This weekend, I visited a friend in Padova - a city in the north of Italy not far from Venice.
This city is much less known than its neighbours, Venice & Verona, but it is definitely worth a visit. It has all these long narrow streets, most of them covered in arcades of the houses protruding out above the walkways. It has one of the oldest universities in Europe, so lots of young people are milling around the city.
My favourite building was the Palazzo della Ragione. It stands in the middle of two great squares; very majestic with lots of people milling in and out of its arcades which are filled with food stands. I did not even visit inside to see all the frescoes; I glimpsed them only from below in the arcades. Next time, it would be worth a visit to see the inside.
If you happen to be in the north of Italy, Padova is definitely worth a visit.
