We left Milan via rental car and braved the Italian autostrade, deciding to stop in Padua on our way to Trieste. Padua, part of a larger metropolitan area with Venice and Treviso, is a city that punches above its weight in terms of contributions to science and art. The University of Padua, established in 1222, most notably drew Galileo Galilei and Donatello, among others. We admired the modern construction of the Padua Cultural Center, walked under the city’s famous arcades (covered sidewalks), and saw the Basilica of Saint Anthony. The basilica sits at the edge of the piazza of Prato della Valle, an enormous square with an island in the center, surrounded by an elliptical canal. The island, Isola Memmia, is a green park that can be reached by four bridges that bisect the island to form a cross. The canal is also lined with a series of nearly one hundred statues. The piazza is in fact the largest square in Italy. We spent a whirlwind afternoon eating lunch, taking in the architectural sights, and accruing a traffic violation ticket which only recently reached us. Don’t worry, it’s been paid!
