If you think Padua, what comes to mind? Another northern Italian city? A quick stop before Venice?
Well, let me disappoint you or better surprise you.
If you have never been to Padua, it is probably for one of three reasons:
Fair enough. Venice has that effect on people. But while Venice was built on water, Padua was dissecting human bodies!
Welcome to Padua, between scalpel and spritz. Italy’s oldest university town of free minds, where science, rebellion, and espresso have been hanging out together since the 13th century.
If you visit only one place in Padua, make it Palazzo del Bo. It is the historic seat of the University of Padua, founded in 1222 — the second-oldest university in the world, right after Bologna. Why second?..
Now picture the scene. It’s the Middle Ages, somewhere around the 11th or 12th century. Who ruled the world? Of course, the Church, with both hands firmly on knowledge, science, and probably even on what you should eat for dinner and how to make children.
But in every strict society, there is always one rebel who decides to do things differently. And that’s where Padua showed her character. Think of Padua as that badass Italian girlfriend with sharp confidence, the kind who looks her controlling boyfriend in the eyes, smirks and says, “Grazie mille, caro Papa,” (translation: Thanks a lot, dear Father) rolls her eyes, flips her hair, and walks right out the door.
That’s exactly what Padua did. She broke away from the Church’s grip on knowledge and built a university dedicated to curiosity and free spirit. And up till recent days, their motto still reflects that:
“Universa Universis Patavina Libertas” – Paduan freedom is for everyone, in everything.
Inside Palazzo del Bo, you can still feel that energy. So what makes it so special? Inside, you will find the world’s oldest anatomical theatre, built in 1594. Seven narrow wooden rings rise above a single table where students once leaned in to study the human body for the very first time. It somehow survived two World Wars, earthquakes, and centuries of dust and time. Standing inside it is a mind-blowing experience because this is where the roots of modern medicine were planted. Well, if this experience gives you chills because you are afraid of blood or the thought of a dead body, I get it. So here’s the brighter side.
Within these same walls, Galileo Galilei once gave his lectures. Yes, the real one. He taught mathematics and astronomy here for 18 years, calling them “the happiest of my life”. You can literally stand where he stood. Those happy years came before his famous clash with (guess who) the Church again. Because once a rebel, always a rebel!
If we are talking about rebellion and badass Italian girlfriends, think Elena Cornaro Piscopia. If that name doesn’t ring a bell but you happen to be a woman, remember it! Why? Because she was the first woman in the world to earn a university degree, right here in Padua, back in 1678. Her graduation took place inside Padua Cathedral, because so many people came to watch that the university halls couldn’t even fit them all.
And here’s the most interesting part: after almost 800 years of history and a long line of male rectors, the University of Padua finally has its first-ever female rector.
Right opposite Palazzo del Bo stands Palazzo Moroni. Nothing in particular stands out about this building. What makes it special is its history. For centuries, Palazzo Moroni has been the center of civic power, the place where the mayors and governors of Padua made their decisions, held their meetings, and tried to keep this university town’s wild, free-thinking spirit under control. If Palazzo del Bo was where new ideas were born, this was where those ideas had to face reality.
If you stand just in front of the building and look up, and you will see an angel statue watching over the façade. And they say that on a windy day, it looks as if the angel’s finger is moving — quietly pointing out that even politicians could use some higher guidance.
Just in the middle of the city there is an old Caffè Pedrocchi or Padua’s eternal night owl. It opened in 1831 and quickly became known as “the café without doors” because it literally never closed. Students, artists, professors, and revolutionaries met here to debate art, politics, or life in general. Don't forget we are still in free-spirited city!
Order their famous Caffè Pedrocchi, an espresso crowned with mint cream and a dusting of cocoa. Whatever you do, don’t stir it! The proper way is to sip through the cool mint first, then let the hot espresso kick in. In other words, just sip it and feel like part of Padua’s rebellion — spoons are for amateurs anyway. Pair your coffee with the Torta Pedrocchi, a chocolate-mint cake that makes the whole experience feel even more exquisitely revolutionary.
And if you like a challenge, look for the tiny bullet hole left from the 1848 uprising against Austrian rule. It is still there in the marble wall, though good luck spotting it; locals love watching newcomers hunt for it like it’s a secret code.
Walk south, and the city suddenly opens up into one of Europe’s biggest and most beautiful squares – Prato della Valle. It’s the second largest in Europe, right after Moscow’s Red Square.
It is a huge oval park surrounded by a canal lined with 78 statues – popes, poets, professors, and the occasional random noble who clearly had friends in the right places.
Do you want to know a fun fact? In the 18th century, right at this place there was a swamp! Padua was thriving as a university city, but it lacked a true public space. Venetian governor Andrea Memmo (who clearly had more than enough money) decided to make it a masterpiece.
Today, students stretch out on the grass, kids chase pigeons, and couples stroll along the canals while statues look on silent, timeless, and probably keeping more than a few secrets of their own.
At the far edge of Prato della Valle stands Basilica di Santa Giustina, a massive church from the 5th century with domes that look like they are holding up the sky.
On March 13, 1771, a fifteen-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart played the organ here. His father wrote home the next day calling it “the incomparable church of Santa Giustina.”
The same organ is still there, and if you stick around long enough you might even catch someone playing it.
After all that thinking and walking (and, honestly, my admiration to you for making this far by reading this post), you have earned some gelato. Head to Portogallo Alberto, one of Italy’s most-awarded gelaterias.
This is not tourist gelato even though the line stretches meters away from the counter. Their flavors have won spots in Gambero Rosso’s Gelaterie d’Italia for years. Try the mandorla, pistacchio salato, or crema Portogallo.
The owner, Alberto Portogallo, even reached the finals of Italy’s Città del Gelato competition. Basically, if gelato had a PhD, it would be from Padua.
