Venezia excursions

Padova

An old university city with a lively center, especially in the morning at the market on Piazza delle Erbe at Palazzo della Ragione. In its neighborhood are historical buildings, such as Battistero at the cathedral and the palaces of Corte Capitano and Loggia della Gran Guardia. Other piazzas in this central area are Piazza dei Frutti and Piazza dei Signori.

Caffè Pedrocchi is also in this historical center, the meeting place of intellectuals. The university in the center is the second oldest in Italy, founded in 1222, and students are numerous in the streets. The center has many cafés, restaurants and specialty food stores.

It is difficult to park in the proper center. Therefore we park the car at a car park in via Gaspare Gozzi at the northeastern corner of the urban ring. The car park is in the corner between Via Trieste and the canal Giotto Popolo. From there we cross a bridge over the canal into the center and immediately arrive at the public garden on our left side.

Giardini dellArena

Corso Garibaldi.

The remains of the old city wall has in this are been converted into a public park reaching from the city canal to Capella degli Scrovegni and Museo Civico Eremitani. Modern sculpture is exhibited in the garden.

Last time we were there, La Foresta di Birnam (see Macbeth by Shakespeare) by Pino Castagna was exhibited right in front of Cappella degli Scrovegni.

To enter the chapel we have to go through the entrance to the museum in the southwestern corner of the garden.

Cappella degli Scrovegni

Piazza Eremitani. Hours: Open 9-18.

Built in 1303 in Romanesque style to save the soul of an usurer by the name of Scrovegni. It is a single hall inside, covered with frescos by Giotto, painted 1303-1305. It is best to see them in the morning when the buses have not yet arrived.

Giotto was the first master painter of Italy, the standard-bearer of the lively Gothic style, when it succeeded the frozen Byzantine style at the beginning of the 14th C. He was the son of a poor farmer, but soon became a productive artist and the focus of Italian intellectuals at that time. The paintings in this chapel are the best-preserved of his works.

They are on four levels on the walls. The lowest level consists of paintings showing the Virtues and the Vices. Then come two levels of paintings showing episodes from the Life and Death of Christ. The top level has paintings showing episodes from the Life of Mary. The front has a large painting of the Last Judgment, more Byzantine in style than the other paintings.

We next inspect the museum in the same grounds.

Museo Civico Eremitani

Piazza Eremitani. Hours: Open Monday-Saturday 8:15-12 & 15:30-18:30 (-17:30 in winter), Sunday 9-12 & 15:30-17:30 (-17 in winter).

The monastery houses a few museums, such as an archeological museum, a coin museum and a museum of art history. The buildings date from 1276-1306.

The most important part of the archeological museum is the tomb of the Volumni family from the 1st C. It also has mosaics from Roman times. The coin museum has almost a complete set of Venetian coins. The art museum is under development and is meant to show the evolution of painting in the Veneto area. Works by Giotto occupy the honorary positions.

We leave the museum grounds, cross Piazza Eremitani, walk to the northern corner of the opposite block of buildings and them walk 600 meters south on Via Cavour, where we arrive at Caffè Pedrocchi on the right side.

Caffè Pedrocchi

Via 8. Febbraio 2. Hours: Closed Monday.

An immense café from 1831 in Neo-Classic style, one of the main cornerstones of Italian cultural and political life in the unification years, when it broke from the Austrian Empire. Some famous independence heroes held court there. Now it is a combination of a restaurant, a café, a card-playing room and a sitting room, the center of everything of importance in Padova.

From the southern entrance of the café we turn right 50 meters on Via Cesare to Piazza dei Frutti beside the city hall. We pass the eastern end of the hall to arrive at Piazza delle Erbe, from where we observe the city hall.

Palazzo della Ragione

Piazza dei Frutti.

Built 1218 as the court of justice and city hall of Padova.

It houses the largest Medieval hall in Europe, 80 meters long, 27 meters wide and 27 meters high. The walls are covered with 333 frescos by Nicola Miretto, from 1420-1425, replacing earlier frescos by Giotto, which were destroyed in a fire in 1420.

We leave the piazza at its western end, walk less than 100 meters on Via Manin and turn left into Piazza del Duomo, where the cathedral lies before our eyes. A palace is to the right of the piazza.

Palazzo del Monte di Pietà

Piazza del Duomo.

The palace is Medieval and the arcade in front is from the 16th C.

A baptistry is between the palace and the cathedral.

Battistero

Piazza del Duomo.

A cleanly designed Romanesque baptistry from the 4th C, the remains of a church that was here before the 16th C. cathedral was built. Inside the baptistry are lively frescos by Giusto deMenabuoi from the late 14th C.

