🇮🇹 Padua | A Day in Northern Italy's Stunning Fresco City 🎨✨

Nestled in Veneto, Padua (often overshadowed by Venice) is an ancient gem waiting to be explored. I squeezed in a whirlwind solo day—here’s how it went! 🖼️ Highlights (All Walkable!) 📍 Scrovegni Chapel Giotto’s revolutionary frescoes (first to humanize Christian art!). Only 15 mins inside—but utterly spellbinding. 🤯 📍 Eremitani Church Bombed in WWII 💥, yet its surviving Mantegna fragments glow with genius. Bonus: Stumbled upon a bishop prepping for a wedding! 💒 📍 Piazza delle Erbe & Piazza della Frutta Twin medieval squares buzzing with markets, cafés, and trattorias. I adore Italian food markets! 🍅🧀 📍 Palazzo della Ragione A *13th-century marvel* with Europe’s largest unsupported roof (like an upside-down ship!). The frescoed halls? Magnificent. 🏛️ 📍 Lunch at Dante alle Piazze 🍽️ Random find = BEST MEAL in Northern Italy! 🐟 Fresh seafood platter + mushroom ravioli—traditional yet innovative. (Later learned it’s Padua’s top fish spot!) 📍 Padua Cathedral & Baptistery ⛪ Came for the baptistery’s light show: A journey from Genesis to Revelation via glowing frescoes. Heavenly. ✨ 📍 Basilica of St. Anthony My #1 church interior in Northern Italy! A fusion of Romanesque, Gothic, and Byzantine—each style perfected. Like stepping into a constellation. 🌟 📍 Prato della Valle 🌿 Once a Roman theater, now Italy’s largest square. The statues? Gorgeous. The laid-back vibe? Unforgettable. 🍽️ Food Recs Gelato: Try pistachio at local spots! 🍦 Coffee: Skip Venice’s crowded Florian—Caffè Pedrocchi’s mint-chocolate combo is quirky! ☕ 💡 Why Padua? ✅ Art overload (Giotto! Mantegna!) ✅ Walkable + less touristy than Venice ✅ Perfect day-trip from Venice (30min by train! 🚆) #Padua #FrescoHeaven #ItalyTravel #ArtLover #HiddenGems #Veneto #SoloTravel 🌍