PADUA

According to the legend,Padua was funded circa 1000 years before Christ by prince Anténore, who came in Italy by the ruins of Troy. Also Omero and Tito Livio spoke aboute the episode. But the origins of Padua could be more ancient and chained to the folk of Euganei, which established a first settlement in the Bachiglione bank.

The settlement was after of Romans and, near the half of I century, was transformed in a roman city (Patavium). When the city grew up, became one of the richest and biggest in the empire. In the augustan period, Padua was the third most important city in the roman empire, after Rome and Candice ( in Spain). The wealthiness of Padua was, for the majority, devoired to her geographical position, in the center of two important rivers: Brenta and Bachiglione, which transformed her in a  strategic point for the transportation of wares.

Padua was undefended after the fall of Roman Empire and fell in the sights of War Sir to find the power. Unni , Goti and Longobardi  came up against for the control of Padua and  when the Unni  flattened , some inhabitants holed up in Monselice, a place relatively darker, while others went in the Euganei Hills and others looked for a shelter in the new city of Venice.

The XII century had a lot  of fights for the power of the cities and disputes in the territorial confines. In 1328 the control of the city was of the Carrar Sir. During the long peace period, Padua became newly an important center for the transportation of wares to Chioggia and Venice.

When the Venetians decided to expand their control in the mainland,they went to Padua and from 1405 to 1797 the city became part of the Republic of Venice and lived a period of consecutive peace and prosperousness, evolved its industrial  and commercial potential and became also the cultural center of the Republic, thanks the students and professors very innovative. In 1548 the Venetians built the Porta Portello in Padua, where was set commercial and military activities. In that time the exchange of wares and passengers among Padua and Venice was evolved that to the little port attacked day by day until 80 boats. From 1797 to 1813 the city was controlled by French and then Austrians. Napoleon ordered the construction of a road sistem that improved the transportation by earth. In the 1800 century the first railways was completed and expanded in all Italy. These ways run often parallel to the canals.

Among ’20 and ’30 years, for order of the govern, was emptied some canals for transformed them in streets where convoy the traffic of lorries and cars. During the Second Word War, the bombings destroied some important city port, but the final straw to the canals sistem was at the end of the War, when the Americans went away leaving back their motor trucks. The population have fettled and recycled the vehicles, which shuttled the wares more quickly and more nifty respect to the boats. The canals are still remained and the tourist can walk across them on cruise during the night.

Padua,denominated “la Dotta”, host the second oldest university in Italy, funded in 1222. Along its corridors walked Petrarca, Dante and Galileo, but also Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, the first woman that have recived a degree.

For centuries, the city was described with the phrase: “Padua, city of cafe without doors, of meadow without herb and of the Saint without name”, where “the cafe without doors” is referred to Caffè Pedrocchi which for a long time hasn’t doors because was opened 24 to 24 hours, “the meadow without herb” is Prato della Valle, because  there isn’t a meadow but a square and “the Saint without name” is referred to Sant’Antonio, which in the city is called only “The Saint”.

• Near the univeristy, in the historical center of Padua, on VIII Febbraio 15° street, there is the historical Caffè Pedrocchi, one of the most “ shops cafe” that, on imitation of others venetians cafe, appeared in Italy, following the comedy success of Goloni “ La Bottega Del Caffè”, wrote in 1736. Thanks to the position near the university, the cafe had a wide typology of customer base which included travelers,teachers, artists and students. During the Risorgimento, had a lot of politicals and social conflicts, also the famous students rebellion against the austrian police on 8 february 1848.
• In the historical center of Padua we can find the Cappella of Scrovegni (1303-1305), a Catholic place which host a world-famous walls painting of Giotto in the first years of XIV century. Headlined in honor Maria Vergine Annunziata,was built by Enrico Scrovegni, a rich paduan banker. The chamber is wholly decorated in all the four walls; Giotto organized in all the surface four bands where are narrated the true stories of the characters, enframed by geometrical frames. The asymmetrical form of the chapel, with six windows only in a side,determined the module of the decoration; when they have chose to inserted two inset in the distance between the windows, they have computed the size of the ornamental band for insert as many of equal measure in the other wall. Since 2000 the Cappella of Scrovegni is nominated for become the second site of Padua of Patrimony UNESCO (the first is botanic garden in XVI century). ( For visit the Cappella of Scrovegni is necessary book months before).
• Basilica of Saint Antonio, build among 1232 and 1310, is one of the principal religion Catholic places in Padua. It is knew by the paduans like” Il Santo”, is one of the biggest visited annual churches in the world with over 6,5 million of pilgrims which come by all over the world for venerate the body, and especially the tongue, contained in a golden shrine of Saint Antonio, patron saint of lost property and kids. The statue on bronze of the Saint, like “ Monumento Equestre al Gattamelata”, are create by artist Donatello.
• Prato della Valle is the biggest square in Padua and among the biggest also in Italy and Europe,which is situated in the center of a road busy ring. Dating back to the end of XVIII century is characterized by a central elliptical island, called Memmia island, surrounded by a raceway where in the bank there is a double ring of 78 statue. The Meadow keep also its historical commercial and revue functions. Every Saturday there is the traditional market of Padua with over 160 bench and the third Sunday of the month there is the  local street market antiquarianism .In the autumn of 2007 some bench of fruit and vegetables in the square around Palazzo della Ragione were transferedcin the Meadow. A lot of times in the year the Meadow host a a lot of concerts with thousands of spectators, and every New Year´s Day and  mid-August holiday there are parties with music and fireworks.
• At the ground floor of Palazzo della Ragione there is a market, called “Sotto il Salone”,which work seamlessly since 800 years and represent the oldest Shopping Center still in function. The sold wares are changed in the time: today exist more of 50 little workshops,which propose alimentary products of quality like cheese, meat and charcuterie from Italy, wine houses, bar and souvenir shop. Among the workshops we find: “Panificio Artusi”,”Peschiera Adriatica”, “Casa del Parmigiano”, “ Macelleria Martin”, “La bottega del Prosciutto”,”Macelleria Bontà Equina” and “Il Mercato del Caffè”.
• The Botanic Garden of Padua,funded in 1545, is the oldest botanic garden in the world still situated in its primal location. Since 1997 was declared Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO.  The market garden born for the cultivation of medicinal plants which constituted the majorityof “simple”, medicament came from the nature; for this reason the market garden was initially denominated like “Giardino dei Semplici” (“Horti Simplicium”). Here there is a palm planted in 1585 ,described by Gohete during his visit in 1786, and a ginko tree dating back to 1700, with others historical trees. Since 1835, the interior of the botanic garden there is a library which have old and new testimony. Farther the books, conserved other material like herbarium,manuscript, photographs,pictures, historical planimetry and some objects. In the same year was funded an herbarium, became today a museum which has inside a provided collection of dried plants,algas,mushrooms,moss,lichen,galle,wood,seeds and fruits. The Herbarium of the museum include circa 500.000 specimens from Italy, Europe,Asia,Africa and America,starting from the end of XVIII century.