Michelangelo started the design of the cathedral, which changed a lot at the hands of his successors.

We walk from the piazza about 50 meters north on via Monte di Pietà að Piazza dei Signori. The old police station is at the western end of that piazza.

Palazzo del Capitaniato

Piazza dei Signori.

Built 1599-1605 for the military police. The tower has an astronomical clock from 1344.

The piazza is lined with beautiful arcades with specialty shops and cafés.

We inspect a palace at the western end of the south side of the piazza.

Loggia della Gran Guardia

Piazza dei Signori.

The palace of the Council of Nobles, built in 1523 in Renaissance style, with a high and slender arcade, now used as a conference center.

We have finished sightseeing, walk east from Piazza dei Signori on Via San Clemente, then Piazza dei Frutti and via Oberdam, 300 meters in all. On the corner of Caffè Pedrocchi we turn left into Via Cavour and walk 600 meters to the public garden, which we cross to get over the bridge to the car park. Next we inspect the hotels in town.

Hotels

A hotel with a central location, 50 meters south of Piazza delle Erbe, is the 29 room Majestic Toscanelli, Via dellArco 2, phone 663 244, fax 876 0025, price L. 190000 with breakfast.

Another one beside Caffè Pedrocchi, is the 22 room Leon Bianco, Piazzetta Pedrocchi 12, phone 875 0814, fax 875 6184, price L. 157000.

Next we turn our attention to our chosen restaurants in the center, those which are used by knowledgeable citizens.

Restaurants

Central dining is 100 meters north of Piazza dei Signori, is Belle Parti-Toulá, Via Belle Parti 11, phone 875 1822, price for two L. 160000, closed Monday lunch and Sunday.

Also 50 meters north of the piazza, is Isola di Caprera, Via Marsilio da Padova 11/15, phone 876 0244, price for two L. 120000, closed Sunday.

Or at the western end of the city palace, is Cavalca, Via Manin 8, phone 876 0061, price for two L. 90000, closed Tuesday dinner and Wednesday.

We then leave the town on our way to Vicenza, a trip of 40 km.

Vicenza

The city is best known for the architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) who was born there and designed some of the famous buildings in the center, such as Basilica Palladiana, Loggia del Capitaniato, Palazzo Valmarana, Teatro Olimpico and Palazzo Chiericati. The center of Vicenza is often said to be the most beautiful city center in Italy, mainly built during the Renaissance.

Palladio learned Roman architecture of the Imperial Age in Rome. Later he designed many country mansions for Venetian noblemen in the vicinity of the city and a few palaces in Venice itself, the Redentore church on Giudecca island and the monastery and church on San Giorgio island. Most of his works are though in this home town.

We will not only inspect Palladios work but also the atmosphere on the piazzas around Basilica Palladiana.

We arrive from Padova in the east, enter the city ring and turn into the center by way of Contrà porta Padova, cross a bridge and immediately turn left into the square in front of Palazzo Chiericati, where we find parking.

Palazzo Chiericati

Piazza Matteotti. Hours: Open Tuesday-Sunday.

Built 1550 by Andrea Palladio.

The palace is now a museum of the history of Vicenza, Museo civico. The best known work of art is the Charioteer of the Sun by Giulio Carpione. There are also some Gothic altarpieces.

From the square we cross Corso Andrea Palladio by foot and enter Teatro Olimpico.

Teatro Olimpico

Corso Andrea Palladio. Hours: Open in summer 9:30-12:20 & 15-17:30, in winter 14-16:30.

The oldest theater in Europe with a roof, built 1579-1585, designed by Palladio and his disciple, Vincenzo Scamozzi.

The auditorium is a semi-circle resembling the outdoor theater of Greeks and Romans, with wooden banks in place of stone seats, and a painted sky in the ceiling. The stage set is built in, with Theban streets painted in trompe loeils.

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles was the first performance of the theater. Greek playwrights are still represented in the repertoire.

From the theater we climb Corso Andrea Palladio for about 200 meters and turn left into Contrà Santa Barbara, where we arrive after 100 meters at Piazza dei Signori and cannot miss the city tower.

Torre di Piazza

Piazza dei Signori.

An unusually slender tower of brick, built in the 12th C. and increased in height during the 14th and the 15th C, making it 82 meters in all.

It hangs over Piazza dei Signori, lined with 15th C. palaces, including Basilica Palladiana. The piazza is a lively market venue.

We turn our attention to the basilica.

Basilica Palladiana

Piazza dei Signori.

Palazzo della Ragione is the official name of the city hall with the green copper roof. Usually it carries the name of its creator, architect Palladio. The palace itself is from the 15th C. and was starting to subside, when Palladio was employed in 1549 to built supports for it with colonnades on two floors. The balustrade has many statues of Greek and Roman gods.

