Padua was built in the bend of the Brenta river, which is now called Bacchiglione, around the 1183 b.C. (that’s right, 500 years before Rome!)

The legend says that our ancestors came to Troy from Asia Minor, and precisely from a region that was then called Paphlagonia (currently in Turkey). At that time the famous Trojan War was underway and our ancestors took the side of the Trojans, which they lost. Their King died and the survivors followed the Trojan prince Antenore in his migration to our region along the Adriatic Sea. They arrived in the land between the Brenta and Timavo rivers (near Trieste), and expanded into the current north-east of Italy, Istria and Dalmatia, in short, the whole area between the Alps and the Adriatic. Here the Venetians (Enetoi) fought against the Euganeans, defeating them and founded the first settlement that would later become Padua. The defeated Euganei migrated to the north.

Within a couple of centuries, the Venetians formed friendly relations with the Romans. From here to becoming a Roman city (called "municipium") the step is short: it will become one in 49 BC, or 2061 years ago! Many things change for Padua: Roman civilization overlaps with the Paleo-Venetian one, laws, religion, road structures, architecture change, but customs and traditions are maintained. Padua becomes one of the richest imperial cities and clearly visible testimonies of that era still remain. It had become the third most important city of the Empire.

Padua follows the events of Rome even when the barbarians arrive (about 1,600 years ago, in 400), and is almost completely razed to the ground, it is the Padovani who together with the Trevigiani who fled to the islands of the lagoon to escape from Attila and from them founded them Venice!

In 1163 Padua became a "Comune" and the reconstruction of the city walls within the river began, which means that the city became an independent republic from both Venice and the German Empire.

1200 for our city is one of the most important centuries, the Palazzo della Ragione is built, the University is born, Sant'Antonio stays there and preaches (and in the same century the construction of the Basilica dedicated to him begins), traffic increases commercial, there is a period of tyranny under the Roman Lord Ezzelino, after which the golden age of the municipality begins.

While belonging to the Repubblica Serenissima di Venezia, Padua enjoyed a period of unparalleled prosperity, becoming one of the cultural capitals of the world. The Republic ensured the maximum freedom of expression of faith, culture and freedom unlike all the States then existing, so as to attract students and teachers from all over Europe, becoming one of the major centers of Aristotelianism and attracting numerous and illustrious intellectuals, such as Galileo Galilei, Copernicus and others.

Also in the period of belonging to the Republic of Venice, between 1400 and 1800, the following were built:

  • the first Botanical Garden in the world (near Prato della Valle)
  • the first anatomical theater in the world (inside the university)
  • the Prato della Valle (largest square in Italy and second in Europe after Red Square in Moscow)
  • the Duomo (project by Michelangelo)
  • the Synagogue in the ghetto, in favor and protection of the Jewish minority.

With the arrival of Napoleon and the fall of the Republic of Venice, Padua experienced a moment of crisis and regression. Napoleon robbed many works of art in the city (almost all from the Basilica of Santa Giustina and the Duomo), destroyed other churches in the city, destroyed some statues in Prato della Valle and took away the wealth of the city.

Padua was part of the Austrian Empire until 1866 (it is in this period that the spritz was born).

From 1866 Padua became part of the Kingdom of Italy.

Starting from the sixties, the city became the pivot of the gradual economic transformation of the province of Padua from an agricultural economy towards a service economy. The university and the hospital / polyclinic complex gradually expanded their - already considerable - national scientific relevance, and their central role in the articulation of the local economy.

 

CURIOSITIES

Padua is nicknamed the city of 3 Senza: the Saint without a name, the Park without grass and the Café without doors. Let's understand the reason for this curious play of words.

The Saint without a name: the patron Saint of Padua is Sant'Antonio but the Basilica dedicated to him is known simply as the Basilica of the Saint (Basilica del Santo). Padova is one of the most important religious tourism destinations in the world and is also known as the "City of the Saint" without ever having to specify his name.

The Park without grass: reference is made to Prato della Valle, a square of 90 thousand square meters. Once this was marshy land, reclaimed and redeveloped by the mayor Andrea Memmo. The current name Prato della Valle derives from the toponym Pratum, which is a large space used for commercial purposes, such as the market for cattle and large animals. A space that could have been grassy but it was not the case in Prato della Valle.

The Café without doors: the historic Caffè Pedrocchi, built in the 19th century by the architect Giuseppe Japelli, became a renowned meeting place for academics, intellectuals and politicians, including those of international fame. The café was known as “the café without doors” precisely because it was open both day and night. Only in 1916 did it begin to close in the evening; it was feared that the lights in the room could provide the Austrians, who were besieging and bombing the city, with important landmarks.