Padua and its religious Heritage
The Cittadella Antoniana: Basilica of St. Anthony, School of the Saint and Oratory of St. George, Basilica of St. Giustina and Sanctuary of St. Leopoldo.
The city of Padua is deeply permeated with the intense spiritual presence of the most beloved saint. The Basilica of St. Anthony is the most striking sign of the great devotion that thousands of pilgrims throughout the world feel for the “Saint”, as he is simply called by the paduans. During the tour, your guide will take you through the imposing and complex religious building that was started in 1232, a year after St. Anthony’s death. The outside of the Basilica is a mixture of Lombard, Tuscan and Byzantine styles, whereas the 8 domes and the two bell-towers show oriental features in their style. The Chapel of the Saint, also known as the Ark, houses the tomb (sarcophagus) of St. Anthony, by Andrea Briosco and Gianmaria Falconetto. Inside the Basilica are held important ancient and contemporary works of art, among which the High Altar with the bronze statues by Donatello, who created the equestrian statue of the “Gattamelata” on the parvis of the Basilica, as well. Other works are by Sansovino, Briosco, Tiepolo, Tiziano, Achille Casanova, Pietro Annigoni. Overlooking Piazza del Santo is the Oratory of St. George, the funerary chapel of the marquis Lupi di Soragna, built in 1377 and completely frescoed by Altichiero da Zevio and Jacopo Avanzi. The School of the Saint, also called “Scoletta”, since 1427 is the seat of the Brotherhood of St. Anthony and houses a cycle of paintings depicting the “Miracles of the Saint”, three of which were painted by a young Titian in 1511.
From here and across Prato della Valle the guided tour will take you to the Basilica of St. Giustina. This imposing church is with its 120 mt lenght one of widest basilicas in the world. The Basilica is dedicated to St. Giustina, one of the first paduan martyrs back in 304 A.D. Among the several works of art decorating the interior of the church, is the enormous Altar-piece by Paolo Veronese, depicting the “Martyrdom of St. Giustina”, to see. Through the corridor of the Martyrs, in which stands the well of the Martyrs’ relics, one can get to the Early Christian Chapel of St. Prosdocimus, the oldest christian building in Padua. In a ten-minute walk you then can get to the Sanctuary of St. Leopoldo Mandic, which still helds the remains and the confessional-cell of St. Leopoldo.
Fort further information on religious guided tour and other itineraries by the tourist guide of Padua, please contact info@venetoguide.it