A statue of Palladio is under the southwestern end of the city hall.

The old police station is on the north of the piazza.

Loggia del Capitaniato

Piazza dei Signori.

Palladio built it in 1571 as the police station of the city. Now it houses the city council.

To the left of the palace is the best-known restaurant in town, Gran Caffè Garibaldi on the 2nd floor, phone 544 147, price for two L. 110000.

To the right of the palace is the street Contrà del Monte. Its continuation on the other side of Corso Andrea Palladio is Contrà Porti. That street is lined with palaces, including some Venetian Gothic ones and some palaces by Palladio in the Classic Renaissance style.

If we have time, we can walk from the southwestern end of the basilica on Calle Muscheria and Contrà Garibaldi about 200 meters to the cathedral.

Duomo

Piazza Duomo.

The apse facing the square is original, as are the outer walls of the cathedral. Other parts of it were heavily damaged in World War II.

From the cathedral square we walk northwest on Via Battisti more than 100 meters and turn right into Corso Andrea Palladino. On the northern corner of the crossing is Palazzo Valmarana from 1566, one of Palladios works. Then we follow Corso Andrea Palladio northeast 600 meters to Piazza Matteotti, where we find our parking place. Next we inspect hotels in the center.

Hotels

A central hotel is 300 meters to the southwest from the cathedral, the 35 room Campo Marzio, Viale Roma 21, phone 545 700, fax 320 495, price L. 250000 with breakfast.

Or about 300 meters west off the southwest end of Corso Andrea Palladio, the 33 room Cristina, Corso Santi Felice e Fortunato 32, phone 323 751, fax 543 656, price L. 165000 with breakfast.

Next we turn our attention to chosen restaurants in the center, used by local gourmets.

Restaurants

Central dining is 100 meters south from the eastern end of Piazza dei Signori, in Scudo di Francia, Contrà Piancoli 4, phone 323 322, price for two L. 130000, closed Sunday dinner and Monday.

Also 200 meters west off the cathedral, In Agli Schioppi, Contrà del Castello 26, phone 543 701, price for two L. 110000, closed Saturday dinner and Sunday.

Or 50 meters north off Piazza dei Signori, in Tre Visi, Contrà Porti 6, phone 324 868, price for two L. 150000, closed Sunday dinner and Monday.

Garibaldi

Piazza dei Signori. Hours: Closed Wednesday. Price: L.110000 ($69) for two. All major cards. (B2).

Old and famous restaurant on the first floor above a pizzeria beside Loggia del Capitaniato at Piazza dei Signori.

It is rather refined and informally large. It has tiles on the floor and wicket seats on the chairs. Service is courteous.

- Olive farcite allascolani = deep-fried olives on salad.

- Petto doca affumicato con crostini = smoked goose breast.

- Filetto di manzo con tartufi = fillet of beef with boiled vegetables.

We now leave town in the direction of Verona, about 40 km,

Verona

The city is best known as the set of Shakespeares play about Romeo and Juliet, lovers from 1302. Many buildings in the center survive from that time and some are even older, such as the famous, 20 centuries old arena. The city was in 1263-1387 one of the Renaissance cities of Italy, governed by the Scaligeri dukes, and in 1405-1814 it was a part of the Venetian empire.

Travelers come to Verona to feel the atmosphere of an open-air opera and get acquainted with a city that mixes the Renaissance style of the Italian mainland with the Byzantine style of Constantinople that characterizes the neighboring Venice. The center is convenient for sightseeing as everything is packed on one square kilometer, surrounded by the river Adige on three sides.

There are famous piazzas, Piazza Brà, Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza dei Signori; famous palaces, Palazzo del Comune, Palazzo di Cangrande; and famous churches, Santa Anastasia and Duomo; famous castles, Castel San Pietro and Castelvecchio. There are also the tower tombs of the Scaligeri dukes and a Roman outdoor theater in addition to the famous Arena.

We start on the piazza in front of Arena.

Piazza Brà

The largest piazza of the center, the venue for public rallies and the forecourt of the majestic and ancient arena. The piazza is lined with Neo-Classic buildings from the 19th C. and the archeological museum, Museo Lapidaro Maffeiano, at no. 28.

We turn our attention to the arena.

Arena

Piazza Brà. Hours: Closed Monday.

The building of this third largest arena in the world was finished in the year 30. It is 139 meters long and 110 meters wide and seats 25,000 spectators in 44 row of seats. It has been conserved more or less intact, except for the outer shell.