Are important also the squares in Padua:

• Piazza del Santo, denominated by Basilica del Santo, incased beautiful masterpiece like l’Oratorio di San Giorgio, la Scoletta del Santo and Gattamelata. The square is situated near Prato della Valle.
• Piazza dei Signori, the living room of Padua, is an elegant open air in the heart of Padua and surrounded by monumental operas,like Torre dell’Orologio, Palazzo del Capitanio and Palazzo dei Camerlenghi,which is a citizen living room. Today the square is engaged every morning by the stalls market and in the evening is an elegant living room with table in the bars and cafeteria very attended expecially when where is an happy hour.
• Piazza della Frutta and Erbe represented the center and the heart of business in Padua, in fact host daily one of the most market of Italy. Piazza della Frutta is characterized by the presence of Palazzo della Ragione,which sort out Piazza della Frutta to Piazza delle Erbe,Torre degli Anziani colletted between Palazzo del Consiglio and Palazzo degli Anziani; while Piazza delle Erbe is delimited on East by two facades of Palazzo Moroni and on West by Palazzo dele Debite. Is currently one of the most attended places by the students and youngsters for the spectacular offered spritz.
• Piazza Duomo is one of the wonderful squares in the heart of Padua. Is characterized by the presence of Basilica del Duomo, Battistero and Palazzo Vescovile, seat of the Padua In front of  Sagrato del Duomo we find Palazzo Bonfari; opposite Museo Diocesano there is Palazzo del Monte di Pietà and near it there is Arco Vallaresso.

The Saint favorite by the paduans.

The name of Sant’Antonio is so legate with Padua which a lot think that he was born and died in this city; but in reality Sant’Antomio was born in Lisbon, in Portugal in 1195 with the name of Ferdinando di Bouillon. When he was young, joined in the order of Francescani and afterwards went to Africa. Thereafter was forced to come back home because he had a terrible illness, but during the comeback home trip, an hardly tempest made him shipwrecked in the coast of Sicily; there Antonio lived for a period in the coast of Messina and then went to Umbria for know San Francesco D’Assisi. The meeting with San Francesco had an incredible impact on Antonio, which decided to stay in Italy becoming a preacher.

In Padua,his sermioni attracted cram so huge that the church brimmed, forcing Antonio to preach in the fields or in the squares.

After San Franceco’s death, Antonio, which left Padua for spend the time on loneliness in Campistro ( today Camposanpiero), decided to come back to the city nìbut died during the short trip on 13 June 1231.

After an year,Papa Gregorio IX proclaimed him Saint.

32 years after his death appeared a book containing the list of his 63 authenticated miracles. Two years after in Padua was built a Basilic on his honor.

Every year the basilic attract circa 3 half million of pilgrims which leave to the Saint some rings,golden necklaces,earrings,oil and conjugal clothes like veil,tights and shoes and they venerate his body and his tongue still untouched and preserved with cure.

The Messenger of Saint’Anonio,a monthly publication funded in 1890 like a simple parish bulletin, recive circa 200.000 letters in the year. Today the Messenger is one of the magazines with the highest distribution in Italy, with its 1,3 million of copies and 13 editions on 8 languages.