The Best Art Galleries of Padua, Italy
Padua (Padova in Italian) is a large and historic city of over 200,000 people in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Padua has a thriving art community that covers many forms from the historic fresco murals to the modern street art. There are several art galleries in Padua that are well worth including as part of your visit to this city.
As a place to visit, Padua is often overlooked due to its proximity to its famous neighbour, Venice. However, Padua is well-worth a visit in its own right, as it offers many historic sites and architecture, characterful arcaded streets, a lively atmosphere and markets that provide a true reflection of Italian culture and daily life away from the tourists. The art galleries add to this tapestry of cultural life.
There is a strong art community in Padua and below I have listed the best places and art galleries in Padua to visit during your stay in this historic city.
Table of Contents
Historic Architecture and Art in Padua
Giorgio Chinea Art Cabinet Gallery, Padua
Mediolanum Art Gallery Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery, Padua
Historic Architecture and Art in Padua
Padua is believed to be the oldest city in northern Italy and has one of the oldest universities in Europe, dating back to the early 13th Century. Padua University is consistently ranked among the best universities in Italy. It has a large student population, with international students from all over the world.
Padua is on the UNESCO World Heritage List twice, for its Botanical Garden, the oldest in the world, and the 14th-century Frescoes*. The Frescoes are situated in different buildings of the city centre, such as Scrovegni Chapel painted by Giotto at the beginning of the 1300’s. Other historic sites include the 13th-century Basilica di Sant'Antonio, and the vast Prato della Valle, one of the largest public squares in Europe, which has its own moat that is decorated with sculptures of notable Paduans.
* A fresco is a mural painting technique that involves painting with water-based paint directly onto wet plaster so that the paint becomes an integral part of the plaster.
The Piazza delle Frutte and the Piazza delle Erbe are a morning delight, full of the smells of fresh food and flowers being sold at the abundance of market stalls. I can honestly say that I’ve never tasted such delicious fruit as I have had from these markets. By evening, the market stalls have long been packed away as the locals and students descend on the centre to enjoy the street music, evening meals etc, creating a vibrant and entertaining city.
It’s not possible to write about Padua without mentioning the Spritz; a traditional Venetian cocktail made with a shot of Prosecco with either Aperol or Campari (depending on your preference) and garnished with an olive. I can highly recommend relaxing in the afternoon sun outside one of the bars or cafes of Padua enjoying a Spritz.
Street Art in Padua
Anyone that has read any of my other blog posts will know I am a big fan of street art, as I feel street art really enlivens and adds interest to the streetscene. Padua has a rich and strong presence of street art, both within the historic centre and surrounding modern areas, from a number of street artists, such as Tony Gallo, Alessio B and Kenny Random. Exploring the street art is a great way to walk around and discover the city.
Some examples of the street art to be found in Padua include the following, but the locations and murals are constantly changing:
CC Image courtesy of Marika Bortolami, Flickr
Giorgio Chinea Art Cabinet Gallery, Padua
Giorgio Chinea Canale graduated from the University of Padua in 2012 after studying the Arts of Music and Performing Arts and in 2017, he opened the Giorgio Chinea Art Cabinet in a former clothes shop. The gallery has since expanded and has a local cult following. This gallery displays canvases, prints and sculptures.
Address: Giorgio Chinea Art Cabinet by Giorgio Chinea Canale, Galleria Cappellato Pedrocchi, 2 Padua
The Roku Art Gallery, Padua
The Roku Art Gallery is an exhibition space in the centre of Padua, and just 100m to the south of Prato Della Valle. This is a unique contemporary and modern space that displays a variety of mediums, including sculpture, art installations and paintings, from both emerging Italian artists and international artists. It also hosts presentations, lectures and workshops. Roka Art Gallery can be visited by appointment, but is well worth checking if any exhibitions are on if you are visiting Padua.
Queen Art Studio, Padua
The Queen Art Studio is a visual arts gallery space and regularly holds cultural events. The gallery space is over two levels. This gallery supports local artists, but also regularly undertakes collaborations with other galleries across Europe and North America. This allows local artists to showcase their work to an international audience.
Address: Queen Art Studio, Exhibition Center of International Art, Riviera Tito Livio 75, 35100 Padua, Italy
Galleria Arte Cesaro, Padua
The Cesaro Art Gallery was formerly an antique shop that has been turned into an art gallery, mixing historic and modern art. This gallery comprises two spaces with the first room dedicated to modern and contemporary art and the second displays works from the 19th Century.
Address: Via San Martino and Solferino 48, 35122 Padua, Italy
Galleria Momart, Padua
The MoMArt Gallery is a fairly new and small exhibition space, that displays a mixture of painting, sculpture, photography, lithography and installations from local artists from different backgrounds. MoMArt also organises an open air gallery, held on the corners of Piazza Capitaniato, on the first Sunday of the month.
Address: Galleria Momart, Riviera Albertino Mussato, 35139 Padova PD, Italy
Vecchiato Arte, Padua
The Vecchiato Art Gallery was founded by Dante Vecchiato in Padua in 1986, and forms part of a collective of galleries that promote both historical, international and emerging artists. It was also one of the first in Italy to organise an important exhibition of contemporary Chinese art.
Mediolanum Art Gallery, Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery, Padua
Mediolanum Art Gallery is an exhibition space and centre for Contemporary Art in Padua. It features both internationally renowned artists and young emerging talents and also includes the permanent home for works by Francis Bacon, and a series of works created by Italian artists between the 30s and 70s from the VAF Foundation.
Address: Mediolanum Art Gallery Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery, Piazzetta Bussolin, 21 35137 Padua
How to Reach Padua
Padua is also very easy to reach from the UK and all the main cities in Europe, being just a 45 minute bus journey away from Treviso Airport. It is also just 30 minutes by train from Venice and 1 hour by train from Verona. I found Padua to be the perfect base to explore the beautiful Veneto region of Italy.
The details I’ve included for each gallery are correct at the time of writing this blog post ** updated 2022** , but please check current details before your visit.
Padua has a special place in my heart as I lived there for a year straight after I finished university. I hope you have found this post about Padua useful. If you have visited Padua and any of these contemporary and visual art galleries, I would love to hear your thoughts or if you feel something is missing from this post, please email me and let me know at sarahransomeart@gmail.com.
