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After exploring most of the historic city center of Padua, Italy, we headed to Piazza del Santo to see the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua. The piazza and the buildings around it are included in the UNESCO World Heritage listing for Padua’s 14th century fresco cycles.
Via del Santo
To get there, we walked down Via del Santo past several historic buildings.
Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
Once we reached Piazza del Santo, we were able to get a glimpse of the massive Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua (Basilica di Sant’Antonio di Padova). It was built between 1232 and 1310 and holds the relics of Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231). The church has been expanded several times over the years.
We visited the interior of the church and saw some gorgeous works of art. It’s open year-round but photography is prohibited inside. There are also a few museums in the church showcasing ecclesiastical art and the life of Saint Anthony.
Oratory of Saint George and Scoletta del Santo
To the right of the church are two more important buildings to visit. On the left is the Oratory of Saint George (Oratorio di San Giorgio) and on the right is the Scoletta del Santo. You can visit both buildings on a combined ticket including the Basilica museums for €7 (as of August 2023).
The Oratory of Saint George is an active chapel featuring frescoes by Altichiero da Zevio (1330-1390) and Jacopo d’Avanzi (c. 1350s-1416) painted between 1379 and 1384. The frescoes were whitewashed during the Napoleonic Wars and rediscovered in 1837, therefore many are damaged. The chapel itself was completed in 1377.
Next door is the Scoletta del Santo, which is a church built for the Confraternity of Saint Anthony (Arciconfraternita di Sant’Antonio) between 1427 and 1431. In 1504, the building was expanded to add a meeting room above the church. Inside are frescoes painted by Titian (1488-1576) between 1510 and 1511.
In between the two buildings is a smaller building built in 1736 by Giovanni Gloria. It links the Oratory of Saint George to the Scoletta del Santo.
Civic Museum of the Santo
Just to the right of the Scoletta del Santo is the Civic Museum of the Santo (Museo Civico al Santo), built between 1870 and 1880. It used to hold the civic museums now located at the Eremitani Church (Chiesa degli Eremitani). The building is now used for temporary exhibitions.
Around the Piazza
Lining the rest of Piazza del Santo are historic buildings with restaurants and cafés. In the center you can find booths selling religious items and the Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata. The statue was made by Donatello (1386-1466) in 1453 and depicts Italian military leader Erasmo da Narni (1370-1443), better known as Gattamelata.
