Living Abroad - Padua, Italy

Amazing World

PADUA, ITALY

If you’re interested in art, architecture and Italian culture, then Padua is the place for you. It’s got more than 3,000 years of history and it’s full of interesting sights and things to do. by Cristiano Righi

Inspiration

As soon as you get to Padua you’ll see the is the wall that goes around the city. The most interesting parts of the wall include the “Portello Gate” and the “Savonarola Gate”. So where can you start on your journey around Padua? Well, the best place is the Botanical Gardens. It was founded in 1545 as a garden for medical plants. These days it’s part of the “Faculty of Medicine” in The University of Padua. “Il Botanico”, as it is known, is the oldest botanical garden in the world, and has an extremely important collection of rare plants, including a palm tree that was planted in 1585 and that worked as inspiration for the German poet Goethe in the 18th century.

Unofficial Ceremonies

“Bo’ Palace” is another good place to visit. It’s basically a large group of buildings which were constructed at the beginning of the 17th century. They were built near a medieval inn called the Bo’, which means “ox” in the dialect of the Veneto region. The Bo’ Palace is now the main seat of the university. It’s great for walking around. In the old central square you can also see the rooms with their ancient draperies and paintings. On graduation day at the “Bo’ Palace”, students receive the ancient Roman “crown of laurel” - just like the one that Caesar used to wear. If you are lucky enough to be around when this is happening, you’ll also see the “unofficial” celebration that usually follows the official one. In this “unofficial” ceremony, students play tricks on one another. Here are some of the typical things they do: 1. Undressing a student and watching him walk around the crowded squares begging for money 2. Using cling film to stick a live eel on a student, then throwing the student into one of the fountains; 3. Covering the student in sticky tape and watching him trying to get out of it.

Meeting Places

Another interesting place to visit is the Prato della Valle. This is the traditional site for fairs and entertainment. One of the most spectacular shows is the firework display that takes place on 15th August. You can also see a typical Italian flea market that sells really cheap things and second-hand goods every Saturday morning. The market is in a large building that was constructed in 1775. Centuries before there was a Roman theatre here. Nowadays this is one of the main places for young people to meet on Saturday afternoon. Many of them go skating around the square, which makes this area the oldest skating track in the world.

Time For Food

Just a few steps away from Prato della Valle there’s a fantastic pizzeria: “Pizzeria Orsucci”. It’s been run by the same family since the beginning of the century, and they make the best and cheapest pizza you’ll ever have in your life. You can choose a simple “Margherita” (tomato and mozzarella), a tasty “Capricciosa” (artichokes, mushrooms and ham) or a superb “Parmigiana” (aubergines and Parmesano cheese). Wash your pizza down with an ice-cold “Moretti” beer, which is the most popular beer in the northeast.

Shopping!

The best places for shopping are the three large squares in the centre of town, known respectively as Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza dei Signori and Piazza della Frutta. The three of them are all joined together and surrounded by a complex system of arcades. Piazza delle Erbe, has the huge building known as “Palazzo della Ragione”, which is where the law courts are. There are some important frescoes by the artist Giotto here too. Under the squares there are some shopping galleries with more than 50 tiny shops. It’s one of the oldest shopping centres in Europe and you can buy wine, vegetables, pets and fruit here. In Piazza delle Erbe there’s a busy market every day.

Coffee Time

After all this walking around, you’ll be ready for a refreshing cup of coffee. The best place to go is Caffè Pedrocchi. This magnificent, old-fashioned café was designed by the famous architect Jappelli. It is the perfect way to end your visit to the city of Padua. Ciao!

Padua’s Best Drink: the Spritz

While you are in Padua, you have to try a “Spritz”. This is a great drink for hot days and consists of a sparkling orange drink that needs to be downed in one. If you fancy making one yourself, here’s the recipe: Pour some dry white wine and Campari into a glass until the glass is 2/3 full. Add a slice of orange or lemon and some ice for decoration, then fill it to the top with soda. Perfect!

Padua’s History

Padua was originally a fishing village. However, in the 4th century BC it became an important centre for the Venetians. It was also a very important town during the Roman Empire. In 1222 one of the first universities in Europe was founded here. Some of its most illustrious students include Giotto and Galilei. Padua’s inhabitants claim that their town is the oldest city in northern Italy. One of the most popular tourist sites is the cathedral. It was constructed in the 13th century in a RomanesqueGothic style. It contains the body of Saint Anthony and has artistic masterpieces like the impressive frescoes by Titian, sculptures by Donatello and a monument dedicated to the legendary knight “Gattamelata”, also by Donatello.

INFORMATION BOX - USEFUL PHRASES

English Italian Where is Prato della Valle? Dov’e si trova Prato della Valle? I would like a coffee, please Vorrei un caffè, per favore. Could you take a photo of me Potrebbe farmi una foto vicino all next to the fountain, please? Potrebbe farmi una foto vicino all fontana, per favore?

Where can I find a Dov’e posso trovare un McDonald, McDonald’s, please? per favore?

G L O S S A R Y

an inn n a small hotel or pub an ox n a bull that has been castrated the main seat of the university n the central and administrative area of a university draperies n curtains or decorative pieces of material to undress vb to take off your clothes to beg vb to ask desperately for something cling film n very thin plastic that you put around food to keep the food fresh to stick vb to fix, to attach, to put live adj that is living - not dead an eel n an animal that lives in the sea that we eat. It looks a bit like a snake a fountain n a decorative public feature where water comes out of an opening sticky tape n a tape that you use to fix paper onto paper a site n a place a firework display n a celebration with lots of fireworks (things that explode in the sky with a lot of noise and colour) a flea market n an outdoor market with many different things for sale at low prices second-hand goods n objects that are not new to skate vb a sport that consists of running in shoes with wheels on them to run vb to organise, control and direct a business tasty adj that tastes good when you eat it an artichoke n a green vegetable with leaves that are like the petals from a flower an aubergine n a large purple vegetable to wash your pizza down with a drink exp to have a drink with your pizza huge adj very big the law courts n buildings where they have legal processes to decide if someone is innocent or guilty of a crime a fresco n a picture that is painted on a wall a shopping gallery n an indoor area with many shops tiny adj very, very small a busy market n a market with many people a café n a restaurant where you can drink coffee, tea, etc sparkling adj a liquid with bubbles of gas in it to down in one exp to drink all the liquid in a glass without stopping to pour vb to put liquid in a container