About Padua (known as Padova in Italian):
Located in northern Italy’s Veneto region, Padua is a picturesque city with beautiful architecture, gardens and museums. It is also the seat of also the University of Padua, which during the Middle Ages and Renaissance gained renown and was even host to Galileo at one time. It’s known for the frescoes by Giotto in its Scrovegni Chapel and the vast 13th-century Basilica of St. Anthony. In Padua’s old town you will find arcaded streets and stylish cafes that retains much of its character today. The city is a great place to spend a few days if you can.
Padua offers several places of interest for Catholics:
Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
Basilica of Saint Justina (relics of Saint Luke the Evangelist)
Sanctuary of Saint Leopold Mandic
Traveling to Padua:
Padua is about 30 miles west of Venice and included in some group tours. For independent travelers, if you are traveling on a budget, you might want to consider staying in Padua and taking the 15-30 minute train ride in to Venice. Hotels in Padua can cost half what they do in Venice and the train is fast and inexpensive. Padua is also easily reached by train from cities such as Rome (about 3 hours). Get train & bus schedules, fares, buy tickets here.
By car the trip takes about one hour from Padua to Venice–but then you have find somewhere to park your car, which is why we recommend the train.