The best traffic-free bike rides around Candiana

Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua / Basilica of Saint Anthony, Padua The Basilica of Saint Anthony, known as "the Saint," is the city's most important religious center and attracts thousands of pilgrims every year, especially on June 13, the saint's feast day. The basilica was built in 1232 to protect the tomb of the Franciscan friar Anthony, who died in Padua in 1231. The large building presents a complex structure with a fusion of styles: Romanesque elements in the façade, Gothic elements in the ambulatory, Byzantine elements in the eight domes covered with lead, and Moorish elements in two tiers. The Church of Saint Anthony holds numerous reminders of the Carrara Signoria. In 1350, Cardinal Guido de Boulogne came to the cathedral to acknowledge the saint's miracle and was greeted by Jacopo II da Carrara and Bishop Hildebrand. Members of the Carraresi family, such as the Lupi di Soragna and the Conti, chose the basilica as the site for their own mausoleums. The Chapel of the Black Madonna now stands on the site of the earlier church, dedicated to Santa Maria, Mother of the Lord. The polychrome Madonna is by Rinaldino di Francia and dates from 1396. Rinaldino is also likely the artist of the shield bearing the portrait of Stefano da Carrara, now in the city museums. A funerary monument to Raffaele Fulgioso, a renowned jurist from the University of Padua, is located to the left of the chapel. The Chapel of Blessed Luca reveals even closer ties to the Carraresi family: it was built between 1380 and 1382 by Naimerio and Manfredino Conti, executing the will of Fina Buzzaccarini. They commissioned Giusto de'Menabuoi, a painter from the Carraresi court, to create the frescoes. The stories of Saints Philip and James, arranged on the chapel walls, reveal a surprising new sense of spaciousness. In the center, within the lunette, are portraits of the patrons: Saint Anthony, Blessed Luke, Saint Francis, and Saint Louis of Toulouse, as they are presented to the Virgin. Text / Source: Turismo Padova https://www.padua.info/de/padua/was-zu-sehen-ist/details/basilica-di-santantonio

One of the major projects completed during the Fascist era is the Sottomarina Dam, which, together with the Ca' Roman Dam built a few years earlier, completes the mouth of the Port of Chioggia. Construction began in the years following the First World War. Like the Murazzi (sea walls), the dam was constructed of brick and boulders of local Istrian stone and, in addition to finally completing the entrance to the Port of Chioggia, also allowed for a further expansion of the beach. The inauguration, as mentioned, took place in the midst of the Fascist regime on April 28, 1935, in the presence of the Duke of Aosta. The dam was immediately embraced by the local population, especially the residents of Sottomarina, a popular destination for their walks, so much so that many refer to it as "Sailors' Square." Text / Source: Lidi di Chioggia https://www.lididichioggia.it/la-diga-murazzi/

The Dam and the Walls, Sottomarina The Dam and the Walls The Walls are Istrian stone walls built by the Republic of Venice starting in the late 18th century to protect the inhabited centers of the lagoon from marine erosion. They are divided into three sections: one on the island of Lido, a second on the island of Pellestrina as far as Cà Roman, and a third along the coast of Sottomarina, running from Forte San Felice to the center of Sottomarina at a height of approximately 1200 meters. The famous War of Chioggia led to the complete destruction of Sottomarina, which became an uninhabited area, exposed to the sea without any protection and subject to frequent flooding. Reconstruction, which included the construction of the Walls, did not begin until 1600. The Walls along Via San Felice were more than 5 kilometers long and over 300 meters wide. They were built from square stones, primarily Istrian stone, erected on stilts extending to the Pellestrina coast and, of course, the Sottomarina coast. Initially, given the scale of the project and the lack of adequate equipment, construction seemed impossible, so it took thirty-eight years to complete in 1770. Legend has it that the inscription "Ausu romano, aere veneto" (With Roman boldness, with Venetian money) was already in place. The inscription is still visible when passing by on the Chioggia-Pellestrina vaporetto. The Murazzi ceased to function between the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the receding sea revealed an unexpected beach, thus forming a symbolic dividing line between "old" and "new" Sottomarina. Today, the Murazzi di Sottomarina are located about one kilometer from the sea: this has allowed for a large-scale revival of coastal tourism. The Murazzo now connects the entire Venetian coast, especially the outer islands, like a cordon, leaving only the three bays open, thus preserving the lagoon's waters. Text / Source: Lidi di Chioggia https://www.lididichioggia.it/la-diga-murazzi/

Great place to stop, lots of tables but not much space to park your bike if you don't have a stand.

A small refuge for cyclists, wayfarers and the curious. The Telaio Bike Caffè is more than a break: it is a place where you sit and feel part of something. Good coffee, sincere smiles, stories that intertwine between a water bottle that fills up and a fruit salad that runs out. If you are traveling to Casa Luciana or are simply enjoying the Venetian countryside, this is one of those places that is worth the detour.

Brenta D'Abbà is a small hamlet in the municipality of Correzzola Pd, along the Bacchiglione river. It has a pizzeria that opens on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so if you are in the area, look for pizzeria Principe https://www.facebook.com/share/1ASwA5EGEx/

DeltArte – the delta of Creativity is a traveling festival of widespread art that every year offers a calendar of events linked by a common theme that is always different. The festival was born in 2012 from an idea by Melania Ruggini, an art historian, specialized in contemporary art. The numerous works created by artists of national and international fame have contributed to creating a real open-air widespread museum that today (2024) includes over 110 murals that include the provinces of Rovigo, Ferrara, Padua, Venice and Treviso.

Wonderful murals promoted by DeltArt in Loreo (RO)