Day 10, Thursday, Sept. 1, Padova (Padua)

I was glad to visit Padua for my second time and especially the Scrovegni Chapel which has world-famous frescoes by Giotti.  Details of this chapel are at the end of this post.

We saw the famous coffee shop, Cafe Pedrocci, that is open 24hrs. since a hundred years ago, where people meet to discuss current events, also the very large open markets in several squares (plazas) as well as regular permanent shops that are interesting to see--in particular butcher shops. They have a very interesting method of collecting the trash.  

I visited the Duomo, a very large church that had unusual modern appointments on the main alter. 

We left Pedrova and stopped at the Basilica of Saint Anthony--it was huge, gorgeous and very impressive--one of my few favorite church visits in Italy.

Another short drive away we stopped for coffee and shopping at Monselice.  

The photo at the bottom of this sign shows the inside of the chapel.  A magnificent display of art by the artist Giotto.

Market day in Padua.

Gelato with chocolate sauce in the cone, gelato, whipped cream and cookie.

Large square sections of the street are lifted and bins come up where the trash is collected.

Market day.

Area near the market.

Very nice modern artwork in this church.

Modern art on the alter.

Power failure during dinner--we thought it was a romantic touch instead of a power failure.

Heading to the market area after seeing the Scrovegni Chapel.

Looking at the famous Cafe Pedrocci.

Basilica of Saint Anthony.

Our group heading back to the bus.

This large open expanse was once a chariot race area.

On our way into Monselice for our coffee break.
It was rather exciting as the cafe owner and a man who rode his bike over his foot had a loud confrontation.

Details about Scrovegni Chapel:

The son of Reginaldo, the usurer mentioned in the 17th canto of Dante's Inferno, built this chapel to improve his and his father's chances of getting into heaven.  :)  :)

He commissioned Giotto to decorate the chapel with frescoes which according to reliable information were done between 1303 and 1305, they cover the interior entirely--it has a darker clue at the highest point with nice stars and the blue gets lighter as it progresses downward.  There are panels separated by faux marble frames. If it only took 2 years to paint all of this, I gestimate that it took about 2 weeks for each part, not including the famous Last Judgement which covers the entire end wall and shows what it might be like if you go to hell.