Built from a much-altered design of Michelangelo’s, the rather industrial facade and whitewashed symmetry of Padua's duomo is a far cry from its rival in Piazza San Marco. Pop in quickly for Giuliano Vangi's contemporary chancel crucifix and sculptures before visiting the adjoining 13th-century baptistry, a Romanesque gem frescoed with luminous biblical scenes by Giusto de’ Menabuoi. Hundreds of saints congregate in the cupola, posed as though for a school graduation photo, exchanging glances and stealing looks at the Madonna.
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions
22.84 MILES
With a profusion of domes and more than 8000 sq metres of luminous mosaics, Venice's cathedral is unforgettable. It was founded in the 9th century to…
22.86 MILES
Holding pride of place on the waterfront, this pretty Gothic confection may be an unlikely setting for the political and administrative seat of a great…
0.52 MILES
Padua's version of the Sistine Chapel, the Cappella degli Scrovegni houses one of Italy's great Renaissance masterpieces – a striking cycle of Giotto…
22.25 MILES
Venice's historic gallery traces the development of Venetian art from the 14th to 19th centuries, with works by all of the city's artistic superstars. The…
22.29 MILES
In medieval times this part of Cannaregio housed a getto (foundry), but it was as the designated Jewish quarter from the 16th to 19th centuries that the…
Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute
22.57 MILES
Baldassare Longhena's magnificent basilica is prominently positioned near the entrance to the Grand Canal, its white stones, exuberant statuary and high…
22.18 MILES
Baroque dreams come true at this Baldassare Longhena–designed Grand Canal palazzo (mansion), where a marble staircase leads to a vast gilded ballroom and…
22.42 MILES
After losing her father on the Titanic, heiress Peggy Guggenheim became one of the great collectors of the 20th century. Her palatial canalside home,…
Nearby Padua attractions
0.1 MILES
Flanking the western side of elegant Piazza dei Signori, the Palazzo del Capitaniato became the seat of Venetian authority when Padua came under the…
0.17 MILES
Ancient Padua can be glimpsed in elegant twin squares (one the fruit market, the other the vegetable market) separated by the triple-decker Gothic Palazzo…
0.26 MILES
This Renaissance palazzo (mansion) is the seat of Padua’s history-making university. Founded by renegade scholars from Bologna seeking greater…
4. Museo del Risorgimento e dell’Età Contemporanea
0.28 MILES
Since 1831, this neoclassical landmark has been a favourite of Stendhal and other pillars of Padua’s cafe society for the heart-poundingly powerful coffee…
0.43 MILES
Padua’s Museum of Medical History is a fascinating mash-up of historical artefacts and high-tech exhibits that detail the city’s outsized contribution to…
0.47 MILES
When a 1944 bombing raid demolished the extraordinary 1448–57 frescoes by Andrea Mantegna in the Capella Overtari in the Chiesa degli Eremitani, the loss…
0.49 MILES
The ground and 1st floors of the early-20th-century Palazzo Zuckermann are home to the Museo d’Arti Applicate e Decorative, with an eclectic assortment of…
8. Musei Civici agli Eremitani
0.51 MILES
The ground floor of this monastery houses artefacts dating from Padua’s Roman and pre-Roman past, including some delicate glass, serviceable Roman…