Fall Travels 2: Bologna and Padua

Piazza Maggiore, the main square in Bologna

This is the second blog covering our recent trip to northern Italy. The first part can be found here. 

         On to Italy: Bologna & Padua

We had taken this route, along the south coast of France into Italy, about a year and a half earlier on our trip to Lucca and Florence. It’s a demanding road with bridges and tunnels and tunnels and bridges. At least this time it was a Sunday; the traffic wasn’t too bad, mostly because trucks are banned on Sundays. Still, the lack of shoulders and the fearsome-looking guardrails required constant attention. 

Also, we were able to avoid the city of Genoa; I was very glad to turn north before we got to that mess. Another half-hour and we were out of the coastal range and into the Po Valley, the broad, open plane in the north of Italy that is drained by the river Po. 

This region, the province of Emilia Romagna, is one of the richest and most productive in Italy—and, indeed, all of Europe. In addition to its capital, Bologna, Emilia Romagna includes the cities of Parma, from which we get Parma ham and Parmesan cheese, and Modena, from whence comes the sweet, aged vinegar. 

So yes, a foodie haven. But Bologna is also home to the oldest university of Europe (founded in the 11^th Century), with its own history, fortifications, town walls, and ancient towers. And, on a more personal note, the birthplace of the grandmother of my sister-in-law. (My own grandparents came from further south, in the Tuscany region.) 

An intriguing doorway in Bologna...

...which led to this interesting courtyard!

The famous Due Torri, the twin towers of Bologna, built by competing families (mine is bigger than yours!!)

Bologna is particularly known for its porticos, or covered sidewalks, which seems to be a feature of many Italian cities. They are wide, and many contain intricate tile work on the ceilings and pavement. And, from a more practical standpoint, they keep the rain off those strolling and exploring. We did get some rain while there, but that’s ok, we stayed dry under the porticos!

 

Porticos! Nearly every street has these sheltered walkways on one or both sides.

A detail of that portico ceiling.

Our two nights in Bologna were clearly not enough, but we did want to get on to Venice. I could see spending a week or two here, which would allow for day trips to explore Parma and Modena, among other places!

 

Pasta tools, seen in a shop window.

Marijuana is illegal in every European country, but it doesn't stop people from dreaming about it!

 

Palazzo della Mercanzia as night is coming on.

Padua

The Piazza dei Signori as seen from Jim and Holly's window, on market day.

Some years back we spent a month in the southern Italian city of Lecce, where we met another American couple, Jim and Holly. Paula has stayed in touch with them, and we knew they’d moved to Padua, a city just west of Venice. We arranged to meet them for lunch, and they gave us some tips on what to see in their small city. As we emailed back and forth, a plan developed: we’d leave our rental car at the train station parking in Padua while we were in Venice, avoiding the whole hassle, and high fees, of parking in Mestre (the mainland town closest to Venice).

 

The Torre dell'Orologio.

Aside from Jim and Holly, the big draw in Padua was the Scrovegni Chapel and the extensive frescos done by Giotto in the early 14^th Century. These frescos, depicting the life of the Virgin and the life of Christ, are one of the few works that are known definitively to have been done by Giotto di Bondone. As this is the not-to-be-missed thing to see in Padua, we were careful to get reservations a few days before.

It was a short drive from Bologna to Padua, and we soon had the car in its parking spot. We headed towards the main square, the Piazza dei Signori, and the restaurant for our noon lunch. Along the way we passed the Scrovegni Chapel, crossed the river, and saw many students; Padua is home to the University of Padua, started in 1222 as a spin-off from the U of Bologna.

It turns out Jim and Holly live right above the restaurant, directly on the Piazza dei Signori, with a great view of the market, and all the activities of the city. (And Jim says their double-pane windows do a great job of isolating the sound, when they are ready for a little peace in the evening!).

 

View of Padua's covered market, near Piazza dei Signori

After a fine lunch in which we exchanged stories and compared experiences of life as ex-pats, Jim and Holly walked us through their part of town, expressing the joys of life in Italy, and Padua in particular (hint: it has a lot to do with the great market just around the corner, and the fine foods and friendly vendors there).

The Scrovegni Chapel, unassuming from the outside...

Then it was off to the Chapel, and our 15-minute time slot to view the frescos. We arrived in plenty of time, but were not particularly interested in the archeological excavations allowed with our ticket. The short movie on the frescos, though, was very worthwhile, given that we’re not art buffs, and sort of need to be told what to look for.

...and quite spectacular from the inside!

While marveling at his work in the chapel I could not help wondering at the time and effort, the commitment of the artist, to see this extensive work through. And the fact that at this time—the 14^th Century—all art had religion as its sole subject. I mean, it gets a bit tiresome seeing every canvas and statue representing Madonna and Child or angels in heaven or Christ risen… at least, I suppose it makes comparison of styles and the advancement of technique easier, since all the subjects are the same.

 

On the side walls of the chapel Giotto painted these representations of the Seven Deadly Sins with their opposite: here we see Injustice paired with Lady Justice; and Despair paired with Hope.

The back wall of the chapel: the final judgement, with the winners going to heaven on the left, and the rest to a fiery damnation on the right.

After the marvels of the chapel it was back to the train station and our car. We pulled our knapsacks out of the trunk (we had a suitcase in there too, but at each stop we just took what we needed for the next few days) and, now only lightly burdened, boarded the train for the half-hour ride to the city of Venice.

Shades of Hieronymus Bosch! (who actually may have been inspired by this fresco). A detail from the above judgment scene... and why does it appeal to me so much?

        Next up: we go to Venice!