World Travel Guide

City Guide  - Venice  - Excursions
Excursions

For a Half Day

Padova:
Padua is often overlooked due to its proximity to Venice, or exploited as a cheap place to bed down while enjoying the delights of La Serenissima. But Padua is a thriving town, singled out by her ancient university (second only to Bologna in age) and the remarkable Cappella di Scrovegni, home of Giotto's ground-breaking frescoes.

Nicknamed La Dotta ('the Learned'), Padua nurtured the great minds of Livy, Petrach, Dante and Galileo and later became home to one of the chief medical schools in Europe - as witnessed by its crude Anatomical Theatre, the gruesome highlight of any university tour. Despite serious bomb damage in World War II, the arcaded streets surrounding the market squares, Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta, belong to the Middle Ages when Shakespeare set his Taming of the Shrew here. The market itself is a treat not to be missed - crammed with herbs, vegetables and flowers from the bountiful plains of the Veneto and divided by the Palazzo della Ragione, Padua's ancient law courts, whose loggia shelters the purveyors of local cheese, hams and bread.

The Basilica of San Antonio echoes the Byzantine influence of St Mark's and is a popular spot for pilgrims who come to venerate the body of St Anthony. The Basilica is something of an architectural elephant, lacking the delicate motifs of its Venetian counterpart, its interior gaudily daubed with mock Byzantine paintwork. But the high altar by Donatello and his majestic horseman, Gattamelata, whose statue fronts the church, are well worth a look.

However, most visitors come to Padua for just one attraction. The Scrovegni Chapel, sometimes called the Madonna dell'Arena, was commissioned by the money-lender, Scrovegni, as his passport to heaven. It may not have done him much good (the church denied him a Christian burial), but it has enriched the world of art. Giotto executed the chapel at the height of his fame and these resplendent frescoes echo his genius. The walls of the tiny chapel are painted a cerulean blue and vividly depict the Lives of Christ and the Virgin. Bold brushstrokes, a dramatic narrative and a revolutionary perspective combine to form one of Italy's greatest masterpieces. Tickets include entrance to the city's art gallery (L10,000).

Padua is just 20 minutes' by train from Venice. There is a tourist office in the railway station (tel: (049) 875 2077; fax: (049) 650 794).

For a Whole Day

Verona:
Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet and home of Italy's most spectacular opera season, unites fluffy romance and grand passion in a rose-tinted setting. Whether travelling by car or train, any introduction to Verona begins at the Porta Nuova - a traffic-encircled Renaissance arch that affords visitors their first glimpse of the spectacular Arena.

Dominating Piazza Bra, the Arena was built in the first century AD and is considered the best-preserved amphitheatre in Italy, after Rome's Colosseum. Partially damaged by an earthquake, its pretty pink and white stone belie the brutal sport it was built for. Today, it is home to the famous outdoor opera festival, offering a programme of opera throughout July and August. The city is at its busiest at this time of year with tourists spilling out on to the Liston, the broad hem of the piazza framed with cafés and bars.

A wander through Verona offers an abundance of bridges, piazzas and Romanesque churches. San Zeno is the king of Veronese churches, with its zebra-striped belltower climbing out of the rosy rooftops marking the spot where King Pepin the Short is buried. The façade is dominated by a twelfth-century rose window depicting the Wheel of Fortune, a finely carved porch and a set of bronze doors that retell the biblical stories with such intensity they have been nicknamed the 'poor man's bible'. Inside, standing on the altar, is Mantegna's triptych - a dramatic painting created for the church, using the play of light from the window on the right-hand side.

The other major attraction is Juliet's balcony, artfully restored to please romantics everywhere, but with dubious historical authenticity. Few actually believe that Juliet, or indeed the Capulets, lived here, but it makes a pretty picture, provides an excuse for a statue of the nubile teenager and gives Verona a suitably lovelorn edge over rival tourist centres.

For a chance to admire Verona's tranquil setting, climb to the top of the Castel San Pietro, a nineteenth-century fortification above the Teatro Romano and the Archaeology Museum on the far side of the River Adige. Far below, the heart of Verona nestles in the shelter of the surrounding green hills, a sweetheart's confection iced in pink and white.

The main tourist office is situated at Via dell'Alpini 9, near the Arena (tel: (045) 806 8680; fax: (045) 800 3638). Verona can be reached by a one-hour train journey from Santa Lucia, Venice.



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