Padova: Prato della Valle & Lunch

From the Orto Botanico, we walked the short distance to Prato della Valle, which was designed in 1775.

The name of this square — shaped like an oval, actually — is translated as “Meadow of the Valley. Literally, the meaning is a little more nuanced since “valle” refers to a low, marshy area. That’s appropriate … it’s exactly what the land was before it was reclaimed in the 18th century. History records that wasn’t always the case, however. Prior to the medieval ages, when the land became marshy, a Roman arena stood on the site.

The square, as it stands today, has an island of sorts — Isola Memmia — in its center. It is surrounded by a narrow canal … which was a perfect mirror today … reflecting everything around it. Four bridges span the canal, which is lined with statues on either side … 78 of them to be exact …. featuring illustrious men either born in Padova or associated with the city … including some familiar to us names … such as Galileo Galilei, Antonio Canova, Antenore (the mythical founder of Padova),

As was the case historically, a market was set up around Prato della Valle today as well. No horse races anymore, and the medieval fairs have been replaced by concerts and other fun events and activities that bring locals and visitors to the square in droves.

We wandered over one of the bridges to stroll along the path to another bridge, and then continued across the street to a nearby trattoria for lunch.

Mui had called to make a reservation at Terrazza Carducci … hoping to get a table on the terrace. Due to staffing issues, however, lunch was being served in the dining room only. We were the first to arrive, but we didn’t have the place to ourselves for long. Soon all of the tables were filled with happy patrons enjoying delicious food.

Perusing the menu, we decided to keep it simple today … salad; steak and roasted potatoes; and meatballs with mashed potatoes. As we did yesterday, we skipped dessert for gelato later … though, we never did stop by a gelateria. We will have to rectify that omission.Read more