Padua, Day 2

Thursday7th August

Breakfast in the Sala di Colazione at the Hotel Grand’Italia, Padua was sensational! You name it, they had it and we ate it. We were well set for a big day, and a big day it was. We went straight to the Basilica San Antonio on the tram, the stop is just outside the hotel. The Piazza in front of the Basilica has a large statue of a man on a horse. The sculptor was Donatello, and it the first non religious, cast bronze statue for about 1000 years in Italy.

The basilica, from the outside at ground level is not very impressive, but once inside it is breathtaking. The frescoes, the sculptures, the paintings, the layout are amazing. The Tomba di San Antonio is moving, but the best part was the Chapel of Reliquaries. Therein, is not only St Anthony’s chin, but his vocal cords and tongue. Apparently, he was a wonderful orator and 32 years after his death, his body was exhumed, (and this happened a lot to the saints, no such thing as rest in peace, they were always being dug up  and moved to another location), and they found that the tongue was uncorrupted – bright red, and as if he had just died. So, of course, it was placed in a lovely glass and gold container and displayed for all to see. It is 750 years since the exhumation, and the tongue is still on show.

We watched a multimedia presentation on the life of St Anthony that was very missable. Don’t bother, and we loitered in the cloisters which were calm and cool and in the shade a very old magnolia tree planted in 1810.

After the Basilica we walked around the Botanical Gardens, which are owned by the University of Padua. The gardens are nicely laid out and provided a cool and shady respite from the VERY HOT day. There is a palm tree described by Goethe, and called Goethe’s Palm, a collection of poisonous plants – just there alongside the path next to another ancient magnolia tree planted in 1786 and still going strong.

We needed a cooling off and headed back to the hotel for a snooze and a shower before heading off again. We went to the Baptistery of the Duomo, which may have been spectacular, but was filled with scaffolding for restoration work. We didn’t have to pay because we had the Padova Card, but if you did have to pay you would feel ripped off.

Then to the Duomo, which was very different to the heavily decorated, ornate and frescoed churches we have seen everywhere. The duomo is light and white inside, with several side chapels displaying sculptures of saints and angels. We found the crypt below and the adjoining chapel – very subdued, and the chapel had the most beautiful stained glass windows above the altar. Then we had a successful venture for an hour or two for a particular body crème and 3 linen blouses.

Back to the hotel after a bit of shopping, and out again for dinner. Dick had found a recommendation from Rick Steves for a family run enoteca in a side street somewhere behind the duomo. What a fantastic find. Thank you Rick and Dick. I had the lasagnetta, a specialty of the house, and Dick had the spezzatina pollo – a chicken dish accompanied by a nice little Veneto red wine, followed by pazientina – a dessert that requires a lot of time – layers of liqueur soaked biscuit, cake and cream, and tiramisu cream, with moscato and a limoncello digestive. Mmmmmm, delizioso.

We waddled to the tram stop and back to the hotel.