Padova and around

Padova and around

Padova is an ancient city, with a fairly large old town center. The first recommendation is to have a walk around the city center and enjoy the squares, in particular those with the morning market: Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza della Frutta, Piazza dei Signori.

Here is a list of interesting sites you may want to visit.

  • The Bo Palace is the historical seat of the university and located in central Padova. Constructed in 1493, it contains the oldest anatomical theater in the world (visited only in guided tours) and a statue of Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, the first woman to obtain a college degree (in 1678).

  • Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta are two market squares divided by the Palazzo della Regione, constructed in 1219 and believed to have the largest roof unsupported by columns in Europe.

  • The Basilica of Saint Anthony is about 1 km south of the town center and is an important destination for many pilgrims. It contains many artifacts of religious importance and works by major artists such as a series of statues by Donatello.

  • The “Cappella degli Scrovegni”, a small chapel that is located within the public park “Giardini dell’Arena” that is completely painted by Giotto. According to some, it is the Sistine Chapel of the middle age.

  • The “Orto Botanico”, the oldest botanic garden in Europe, is owned by the University. We hope to have our social dinner there.

  • If you like museums, we recommend those that are offered by the university. The majority of these museums are within the various departments of the uni and the entrance is free. The price you pay may be a little time in organising your visit because some of these museums are run and open by volunteers (i.e. colleagues of the various departments that offer their time to open the museum and give you also a little explanation if they can). The majority of these museums can be visited in very little time (less than 30 min). Because the university is very old, some of the collections are of extreme interest. We definitely recommend the physics museum “Giovanni Poleni”, and the museum of human anatomy “Giovan Battista Morgagni” (although some may find this museum a little creepy). Within two hundreds meters from the venue of the conference you can find the museum of psychology (a very little collection of the historical instruments of the School, in the main entrance of the “psico1” building) and the museo Enrico Bernardi where you can see one of the very first examples of cars manufactured in Italy (1894). 

Attractions close to Padova

Venezia!

The easiest way to go to Venezia is by train. The train station is at 10 minutes walking distance from the School. The train to Venezia (there is at least one every half an hour) takes from 25 minutes to 45 minutes depending on the train and number of stops. The best value for money option is to look for a “regionale veloce” (RV) train which is cheap (less than 5 euro one way) and fast. You can also go by bus. The bus stop is next to the School of psychology. 

Food, Drinks, & Nightlife

Food

We know what you are thinking: “we are in Italy, we are safe!”. Well, this is true (partly), but Padova is definitely not the best place for food within the region and within Italy. That said, you’ll eat sufficiently well in any place with a few spots we would like to recommend. Vegetarian options should be always available. Vegan options too, but it is better to ask. Ok, let’s start from simple bars. Bars usually offer a good selection of food that ranges from sandwiches “tramezzini” to salads and to more elaborated food such as pasta etc. In general, bar owners and waiters are friendly with customers that do not speak Italian. If you fancy a local meal (i.e., regional recipes) we recommend the following places “Anfora”, “Nane della Giulia”, “La Sofia”, or “Mario e Mercedes”. But, if you are really, really, really into food, you should know that 5 km out of Padova, there is a ☆☆☆ Michelin restaurant: Le Calandre. The price is ☆☆☆ too 🙂

Drinks

Do you know Aperol spritz? It was invented here. The Aperol factory opened in Padova in 1919, the very same year the first lesson of psychology was taught here at the local university (what a coincidence!). But you can have spritz also with Campari (bitter) or Select (just slightly more bitter than Campari). Wine is also popular. Good places for drinking in the center of town are “All’ombra della Piazza” (spritz/wine), “Enoteca tirabuchon” (wine only) or “Enoteca da Severino” (wine only). Spritz is served by any bar and prices range from 3 euro to 5 depending on the bar. Bars in the center (but also many of those close to the venue) have usually a fairly good wine list. Of course, all types of soft drinks are available.

For caffeine addicts, if you really want to have a good Italian coffee, we recommend two places: the “Caffetteria Manin” (via Daniele Manin 56) and the “Bar Santa Lucia” in Via Santa Lucia 9. In both places you will find no sits, no tables. Just have your coffee the Italian way: standing at the bar.

Tips

In Italy you don’t have to give tips. You can, if you want to, but it is perfectly polite to leave a restaurant with no tips. Instead, restaurants usually charge you a little fee (called “coperto”), which is often mentioned in the menu.

Nightlife

Summer nightlife is re-organizing after 2-years COVID stop. A complete lineup is impossible right now. However, the School of Psychology is usually a good place to be to stay close to nightlife because the School is within the most popular student area (“Il Portello”). Definitely, the “Parco della musica” and “I giardini dell’arena” offer a quite enjoyable place to spend the evening/night. The School is also very close to the “Pride village”, the summer event of the local gay community. The pride village usually opens in late spring and ends at the end of the summer although for 2023 the exact opening date has not yet been communicated. The village is only 200 meters away from the School. Inside you’ll find places to eat, drink and, in addition to bars, there are usually a few dance floors where you can dance up to very late. Another night option is “I navigli”, a walk full of kiosks along the Piovego canal and only a few meters away from the school of psychology. Of course, you may want to have a drink in one of the piazza of the city center. However, local regulations force the bar of the center to shut down at midnight.