Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua

The Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua is located in the Italian city of Padua (Padova), very close to the Prato della Valle, which is the largest square in the entire country.

There are lots of things to see in Padua, but I would say that this church and the Prato della Valle are the standouts - in my honest opinion, you can do without the rest. This church really surprised me for its sheer size and for its vaults that are almost crowded together, whereas the two tall towers are very thin. Colour-wise, it is a reddish-brown, with some decorative lines that are white, just like the vaults, albeit being slightly more grey in tone.

The Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua was built between 1238 and 1310. The architectural style of the church is a mixture of Romanesque, Renaissance, Gothic and Baroque.

I remember my visit to the church with a little bit of anger and frustration because, when I tried to go inside, they wouldn’t allow me to do so as I was wearing shorts… I know that this happens in some churches, but I thought that it was just in the most “important” ones and that it wouldn’t really matter… Never mind. I just want to know why it’s acceptable in some churches and not in others. I have to add that it is one of the few occasions where I have been really excited to go inside a church, as I usually like the exterior facades more. However, as the exterior facade surprised me so much, I thought that the interior one would do the same. So, I now know that if I go again, I have to wear appropriate clothing.

The remains of Saint Anthony of Padua can be found within this church, and this saint is celebrated every year on the anniversary of his death (June 13th) with a feast day in his birthplace of Lisbon, Portugal.

The Basilica’s opening hours are from 6:20am until 7:45pm.

The closest tram stop is called “Santo”, and the bus routes that pass by here are lines 3, 12 and 18.