From the top there are good views in clear weather over the city to the mountains. Great music festivals are held there in summer.

From the north of the arena we walk into Via Mazzini.

Via Mazzini

A pedestrian axis of the center, connecting the main squares, Piazza Brà And Piazza delle Erbe. The main fashion shops line this street of 500 meters, crossing an old district of narrow pedestrian alleys.

From the northeastern end of the street we arrive at the southern end of the old town square.

Piazza delle Erbe

Enchanting Renaissance buildings characterize this long and narrow piazza that started life as a Roman square, Forum, and has been a living city square for twenty centuries. It is now a market square, covered with street vendors parasols, lined with art galleries, fashion shops and sidewalk cafés, considered by many to be the most charming city square in Italy.

In the middle of the piazza is a fountain with a Roman sculpture representing commerce, usually called Madonna di Verona. In the northern end there is a column from 1528 with the lion of St Mark, the Venetian emblem.

The northern end is dominated by Palazzo Maffei, a Baroque palace from 1668, with fashion shops and luxury flats.

There is a castle on the eastern side of the southern square.

Palazzo del Comune

Piazza delle Erbe.

The city hall is an almost windowless Medieval castle with a stern appearance at the piazza.

On the same side a high tower dominates the piazza.

Torre Lamberti

Piazza delle Erbe.

A powerful tower from 1172, 84 meters high, with good views. It is entered from a courtyard that we are going to enter later.

On the same side, a little farther north, is a colorful palace.

Casa dei Mazzanti

Piazza delle Erbe.

A palace from 1301 with facade frescos that have been touched up.

We walk through an alley on the north side of Torre dei Lamberti and go under the Arco della Costa into another large square.

Piazza dei Signori

A rectangular piazza with a Venetian look. In the middle is a statue of the writer Dante Alighieri, who lived in Verona under the protection of the Scaligeri dukes when he was in exile from Florence 1301-1304. He dedicated the last chapter of his main book, La Divina Commedia, to the Scaligeri duke Cangrande I.

On the northern side is the palace of Loggia del Consiglio, on the eastern side Palazzo di Cangrande, and in the southern corner Palazzo di Ragione, which really is the rear side of Palazzo del Comune.

In the southeastern corner the paved remains of the main Roman road into town have been excavated.

We first have a look into the courtyard of Palazzo di Ragione.

Scala della Ragione

Piazza dei Signori.

In Medieval times this square was the main market of the city. A decorative staircase in late Gothic style, built in 1446-1450, leads up to former rooms of the city court. The palace itself is from the 14th C.

We exit the courtyard and observe the palace at the northern side of the square.

Loggia del Consiglio

Piazza dei Signori.

A charming palace from 1493 in Venetian Renaissance style, with a high and slender colonnade on the piazza side and frescos above the balustrade. The eaves are decorated with statues of Roman dignitaries, who were born in Verona, such as Catullus the poet, Plinius the natural scientist and Vitruvius the architect.

At a right angle is another palace.

Palazzo di Cangrande

Piazza dei Signori.

It is named after Cangrande I, the best-known of dukes of the Scaligeri family, who governed Verona 1263-1387. It is now a police station.

We pass the southern side of the palace and arrive at a small square with large memorials.

Arche Scaligere

Santa Maria in Chiavica.

The stone tombs of the Scaligeri dukes are here up in the open sky on decorous 14th C. Gothic towers with sharp-pointed spires in front of Palazzo di Cangrande. Such a burial method is unique in Italian Medieval history.

The Scaligeri dukes were so sure of themselves that they wanted to rest closer to God than other kings and dukes that generally rest in churches.

Behind the tomb towers is a small Romanesque church from the 7th C., Santa Maria Antica. It was the family church of the Scaligeri. The tomb tower of Cangrande I is directly in front of the church entrance.

We continue to the north along the eastern side of Palazzo di Cangrande about 100 meters on Cavaletto and turn right into Corso SantAnastasia, which leads us to one of the main churches in the center, about 100 additional meters.

SantAnastasia

Piazza SantAnastasia.

A large Romanesque church from 1290 with a Gothic portico, decorated with 15th C. frescos, the monastery church of the Dominican order.

From the back of the church we walk north and down the hill to the river Adige and cross it on the Roman bridge, Ponte della Pietra, and walk south along the other bank to the Roman theater, about 400 meters in all.

Teatro Romano

Rigaste Redentore. Hours: Closed Monday.

A Roman theater from the 1st C. B.C., the reign of Emperor Augustus and still used for plays. In ancient times plays by the Roman playwright Plautus were most popular but now it is the venue of an annual Shakespeare festival. The theater is built into the river bank and offers good views from well-preserved semi-circle over the river to the city center.

