On Saturday 11 March our students spent a lovely, sunny day in Padova – a city with much to offer for visitors interested in art, science and spirituality.
The tour started in the Piazza del Santo under Donatello’s magnificent equestrian statue of Gattamelata – the first large equestrian statue designed for an open space rather than as part of an architectural unit. From there they entered the Basilica of Saint Anthony, one of the largest churches in the world (it is visited each year by more than 6 million people). They moved on to the University of Padova, to visit the famous anatomical theatre and the Aula Magna (main hall), where Galileo gave his lectures. The tour ended with the breathtaking, early 14th century frescoes by Giotto in the Cappella degli Scrovegni. The sights were illustrated by three students, Scarlet, Nazia and Tiphelele, the latter declaring enthusiastically “No amount of words can express how breath-takingly beautiful Padova is. The culture is just as amazing!” Laura (Biology) and Marek (Economics), the teacher supervisors, were very pleased with the student’s response, with Marek commenting “It is great to see that students are eager to discover the history, culture and art of Italy – the country that is their home for the two years they spend at the college.”
