One of the largest squares in Europe
With almost 90,000 square metres, Prato della Valle in Padua is one of the largest squares in Europe, and certainly one of the most original. In Roman times there was a theatre here, and in the Middle Ages it was a marshy meadow used for fairs and markets. In 1775 the Venetian governor Andrea Memmo had it transformed into its present form, both to drain it and to give the city a grand public space.
At the centre lies an elliptical island, the Isola Memmia, covered with grass and trees, surrounded by a canal crossed by four bridges. Along the canal stand 78 statues of famous men linked to Padua and its university, such as Galileo, Petrarch, Antonio Canova, Torquato Tasso and the Venetian doges, a sort of open-air pantheon. On one side of the square rises the huge Basilica of Santa Giustina, one of the largest churches in the world, with eight domes, which holds the tomb of the evangelist St Luke and a great altarpiece by Veronese. Prato della Valle is the living room of the Paduans: students meet here, people jog, sunbathe and walk, and on Saturdays a large market is held.
Tip: on the third Sunday of each month there is an antiques market; the square is beautiful at sunset, when the statues are reflected in the canal.
Where it is
More things to see in Veneto
Where to stay near Padua
Tours and activities nearby
Offers from GetYourGuide. Some links are affiliate links: if you book we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.