My disdain for Venice has been the subject of lively conversations with friends and family.
Yes, its picturesque bridges over canals that criss-cross the town are romantic. Yes, it is the birthplace of the modern printing press and a historic melting pot of cultures influenced by significant trade routes. But stopping in Venice also means fighting crowds from cruise ships, paying daily entry fees to breathe its decadence and facing hugely inflated prices for subpar meals.
Instead, Padua is less than a 30-minute train ride away.
As the setting for William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew and the birthplace of influential Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio, Padua – Padova in Italian – is close enough to Venice, Vicenza and Verona for easy day trips to explore the Veneto region.
On a Trenitalia train heading to the city, we struck up a conversation with a British couple. They raved about their recent stay in Padua, adding that its consistent swell of university students gave it an eternal youthfulness and made it one of the country’s most dynamic cities.
“Of course you will see the Giotto frescoes,” said the lady, referring to Italian painter Giotto’s early 14th century collection of 38 paintings found at Scrovegni Chapel that depict scenes in the life of Jesus, his parents and grandparents, as well as his interpretation of The Last Judgment.