At around 09:40, we started our 32-minute drive from Abano Terme to Padua. I had booked an 11:30 English-speaking tour for the University of Padua, and a 17:00 showing of the Giotto frescoes in the Cappella degli Scrovegni.
We selected the Park Padova Centro for parking near all the major attractions. It was not a bad location - about a 15-minute walk to the Palazzo del Bo (University of Padua). We arrived at the Palazzo del Bo a bit early and immediately noticed the graduation ceremony for recent University of Padua graduates.
The graduation ceremony at the University of Padua is quite different from what you might expect in the U.S. or UK—it’s more personal, historic, and (often) a bit theatrical.
Unlike American universities, there isn’t a single “graduation day” for everyone.
Students graduate throughout the year, whenever they finish their degree.
The key moment is the final thesis defense (“discussione della tesi”) in front of a faculty panel.
Once approved, the student is officially awarded the laurea (degree).
👉 This makes graduation feel more academic and individual rather than a mass event.
One of the most distinctive traditions—born in Padua itself—is the laurel crown:
Graduates wear a wreath made of laurel leaves (“corona d’alloro”).
It symbolizes victory, knowledge, and achievement, going back to ancient Greece and Rome.
The term “laureato” (graduate) literally comes from this tradition.
You’ll see graduates walking around the city all day wearing it—it’s very visible and celebratory.
The “papiro” (funny public ritual)
Friends prepare a large poster called a “papiro”.
It includes:
Embarrassing stories
Cartoons or caricatures
A humorous (often risqué) poem about the graduate
The graduate must publicly read it aloud, often in a square or street.
👉 This tradition evolved from older formal recitations into something much more playful (and sometimes humiliating in a fun way).
We heard this song repeatedly throughtout Padua, as we saw graduates with laurel crowns (Note: all graduates are referred to as 'Dottore' - not just PhDs):
"Dottore, dottore, dottore del buco del cul, vaffancul, vaffancul!"
“Doctor, doctor, doctor of the [asshole], f*** off, f*** off!”
At 11:30, our English-speaking tour of the University of Padua started, with Dana (an American student studying in Padua) guiding us through multiple rooms of the Palazzo del Bo.
The English-speaking tour of Palazzo del Bo took us to important historic rooms:
🎧 What the tour feels like
Ancient Courtyard – covered in centuries of coats of arms from students
Anatomical Theatre (1594) – the world’s oldest permanent anatomy theater. I can't believe that disections went on for 8-hours straight, non-stop in this closed space.
Anatomical Kitchen – where dissections were prepared and discarded (boiled)
Aula Magna (Galileo Hall) – where Galileo Galilei taught for 18-years
Sala dei Quaranta (Hall of the Forty) – portraits of famous international students, like William Harvey, Andreas Vesalius, Nicolas Copernicus
Medicine & Law halls
You hear about:
Galileo taught math and was the most popular teacher
Early human dissections (controversial at the time)
The university’s motto: freedom of thought
Here are some more interesting tidbits about Galileo's teaching at the University of Padua:
Galileo Galilei spent nearly 18 years (1592–1610) teaching at University of Padua—and it was arguably the most productive and enjoyable period of his life. Here are some of the most interesting and lesser-known tidbits:
Galileo later described his time in Padua as the happiest of his life.
Why? The Republic of Venice gave scholars unusual freedom of thought
He could teach bold ideas without the same pressure he later faced in Florence and Rome
Galileo wasn’t just respected—he was popular and charismatic:
Students flocked to his lectures, often beyond official enrollment
He taught in a lively, practical style rather than dry theory
Many students came from across Europe just to study with him
Instead of just lecturing, Galileo demonstrated physics live:
Rolling balls down inclined planes to study motion
Testing ideas about acceleration and inertia
Challenging Aristotle’s long-accepted views
He didn’t invent the telescope—but transformed it.
He improved the newly invented telescope dramatically
Built versions powerful enough to observe the sky
Made discoveries like:
Moons of Jupiter
Phases of Venus
👉These observations would later support the heliocentric ideas of Nicolaus Copernicus.
He hustled for extra income. The university salary wasn’t enough, so Galileo:
Gave private lessons to wealthy students
Sold scientific instruments (like compasses and military tools)
Even designed devices for practical use in warfare and engineering
Galileo taught mathematics, mechanics, and astronomy—but always with practical uses:
Ballistics (how cannonballs move)
Engineering problems
Navigation
👉 This made him valuable not just academically, but to the Venetian state.
During his Padua years:
He had a long relationship with Marina Gamba
They had three children together
He lived more like a working intellectual than a distant academic icon
Because Padua was under Venice:
He was somewhat shielded from the Roman Inquisition
Only after leaving for Florence, did his conflict with the Church escalate
👉 Staying in Padua longer might have changed history.
