Padua

Padua
Padova (Italian)
Pàdova / Pàdoa / Pàoa (Venetian)
Città di Padova
Flag of Padua
Coat of arms of Padua
Location of Padua
Map
Padua is located in Italy
Padua
Padua
Location of Padua in Italy
Padua is located in Veneto
Padua
Padua
Padua (Veneto)
Coordinates: 45°25′N 11°52′E / 45.417°N 11.867°E / 45.417; 11.867
CountryItaly
RegionVeneto
ProvincePadua (PD)
FrazioniAltichiero, Arcella, Bassanello, Brusegana, Camin, Chiesanuova, Forcellini, Guizza, Mandria, Montà, Mortise, Paltana, Ponte di Brenta, Ponterotto, Pontevigodarzere, Sacra Famiglia, Salboro, Stanga, Terranegra, Volta Brusegana
Government
 • MayorSergio Giordani (PD)
Area
 • Total92.85 km2 (35.85 sq mi)
Elevation
12 m (39 ft)
Population
 (31 October 2011)[2]
 • Total214,125
 • Density2,300/km2 (6,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Padovano
Patavino
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
35100
Dialing code049
Patron saintSaint Anthony of Padua
Saint dayJune 13
Websitewww.comune.padova.it
Remnants of Padua's Roman amphitheatre wall

Padua (/ˈpædjuə/ PAD-ew-ə; Italian: Padova [ˈpaːdova] ; Venetian: Pàdova, Pàdoa or Pàoa) is a city and comune (municipality) in Veneto, northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Padua. The city lies on the banks of the river Bacchiglione, 40 kilometres (25 miles) west of Venice and 29 km (18 miles) southeast of Vicenza, and has a population of 214,000 (as of 2011). It is also the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area (PATREVE) which has a population of around 2,600,000.

Besides the Bacchiglione, the Brenta River, which once ran through the city, still touches the northern districts. Its agricultural setting is the Venetian Plain. To the city's south west lies the Euganaean Hills, which feature in poems by Lucan, Martial, Petrarch, Ugo Foscolo, and Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Padua has two UNESCO World Heritage List entries: its Botanical Garden, which is the world's oldest, and its 14th-century frescoes, situated in buildings in the city centre.[3] An example is the Scrovegni Chapel painted by Giotto at the beginning of 1300.

Padua is home to one of the oldest universities in the world, the University of Padua, founded in 1222 and where figures such as Galileo Galilei and Nicolaus Copernicus taught or studied. In 1610, Galileo observed the moons of Jupiter through a homemade telescope in Padua, marking the second phase of the Copernican Revolution. Today, the university has around 72,000 students and has a profound impact on the city's recreational, artistic and economic activities.

  1. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ Padova Urbs Picta. "Padova Urbs Picta, UNESCO candidacy". Padova Urbs Picta. Retrieved 15 August 2021.