THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO GIOTTO

If you trust the legend, Padua was founded in 1183 BC by prince Antenor after the fall of Troy, making it the oldest city in northern Italy. Whatever the true story, archaeological findings unearthed beneath the city centre provide evidence that prehistoric civilizations must have settled here as far back as the 11th and 10th centuries BC.

The list of Padua’s feats and achievements does not end here, of course. The city is home to Italy’s second oldest university which has been a catalyst for countless generations of illustrious intellectuals and professors – including Galileo Galilei himself – since its establishment in 1222. Padua was Franciscan preacher and miracle-worker Saint Anthony’s chosen city, the place where he spent his last years and was finally laid to rest in 1231, thus triggering a wave of devotion that is very much alive today and still attracts flocks of pilgrims to the city. Padua also boasts the country’s third largest public square, the impressive 90,000 square metre Prato della Valle, graced by 78 statues featuring the city’s great and good.

But what draws thousands of visitors from far and wide to Padua every year is the city’s prized jewel, the Scrovegni Chapel. Under the tutelage of the ambitious, powerful and affluent banker Enrico degli Scrovegni, ground-breaking painter Giotto completed the decoration of the chapel’s walls in 1305, after 855 days of painstaking, meticulous labour. The breathtakingly beautiful fresco cycle depicts scenes from the Old and New Testaments and is reputed to be a milestone in the development of Western art. Your guide will point out features of particular significance and explain why this gorgeously painted Bible constitutes an artistic revolution. Indeed the only other work that bears comparison with it in terms of its impact on the contemporary scene and its influence on the history of art is Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. The masterful use of a brilliant palette, his realistic representation of space, perspective and light, together with the emotional intensity of his characters, break away totally from all previous artistic representations.

Padua’s charms also include bustling piazzas, porticoed streets, historical cafes and an impressive wealth of medieval and Renaissance masterpieces. Gain a preview of Paradise as you gaze up at the heavenly gathering depicted in the 14th century fresco by Giusto de’ Menabuoi on the dome of the Baptistery of Saint John. Then take in a slice of daily life as you saunter through Piazza delle Erbe, the city’s commercial hub since the 11th century where the fresh fruit and vegetable market is still regularly held. The square is dominated by the imposing Palazzo della Ragione, the medieval town hall where once, as a punishment, debtors were forced to sit bare-bottomed on a stone and confess their sins before being banished from the city. And don’t forget to pay your respects to the city’s patron saint whose revered relics lie in the richly ornamented chapel behind the main altar of the 13th century Basilica of Saint Anthony. Among his many powers the saint is also believed to be the protector of all things lost… so next time you find an item that had been mislaid remember to offer up thanks to St. Anthony.

After the tour enjoy some free time for lunch then rejoin your driver and return to your accommodation in Venice.