It’s extraordinarily rich the religious heritage of Padua, strongly impregnated by the intense spiritual presence of one of the world’s most beloved saints, St. Anthony and devotion to Mary.
For the visit of the main faith places you can start from the Basilica of St Anthony, better known as Basilica del Santo, majestic and complex religious building built in 1232, an year after St. Anthony’s death.
The external appearance of the Basilica is a mixture of lombard, tuscan and byzantine; the 8 domes and two bell towers are oriental.
The interior houses the Saint’s body in a coffin (ark) located in the beautiful Cappella del Santo, work of various artists including Tullio Lombardo, Andrea Briosco and Gianmaria Falconetto.
The Basilica hosts significant works of ancient and contemporary art including the Chapel of the Blessed Luca Belludi entirely frescoed by Giusto de’ Menabuoi (1382), St. James and S.Felice Chapel with a beautiful painted cycle by Altichieri Da Zevio (1374 -78), the great altar with Donatello’s sculptures among which there is the Crucifix (also the equestrian monument of “Gattamelata” in the Basilica’s square is Donatello’s) and then Giotto School works, Sansovino, Briosco, Sanmicheli, Parodi, Achille Casanova, Ubaldo Oppi, Pietro Annigoni.
