Padova - Scrovegni Chapel and Sant’Antonio
The TandemSpirits have wanted to see the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova since 2006 when we watched a BBC series called “Francesco’s Italy: Top to Toe”. Francesco da Mosto drives through various town in Italy and highlights a combination of well-known and lesser known places. Living so close to Assisi and seeing Giotto’s breathtaking mosaics in the Basilica of St. Francis many times has been further encouragement.
Francesco's Italy Top to Toe - Episode 1
We consider Francesco’s series one of the best ever made about Italy. We thought you might like to watch the part in episode 1 where he visits the Scrovegni Chapel (about 4:30 into the video). If you want to watch something truly special, enjoy the whole series!
We had an uneventful drive from Foligno to Padova. That is a feat in itself considering that August in Italy is when the majority of Italians as well as other Europeans are on vacation and traffic can range from difficult to impossible. The first thing we came across was the Prato della Valle, a huge park ringed by 78 statues of notable Padovani.
Basilica of St Anthony of Padova
The big draw to Padova is the enormous Basilica of St. Anthony of Padova. St. Anthony is one of the most beloved saints. He was a Franciscan friar, and had been entrusted by St. Frances himself to instruct new friars in the ways of the Franciscan order. People often pray to him for help in locating lost items. The Basilica is enormous with beautiful side chapels, frescoes, and statuary. The crucifix on the altar was sculpted by Donatello.
The Scrovegni Chapel
After a brief nap, we made our way over to the Scrovegni Chapel. In order to prevent degradation of the mosaics, they need to regulate the humidity levels. They installed a waiting area outside of the chapel and a limited number of people are allowed in at any given time. They close the doors of the waiting area and a video about the chapel is shown. It was well done and provided beautiful close up views of the mosaics along with an explanation of the various panels. It was worth driving there to see it. Giotto painted the mosaics in the chapel in 1305. His naturalistic style revolutionized painting in the West. In the faces of the various scenes throughout the chapel, Giotto captured real emotions such as anguish, betrayal and even death.
Padova - A Town Filled with Wonderful Things
Padova is a great town. Very walkable. We enjoyed strolling about and came across a market area. We had a tasty aperitivo at one of the bars there. They were making Focaccia Sandwiches that looked delish. We were hoping they would be open the next morning so we could grab one for the road. Sadly that was not the case.
A Delicious Dinner at La Sciabola - The Sabre
The clerk at the hotel recommended an excellent restaurant for dinner: La Sciabola. We started with a Pea and yogurt flan. Virginia ordered a local pasta dish Bigoli Corte, which had ground goose, chicken and duck. The server explained that it is called Corte because these are normally the kinds of animals people kept in their courtyards. The dish can also include Rabbit, although this one didn’t. James ordered the grilled Tuna with Teriyaki with marinated cabbage. We shared a bottle of Pino Nero from the Alto-Adige region.
A Change of Summer Vacation Plans
Our trip to Padova was supposed to be the start of our annual trip to Switzerland. It’s a two day trip by car and we always try to stop somewhere interesting on the first evening. Unfortunately, our 15 year old cat, Cordelia, had other plans. She developed a problem with her breathing. When we took her to the vet, she had fluid in the lungs and her little heart was working very hard. We decided to cancel our trip to Switzerland and go to Padova overnight. We were fortunate that our vet recommended a wonderful cat-sitter who was able to take care of Cordilia while we were gone. She also works at the animal refuge in Foligno and is skilled in the tricky skill of giving pills to cats.
