Basilica del Santo
This is how the Basilica of St. Anthony is named, after the saint from Padua for antonomasia; the basilica was built right after the death of the Franciscan monk, in 1231, on the antique church of S. Maria where he wanted to be buried.

The basilica has a considerable splendour, characterized by the merge between Romanesque and Gothic elements, and also seems to have oriental motifs mainly on the central dome and on the side bell towers, which look like a sort of minarets. Add-ons and restorations followed one another throughout the centuries, making the Basilica become the temple in Padua for excellence; the town council itself intervened in its realization.

Inside there are important frescos by Altichiero, Avanzo and Giusto de' Menabuoi, and most important of all is the high altar made by Donatello in 1444, masterpiece of the Tuscan Master, who in the Basilica’s churchyard left another masterpiece for Padua, the equestrian monument to the Gattamelata (1447).

Cappella degli Scrovegni

Built between 1303 and 1305 upon commission of Enrico Scrovegni, the Cappella is dedicated to Our Lady of the Annunciation. The insides have been frescoed by Giotto with the stories of Our Lady and Christ. The cycle is made up of thirty-eight scenes that take place on three orders long the side walls and on the façade where the Last Judgement has been represented. The work constitutes Giotto's absolute masterpiece, who proposes a new and revolutionary relationship between the figure and pictorial space.