Tour of Verona, Padua & Venice

20-10-2017 | Destination

Written by: Duetorrihotels

The second itinerary passes through Padua and continues to Venice, the town which is famous the world over for its canals, an itinerary which will take you around the Veneto’s main towns.

Tour tra Verona, Padova & Venezia | Tour of Verona, Padua & Venice

Having completed our first itinerary we can now look at our second which is not far from the first and will take you to the Veneto’s largest towns. Once again starting from Due Torri Hotel and travelling eastwards we soon get to one of the Veneto region’s most important towns: Padua with the Scrovegni Chapel frescoed by Giotto. There is spectacular art in every corner of this magnificent town, the Veneto’s third largest. In addition to the Giotto frescoes mentioned above, inside the baptistery and the cathedral is a further extraordinary fresco cycle by Giusto de’ Menabuoi.

The first stage in this tour is one of the most important fresco cycles in the world, in the Scrovegni Chapel, painted by Giotto in just two years, depicting the lives of Joachim and Anna, Mary and episodes from the life and death of Christ. Leaving the chapel behind, make your way to Basilica di Sant’Antonio, ‘the Saint’ for the people of Padua, sign of their affection for the Basilica and its importance.

It merits a visit both as a constant place of pilgrimage and for the sequence of Italian art masterpieces: the Roman façade, its Gothic ambulatory, its seven chapels frescoed by Andriolo de Santi and Giotto, its Byzantine domes and Moorish belltowers: the volume of art packed into and outside the church is truly astonishing.

The next destination worthy of note is Palazzo della Ragione and getting to it requires crossing Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta, historic market places and two of the main places in which to try out and soak up Padua life. The last stage visits one of the largest squares in the world, Prato della Valle which is approximately 88,620 square metres in size and has a single central island called Memmia, separated off from the rest of the square with a canal around 1.5 km long.

There are four intersecting avenues with their own bridges to the central island. Prato della Valle has always been the hub of Padua life: there was once a great Roman theatre here and a circus for horse races. Two of the town’s four patron saints were martyred here, Saints Justina and Daniel.

After leaving behind this attractive art town, it is now time to visit one of the world’s most famous and unusual towns: Venice, an open air masterpiece. After crossing the bridge which links Venice to the mainland, soak up the unique features of this celebrated town, much loved the world over.

Venice is truly a paradise for photography lovers: art, views across the water, buildings and details of an everyday life which seems to belong to a now far off past. All this is a great inspiration. Wherever you go in Venice there are unique panoramas and magical places. Here every stone has a fascinating story to tell.

The most exclusive way to get to the heart of the town, St Mark’s Square, is on one of its gondolas. You can easily rent one of these on whichever canal is nearest to you. Once on board, if you take the Grand Canal, there are 250 magnificent palazzi, 15 churches and the famous Rialto Bridge to admire. In St Mark’s Square the view you’re welcomed with is one of Venice’s most characteristic: Basilica di San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, the belltower and a beautiful view of the lagoon.

A visit to the Doge’s Palace gives you a glimpse into the doge’s private apartments and the republic’s representation rooms. Cross ultra-famous Bridge of Sighs to the prison Casanova escaped from. Basilica di San Marco is a unique example of western-eastern architecture, unparalleled in Europe. Its grandiose mosaics and pavements would suffice alone to justify a visit. A must is Museo Marciano - for an up-close look at the famous bronze horses and a view of St Mark’s Square from its loggia.

Leave St Mark’s Square behind and walk along the Mercerie, Venice’s three most famous shopping streets, which will take you to the Rialto Bridge. Soak up the one-of-a-kind views from the bridge and wander around the streets and alleys which have made Venice so famous the world over. Every street and corner is packed with history, culture and unforgettable streets.

tour shopping

“There is no world without Verona walls. But purgatory, torture, hell itself”, Rome and Juliet, Act III, Scene III. Near the banks of Lake Garda, with the Adige River as a backdrop and set in the wonderful Veneto plains, Verona has always been a land of desperate passions, peoples in transit and trade. It saw the rise of the della Scala lordship and with it, its beauty. It too is packed with riches and haute couture brands from clothes to shoes, jewellery, watches and leather.

Discover the next tour

Tour of Verona and Lake Garda

No trip to Verona should miss out on this history and culture packed area, countryside and towns, a journey around Italy’s traditions. The itineraries are truly beautiful: the first winds its way through the countryside around Verona, passing Lake Garda and seeking out its most attractive views.

Discover the previous tour