Prato della Valle – Piazza dei Signori, Padua loop from Padova
Prato della Valle – Piazza dei Signori, Padua loop from Padova
4.6
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373
hikers
Prato della Valle – Piazza dei Signori, Padua loop from Padova
03:11
12.4km
50m
Hiking
Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.
Last updated: April 2, 2026
Tips
Temporary access restrictions
Includes segments with temporary access restrictions.
After 2.37 km for 263 m
Permit required
After 4.30 km for 263 m
Permit required
Waypoints
Start point
Train Station
Get Directions
1.86 km
Palazzo della Ragione and the Piazza delle Erbe market, Padua
Highlight • Historical Site
The Salòn, or Palazzo della Ragione, the former seat of Padua's municipal courts, is one of the largest column-free halls in Europe. Considered one of the most famous civic monuments in Europe from the time of the Communes, the building was begun in 1218.
Between 1306 and 1308, Fra Giovanni degli Eremitani transformed the three large rooms into a single hall and designed a roof in the shape of an inverted ship's hull.
Giotto and his workshop were commissioned to paint the walls with frescoes; however, the cycle was destroyed by fire in 1420.
The frescoes were restored by the Paduan Nicolo’ Miretto in collaboration with Stefano da Ferrara and other painters, based on the studies of Pietro d’Abano, a wealthy scholar of his time.
The fresco cycle is one of the very few medieval astrological cycles to have survived to this day. The connection between the paintings and the function of the place explains the presence of animal figures representing the insignia of the courts, whose function is also linked to the allegories of Justice, Law, the Community in Rule, and the frescoes depicting the Judgment of Solomon and the court scene.
In the great hall is the "Pietra del Vituperio," or Stone of Shame, upon which insolvent debtors, clad only in a shirt, had to sit three times (the custom is the origin of the expression "to stay in one's shirt"), while repeating the Latin phrase "cedo bonis" (roughly translated as "I will pay the bill"). Also located there is the large wooden horse, crafted by Annibale Capodilista for a tournament and donated to the city by the family.
Today, the great hall serves as a venue for exhibitions and cultural events.
Not to mention that "Sotto il salone" is the oldest cooperative in the world, dating back 700 years.
Text / Source: Turismo Padova
turismopadova.it/en/the-palazzo-della-ragione
Translated by Google •
Tip by
3.22 km
Isola Memmia Fountain
Highlight • Monument
If you miss this highlight, you have not seen Prato della Valle.
Translated by Google •
Tip by
3.38 km
Prato della Valle, Padua
Highlight • Monument
3.61 km
Prato della Valle
Highlight • Monument
The Prato della Valle, one of Padua's landmarks, is a large, monumental space distinguished by a central green island, Isola Memmia, named in honor of the city's governor who commissioned its creation. This island is surrounded by a canal adorned with a double pedestal featuring numbered statues of famous figures from the past. Since antiquity, this public space has served both economic and recreational functions.
In Roman times, a large theater, the Zairo, stood here; remains of the theater's foundations have been found in the canal surrounding Isola Memmia, along with a circular racecourse for chariots. During the Middle Ages, fairs, tournaments, festivals, and competitions were held here; it was the site of large gatherings of "all the free men of Padua," and as early as 1077, it was a marketplace. Until 1767, it belonged to the Abbey of Santa Giustina. Then, the Senate of Veneto declared it municipal land and, together with Andrea Memmo, Provveditore della Serenissima (Governor of the Venetian Republic), implemented a radical redevelopment project. The aim was to create a new urban commercial center, a space suitable for fairs and events.
Later, pavilions were erected on Isola Memmia to establish a market. Subsequently, trees were planted, giving the square a distinctly English feel, while the surrounding buildings made it unique, original, and memorable. The design is inspired by the great Venetian tradition of the patrician garden, which here, for the first time, is taken out of private use and proposed according to neoclassical concepts as an urban planning solution and ecological enhancement.
Text / Source: Turismo Padova
turismopadova.it/de/orte/prato-della-valle
Translated by Google •
Tip by
3.97 km
Botanical Garden of Padua
Highlight • Natural Monument
Translated by Google •
Tip by
4.23 km
Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua
Highlight • Religious Site
Translated by Google •
Tip by
7.76 km
Naviglio Interno Canal
Highlight • River
Translated by Google •
Tip by
10.8 km
Piazza dei Signori, Padua
Highlight • Historical Site
Translated by Google •
Tip by
12.4 km
End point
Train Station
Way Types & Surfaces
Way Types
4.99 km
4.52 km
2.11 km
640 m
136 m
Surfaces
9.32 km
1.77 km
689 m
551 m
< 100 m
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Elevation
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Weather
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Sunday 5 July
31°C
21°C
49 %
Additional weather tips
Max wind speed: 6.0 km/h
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Our route recommendations are based on thousands of hikes, rides, and runs completed by other people on komoot.
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