Erbe, where fairs are held every day, are surrounded by bars, restaurants and shops. It separates the squares of the remarkable Palazzo della Ragione or Salone (wt.-nd. 9.30-12.30 i 15.30-19.30; 2000 L) - after building in 1210 r. this enormous hall was the largest room in the world, erected at the top of the lower floor. Its ornamentation was once as impressive as its vastness, but the original frescoes of Giotto and his assistants were destroyed in a fire in 1420 r.; however, some frescoes by Giusto de Menabuoi have survived; most of the existing frescoes are the work of the artist Nicola Miretto (1425-1440). The hall is mainly used for the meetings of the city council, and formerly the citizens of Padua could appeal to justice here - hence the name Palazzo della Ragione, or "palace of reason". A giant wooden horse with disproportionately large gonads, modeled on the Gaitamelata sculpture by Donatello, was made on the occasion of the tournament of knights in 1466 r.
Duomo i baptysterium
The Duomo of Padua is nearby (codz. 7.00-12.00 i 16.00-19.30), unbeatable church, whose architect pulled the design from the drawings by Michelangelo. However, the adjoining Romanesque baptistery is one of the little-known peculiarities of Padua (IV-IX Mon.-Sat. 9.30-12.30 i 15.00-18.00, nd. 9.30-12.00; X-III 9.30-12.00 i 14.30-17.30, nd. 9.30-12.00; 2000 L). It was built in the 13th century by Carraresi, and decorated a century later by Giusto de Menabuoi, whose series of frescoes is a fascinating juxtaposition with the works of Giotto in Cappella degli Scrovegni. Giotto's influence is obvious, but striving for greater realism, Giusto lost his master's monumentality, which resulted in, that the characters look clumsy and unconvincing. Nevertheless, the series contains many delightful scenes, and the vividness of colors, the size of the paintings and a certain quietness of the interior make, make your visit here unforgettable.
Gastronomy and entertainment
Thanks to the large number of student brothers, bars in Padua are open longer than in Venice - many close only at 2.00 —- and new premises are opened just as often, what the old ones are modernizing. Alla Ventura is fashionable today (via SS. Martino and Solferino) i At the Crocodile (Riviera S. Blessed 154). Young people, however, prefer Lucifer Young in via Altinate, with the atmosphere of the devil's cave.
The bars in Padua must provide a midday meal for the crowds of hungry students, so snacks here are more solid than typical tremezzini - usually they serve pizza or huge sandwiches. A large selection of meals while standing is offered by the rosticceria in via Daniele Manin (8.30-13.30 i 16.00-20.30), but for a little more money you can eat in the best of cheap restaurants, At the finish, in Piazza Petrarca (wt. close). Inside the room, worth considering, to the church, via Eremitani 16, To Paradise, via Altinate 11, From Giovanni, Via De Cristoforis 1, Evans, via B. Pellegrino 21, AWAnfora, via N. Tommaseo 13 and Vecia Padova, Via Arco Valaresso 20.
The intensity of nightlife in Padua is synchronized with the seasons of the academic year; concert program, theater performances etc.. can be found on posters all over the city, and especially around the university. From the local dailies, the most extensive column "What? Where? When?”La Mattina posts. The Associazione Cinemauno film club shows art films in the Esperia cinema in via Chiesanuova 112.
Half a dozen permanent discos in Padua are quieter places; the liveliest atmosphere is in Ippopotamus, at via Savonarola 149 and in the more sensational Extra Extra, via Ciamician.