Sunday Padova

Over the past week, Helen, M and I have tried different bars for our morning cappuccino and croissant. This morning we tried a local psaticceria and had a nice cup of coffee and a wholemeal croissant which was a bit different and tasty. We went to Padova by train and walked to Café Pedrocchi, where we had coffee and lunch. This café first opened in 1851 and has been the scene for many a political and philosophical discussion over the years. It was a centre for the Risorgamento movement aimed at liberating Italy from it’s Austrian rulers.

Palazzo della Regione – this was originally built in 1218 to provide the city with a prison and public offices. It is a huge room which has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. It now has a timber ceiling like a ship’s keel very similar to the original design. There are frescoes around the walls and a huge carved timber horse at one end and nothing else.

Scrovengi Chapel. This was built by Enrico Scrovengi in 1803 who hoped, by doing so, to spare his father, an usurer, from eternal damnation. The chapel is filled with frescoes depicting the life of Christ painted by the Florentine painter Giotto between 1803 and 1805. Before we went in we sat in an air conditioned room - a decontamination chamber - watching a film. We were only allowed 15 minutes in the chapel. It was light and bright and the overall effect was quite stunning.

Basilica di Sant’ Antonio - was built to house the remains of St Anthony of Padua – a Fransiscan monk who did good deeds and died in 1231.. It was a peculiar mixture of byzantine domes, minaret like towers, gothic twiddly bits, ornate carved bits. Inside was a real mixture too. It was 4.30 ish, a storm was approaching, a service was going on with a fairly full congregation. I was not comfortable, but not sure why. It was dark – but maybe that was the approaching storm. I listened to the service for a while and was surprised at how much I could understand – until the sermon started. There were many added on chapels, most with queues of people waiting to go in and see whatever relic was on display. I bypassed several. Dead people’s fingers and hair do nothing for me! Or worse than nothing. There was a nice chapel with a painted blue ceiling with gold stars. The cloisters were peaceful. Outside was an imposing statue of a mercenary soldier called Gattamellata done by Donatello. Apparently it is one of his most famous works, done in the late 1440’s.

It is now Monday morning. I am finally up-to-date. My photos are another matter.