A lift brings us from the theater to the monastery and castle above.

Castel San Pietro

Rigaste Redentore. Hours: Closed Monday.

The monastery above the Roman theater has been converted into an archeological museum with singular views over the city and district. Among other things there are ancient mosaics in the museum.

We take the lift down, return by way of the Roman bridge to the city center and walk uphill to the cathedral. At the back of it we pass the entrance to the bishops palace.

Palazzo di Vescovo

A Gothic entrance to the palace of the bishop.

We go to the front of the church and into the piazza in front of it.

Duomo

The cathedral has been renovated and is beaming of the mild and original stone colors. Its oldest parts are from the 12th C. The front is in a Romanesque Lombard style, designed by Nicolò.

Pink columns support the roof. The main work of art in the church is the Assumption by Tiziano, from 1535-1540, in the first chapel on the left side.

From the church we enter the baptistry, which really s an 8th C. brick church, San Giovanni in Fonte, with a 12th C. marble front.

We leave the church and walk on Via Duomo, turn right and go 1200 meters on Corso Cavour to the old city castle.

Castelvecchio

Corte Castelvecchio. Hours: Closed Monday.

A beautifully designed family castle of the Scaligeri, built 1355-1375, during the reign of Cangrande II, still intact, and now houses a splendidly organized museum of art history. It is easy to go through it in chronological order. It covers late Roman art, early Christian art, Medieval art and Renaissance art, including works by Giovanni Bellini, Tiziano and Veronese.

On the other side of the armor department of the museum is a pedestrian bridge with a view to the nearest river bridge.

Ponte Scaligero

A Medieval bridge, built 1354-1376, during the reign of Cangrande II, nowadays the main promenade of Veronas citizens. It was damaged during World War II and has been repaired.

From Castelvecchio is a straight way of 600 meters on Via Roma to Piazza Brà where we started this walking tour through Verona. We now turn our attention to hotels in the center.

Hotels

In an alley leading off Corso Porta Nova, about 200 meters from Piazza Brà is the 41 room luxury hotel San Luca, Vicolo Volto San Luca 8, phone 591 333, fax 800 2143, price L. 260000 with breakfast. In a side street a few steps from the central axis of via Mazzini is the 93 room Accademia, Via Scala 12, phone and fax 596 222, price L. 300000 without breakfast.

In a side street a few steps from Corso Cavour is the 38 room Victoria, Via Adua 6, phone 590 566, fax 590 155, price L. 240000 without breakfast. A few steps east off the Arena is the 30 room Giulietta e Romeo, Vicolo Tre Marchetti 3, phone 800 3554, fax 801 0862, price L. 170000 with breakfast.

Almost beside it is the 49 room Milano, Vicolo Tre Marchetti 11, phone 596 011, fax 801 1299, price L. 150000 without breakfast. About 200 meters east from the city castle is the 17 room Cavour, Vicolo Chiodo 4, phone 590 166, price L. 100000 without breakfast, credit cards not accepted.

Next we turn out attention to chosen restaurants in the city center, those which are patronized by knowledgeable citizens.

Restaurants

The best restaurant, about 300 meters straight south of Piazza dei Signori, is Il Desco, Via Dietro San Sebastiano 7, phone 595 358, fax 590 236, price L. 230000 for two, closed Sunday. Second is in the oldest part of the center, 200 meters to the west from Piazza delle Erebe, the very old and charming Dodici Apostoli, Corticella San Marco 3, phone 596 999, fax 591 530, price L. 220000 for two, closed Sunday dinner and Monday.

The best seafood place, a few steps from Arche Scaligeri, is Arche, Via Arche Scaligeri 6, phone 800 7415, price L. 200000 for two, closed Monday lunch and Sunday. The best hotel dining , a few steps from Via Mazzini, is at Accademia, Via Scala 10, phone & fax 800 6072, price L. 180000 for two, closed Sunday dinner and Wednesday. A few steps north from Piazza Brà is Torcolo, Via Cattaneo 11, phone 803 0018, fax 801 1083, price L. 130000 for two, closed Monday.

Only 200 meters in front of SantAnastasia is Trattoria SantAnastasia, Corso SantAnastasia 27, phone 800 9177, price L. 110000 for two, with variable closing on Sunday and Wednesday. A few steps east from the arena is Tre Marchetti, Vicolo Tre Marchetti 19/b, phone 803 0463, price L. 120000 for two, closed Sunday.

Thus ends our trip to Verona and our visit in the Veneto district. If we are now driving back to Venice, it is good to know that the distance is 114 km on the autostrada.

1996

© Jónas Kristjánsson