When visiting Palazzo del Bo:
You can see the Aula Magna (Galileo Hall) where Galileo lectured and the platform he stood on (during his lectures)
In the Sala dei Quaranta (the room of 40), these are some of the greatest figures:
🥇 1. William Harvey
👉 Why he matters:
He discovered that blood circulates continuously around the body—which overturned centuries of wrong ideas.👉 What to notice:
He studied in Padua’s cutting-edge medical environment
His work connects directly to the Anatomical Theatre you’ll see on the tour
💡 If you remember one person, make it him—this is a true scientific revolution.
🥈 2. Andreas Vesalius
👉 Why he matters:
He basically invented modern anatomy by insisting on studying real human bodies instead of relying on ancient texts.👉 What to notice:
He challenged errors from Galen that had been accepted for over 1,000 years
His work made Padua the center of medical science in Europe
💡 He represents the shift from “belief” to “observation.”
🥉 3. Nicolaus Copernicus
👉 Why he matters:
He proposed that the Sun—not Earth—is at the center of the solar system.👉 What to notice:
He studied here before publishing his revolutionary theory
His ideas later influenced Galileo Galilei
💡 This is the moment humanity stopped being the center of the universe.
After finishing the English-speaking tour at 12:40, we wandered around the Palazzo della Regione, where restaurants had outdoor seating, and the farmers' market was in full swing. We looked at all the various produce, fish, and meats for sale.
We decided to see Padua from up high and purchased tickets (from a nearby Tourist Office) to climb the Torre degli Anziani, a medieval tower with beautiful views of the city, for 13:00. The 200+ steps were fairly easy, and we quickly reached the top, with gorgeous views of Padua below.
After taking countless photos, we decided to eat lunch nearby at TreQuarti Padova. We decided to sit indoors, as it was still a bit chilly outside. From our vantage point, we could see the funny antics of recent University of Padua Graduates, reading their "papiros" to laughs, applause, and singing of "Dottore, dottore, dottore del buco del cul, vaffancul, vaffancul!"
We ordered the following items:
- 2 x Polpette (Meatballs)
- 2 x Cichetto Misti (small sandwiches)
- Lasagna ala Bolognese
- Radicchio Therapy salad
- Cal. Rosso Reserva (local merlot red wine)
- Acqua Gas
I really liked the lasagna, and Inna liked her Radicchio Therapy salad. I did not care for the polpette or the cichetti. The red wine was delicious.
After lunch, Inna decided to see the “M.C. Escher. Tutti i capolavori” (All the Masterpieces) art exhibit in the Centro Culturale Altinate San Gaetano, nearby.
This is a large, full retrospective:
150+ works spanning his entire career
Includes iconic pieces like:
Relativity (impossible staircases)
Day and Night
Metamorphosis II
Hand with Reflecting Sphere
👉 It’s not just highlights—it’s a complete journey through his evolution.
Escher isn’t just “cool drawings”—this exhibit really shows why he matters:
1. Art + math fused together
Tessellations (repeating patterns)
Infinite geometry
Symmetry and transformation
👉 He basically turned mathematics into visual art
2. “Impossible worlds”
Staircases that go nowhere
Buildings that defy physics
Perspectives that break your brain
👉 The core idea:
What you see ≠ what is real3. Interactive / immersive elements
Some parts of the exhibit include:
Installations where you experience illusions yourself
Spaces designed to make you feel “inside” an Escher world
👉 This makes it more engaging than a traditional museum.
After the wonderful M.C. Escher exhibit, we decided to stop by for a quick coffee at the Caffè Pedrocchi. This was supposed to be the cafe of Padua's intellectuals (but it didn't seem that way to me). We ordered the following items:
- Boris: cappuccino
- Inna: Viennese capuccino
- Dessert: cake
The cappuccinos were excellent, but Inna thought that the apple tart would have been much better.
From the cafe, we walked straight to the Cappella degli Scrovegni, for our 17:00 showing of the Giotto frescoes. Once there, we had to wait and watch a presentation on the frescoes for about 10 minutes - this was to help equalize the temperature and increase longevity.
The frescoes were remarkable and hard to believe that they were completed in 1303-1305. We took lots of photos (and had just 30 minutes to see them, before the next group arrived).
The frescoes by Giotto di Bondone in the Scrovegni Chapel are one of the most important works in the history of Western art—they basically mark the moment painting starts to look human, emotional, and real.
Here’s how to understand them without getting overwhelmed:
Painted around 1303–1305
Commissioned by Enrico Scrovegni
Covers almost every inch of the chapel interior
👉 It’s not a single painting—it’s a complete visual story.
🎨 The big idea
Before Giotto:
Figures looked flat, stiff, symbolic
After Giotto:
People have weight, emotion, and presence
👉 This is often called the beginning of the Renaissance.
The walls are arranged in horizontal bands (registers), telling a narrative:
Top level:
Lives of Mary’s parents (Joachim & Anne)
Middle:
Life of the Virgin Mary
Main scenes:
Life of Christ (the core of the cycle)
Bottom:
Allegories of Virtues and Vices
👉 You literally “read” the chapel from top to bottom, left to right.
