Padua "Basilica of Saint Anthony and Botanical Garden"

In the 14th century, Padua was an open-air laboratory—a city whose painters helped redefine the visual language of all Europe. Six centuries later, those masterpieces still await you.

Its 14th-century fresco cycles are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, offering an extraordinary glimpse into the art and society of medieval Padua.

The guided tour takes you to the Basilica of Saint Anthony—known simply as "Il Santo" (The Saint) to the locals—one of Christianity's most important shrines and a pilgrimage destination for people from all over the world. You will be captivated by the solemn grandeur of its domes and bell towers—which create an unmistakable silhouette against the city skyline—and by the artistic treasures housed within, ranging from Donatello’s bronze sculptures to the 14th-century frescoes that are part of that same extraordinary UNESCO heritage.

The tour concludes at the Botanical Garden, the oldest university garden in the world still located on its original site; founded in 1545, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Amidst the flowerbeds of its circular garden and its rare, centuries-old plants, you will discover another side of Paduan genius—the scientific one—in a green oasis where knowledge took root five centuries ago.