Padua

We left our hotel almost on time. We’d arranged an early start to incorporate the time booked into the church in Padua, and nearly all of our group had actually got the message and complied. But there’s always one*…”Oh, I didn’t hear that”.

We left the beautiful, 5-star hotel Savoia Excelsior Palace Hotel for the last time, with many a tear in our eyes. The drive to Padua took around two hours, and we arrived to meet our guide, Michaela. Hold on, I know that name…yes, it’s the same guide we had in Venice. She took us around Padua, explaining its importance as a Roman city (the third largest in the empire). It’s also home to one of the oldest universities in the world, founded in 1222. We took a look around some of the oldest parts which are still extant – now home to the university’s administrators rather than students. It also has a very old café which never closes its doors – a very early 24/7. It also has an astronomical clock with an unusual feature – instead of the traditional 12 signs of the zodiac, it only has eleven – Scorpio occupies two sections (there’s no Libra). Legend has it that this is because the creator was never paid for his work, so decided to deliberately ruin it.

 

The old Justice building...now a market

Zoom in on Scorpio (3 o'clock)

We then made our rendezvous with the Scrovegni chapel. This was built by a wealthy banker in an attempt to improve his image. Bankers were held in low regard despite being wealthy – Dante put them in the seventh inner circle of hell with the usurers, so spending a lot of money on a chapel was a way to increase their standing. He employed the best sculptors and fresco painters of the day – some chap named Giotto did the paintings. This is what the chapel is now famous for; the rest of the palazzo has been demolished, and attempts made to remove the frescoes and sell them off were thwarted by the city council, who eventually raised the cash to buy what remained, and make it a public gallery. The system here is quite regimented: You turn up at your allotted time, watch a 15 minute video (in Italian with English subtitles), then spend 15 minutes in the chapel, as Michaela explained the significance of the frescoes, what they were depicting, and the influence on Western art. After 15 minutes you’re marched out so the next group can come in.

Heaven to the right, Hell to the left

We had a short lunch break, then found our way back on to the coach (guess what? Some of the group were late), for our onward journey to our final stay, the small town of Reggio Emilia. We’re staying here as it’s in the heart of cheese-, ham-, and vinegar-making country. So guess what? Tomorrow, we’re off to a cheese demonstration and tasting. Blessed are the cheesemakers!

 

* Not always the same one, but there's a small group of offenders