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Arena Gardens (Giardini dell’Arena) is a public park in Padua, Italy. Other than being a green space, it contains some of the city’s most important landmarks. The gardens are included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Padua’s 14th century fresco cycles.

Arena Gardens in Padua, Italy
Arena Gardens

 

Roman Arena

First of all, the park takes its name from a ruined Roman arena located on the grounds. It dates back to the time of Augustus (30 BC to 14 AD) and was excavated in 1880 and again in 1906. Only parts of the middle wall are visible today.

Roman Arena of Padua in the Arena Gardens in Padua, Italy
Roman Arena of Padua

 

Garibaldi Statue

To the north of the arena is a statue of Italian general Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882). It was dedicated in 1886.

Giuseppe Garibaldi statue in Padua, Italy
Giuseppe Garibaldi statue

 

Scrovegni Chapel

The most important landmark is the Scrovegni Chapel (Cappella degli Scrovegni). Inside this unassuming brick building is a masterpiece of Renaissance painting. Several incredible frescoes completed in 1305 by Giotto (1267-1337) line the walls. It’s included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Padua’s 14th century fresco cycles.

Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy
Scrovegni Chapel

Unfortunately I made a huge mistake and didn’t get to see it. I didn’t pay attention when I was planning my trip and didn’t realize you have to purchase tickets at least 24 hours in advance. No tickets can be purchased on the day of your visit. If you want to see this masterpiece, you can buy tickets on the official website and choose a time for your visit, then show up 45 minutes early on the day of your visit to pick them up.

The Scrovegni Chapel is open daily. It costs €15 plus a €1 presale fee (as of June 2024). This includes admission to the Eremitani City Museum (Museo Civici Eremitani) and the art museum at Palazzo Zuckermann across the street. Admission to only Palazzo Zuckermann and the Eremitani City Museum is €11 (as of June 2024), but keep in mind Palazzo Zuckermann is closed on working Mondays. The Padova Urbs Picta Card allows for free admission to all three attractions with a €1 booking fee.

The Eremitani City Museum is housed in the cloister of the Eremitani Church (see below). Palazzo Zuckermann was built between 1912 and 1914.

Palazzo Zuckermann in Padua, Italy
Palazzo Zuckermann

 

Eremitani Church

The Eremitani Church (Chiesa degli Eremitani) was built in 1276. It was heavily damaged from an Allied air raid on March 11, 1944, because it was located next to a Nazi headquarters.

Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Eremitani Church

The interior of the church once had several decorations but is much more plain since it was rebuilt after the bombing. Still, it’s included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Padua’s 14th century fresco cycles.

Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Eremitani Church
Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Eremitani Church

It features a few side chapels and tombs, including those of Jacopo II da Carrara (d. 1350) and  Ubertina da Carrara (d. 1345) of the noble Carraresi family, and Italian humanist Marco Mantova Benavides (1489-1582).

Side chapel in the Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Side chapel
Side chapel in the Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Side chapel
Tomb of Marco Mantova Benavides in the Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Tomb of Marco Mantova Benavides

The Ovetari Chapel (Cappella Ovetari), which is to the right of the apse, contains fragments of frescoes painted by Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506) between 1448 and 1457. Over 88,000 fragments were recovered after the bombing and later put back together using computers. The project was revealed to the public on September 16, 2006, with black and white drawings filling in the missing fragments.

Ovetari Chapel in the Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Ovetari Chapel
Fragments of Mantegna's frescoes in the Ovetari Chapel in the Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Fragments of Mantegna’s frescoes

Finally, the apse contains frescoes by Guariento (1310-1370) painted between 1361 and 1365. The entire apse was once decorated but only the left side survived the bombing.

Apse in the Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Apse
Frescoes in the apse in the Eremitani Church in Padua, Italy
Frescoes in the apse

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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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