Palazzo della Ragione
Palazzo della Ragione
4.5
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 6:30 PM
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- puddleduck2Durham, United Kingdom1,796 contributionsWorth a visitThe ground floor has a fantastic food hall with a buzzing atmosphere. The large hall upstairs is a wonder. It’s empty apart from a simple huge horse sculpture at one end. The ceiling is amazing and the large walkway huge you great views if the piazza below.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 18 October 2023
- Kjellaug TSandnes, Norway334 contributionsBeautiful old market hallBeautiful old market hall. Looked big on the outside, but even bigger being on the inside. Can just imagine the different marked stalls - picures on the wall for the different ones - so yes, pretty amazing.Visited October 2023Travelled soloWritten 29 October 2023
- ANGELO VMilan, Italy4,548 contributionsMedieval town hall & marketA medieval market hall, town hall and palace of justice building, Palazzo della Ragione is one of the largest medieval halls still extant. It was begun in 1172 and completed in 1219. The ground floor has hosted the market hall of the city for over 800 years, and the upper floor was divided into three spaces until 1420, when the current great hall was formed. All four walls of the great hall are covered with more than three hundred different scenes that were frescoed between 1425 and 1440 by Nicolò Miretto and Stefano da Ferrara. A wooden horse inside the Great Hall was built in 1466 and modelled on Donatello's Equestrian statue of Gattamelata. Palazzo della Ragione is part since 2021 of Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles, with Scrovegni Chapel, Church of the Eremitani, Chapel of the Carraresi Palace, Cathedral Baptistery, Basilica and Monastery of St. Anthony, Oratory of St. George, Oratory of St.Michael. A cumulative ticket called “Urbis Picta” (painted town) is available to visit all the UNESCO sites in Padova.Visited February 2024Travelled soloWritten 28 February 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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4.5
1,785 reviews
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563
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35
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Marybeth Gasman
Philadelphia, PA179 contributions
June 2024 • Couples
Beautiful palace right in the middle of Padua -- in a piazza. It's gorgeous. Wonderful historical relevance, great frescos, and wonderful ceilings.
Written 5 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ANGELO V
Milan, Italy4,548 contributions
Feb 2024 • Solo
A medieval market hall, town hall and palace of justice building, Palazzo della Ragione is one of the largest medieval halls still extant. It was begun in 1172 and completed in 1219.
The ground floor has hosted the market hall of the city for over 800 years, and the upper floor was divided into three spaces until 1420, when the current great hall was formed.
All four walls of the great hall are covered with more than three hundred different scenes that were frescoed between 1425 and 1440 by Nicolò Miretto and Stefano da Ferrara.
A wooden horse inside the Great Hall was built in 1466 and modelled on Donatello's Equestrian statue of Gattamelata.
Palazzo della Ragione is part since 2021 of Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles, with Scrovegni Chapel, Church of the Eremitani, Chapel of the Carraresi Palace, Cathedral Baptistery, Basilica and Monastery of St. Anthony, Oratory of St. George, Oratory of St.Michael. A cumulative ticket called “Urbis Picta” (painted town) is available to visit all the UNESCO sites in Padova.
The ground floor has hosted the market hall of the city for over 800 years, and the upper floor was divided into three spaces until 1420, when the current great hall was formed.
All four walls of the great hall are covered with more than three hundred different scenes that were frescoed between 1425 and 1440 by Nicolò Miretto and Stefano da Ferrara.
A wooden horse inside the Great Hall was built in 1466 and modelled on Donatello's Equestrian statue of Gattamelata.
Palazzo della Ragione is part since 2021 of Padua's fourteenth-century fresco cycles, with Scrovegni Chapel, Church of the Eremitani, Chapel of the Carraresi Palace, Cathedral Baptistery, Basilica and Monastery of St. Anthony, Oratory of St. George, Oratory of St.Michael. A cumulative ticket called “Urbis Picta” (painted town) is available to visit all the UNESCO sites in Padova.
Written 28 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brun066
Florence, Italy13,342 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
The frescoes in the immense hall on the first floor of the Palazzo della Ragione represent - among other things - an extraordinary, rare document of medieval astrological beliefs, so much so that some painted symbols are not easy to interpret; and they certainly aren't from the average visitor.
Let's start with what is certain. Starting from the south-east corner of the hall (i.e. the one that is immediately on the right side when coming from the current entrance), the succession of the twelve months of the year begins in a clockwise direction in the upper band of frescoes.
The succession doesn't start from January, but from March, as the month in which the vegetation awakens; so it ends in February.
The section pertaining to each month is made up of nine boxes. The boxes depict, among other things: the reference apostle of the month; an allegorical representation of the month; the zodiac sign; the reference planet; the typical jobs of the month; the constellations configuring the zodiac “ascendant”.
Instead, in the lower band of frescoes, among other things, the insignia of the courts (once located here) are depicted, then the theological and cardinal virtues, and the trial conducted by the Inquisition Tribunal against Pietro d'Abano. The latter (1250-1316), professor of philosophy, medicine and astrology (sic) at the University of Paris, then at that of Padua, connoisseur of Greek and Arabic language (which was very rare in that era) is commonly considered the inspirer of the cycle of zodiacal frescoes.
In addition to this extraordinary pictorial cycle, the hall of the Palace houses many other frescoes; but the zodiac themes struck me more than any other, precisely because they have been rarely depicted, and at the same time they are important for an era in which astrology was considered science in all respects.
Then - it's almost obvious to remember it - I was struck by the wonderful "ship's hull" vault of the hall, perhaps the grandest in the world among those from the pre-industrial era.
It's worth remembering that this vault, originally from 1306, was burned by a fire in 1420, then destroyed by a whirlwind in 1756. The fire, among other things, ruined the original frescoes by Giotto - who worked for a period in Padua - which were then repainted maintaining the same figurative schemes.
Let's start with what is certain. Starting from the south-east corner of the hall (i.e. the one that is immediately on the right side when coming from the current entrance), the succession of the twelve months of the year begins in a clockwise direction in the upper band of frescoes.
The succession doesn't start from January, but from March, as the month in which the vegetation awakens; so it ends in February.
The section pertaining to each month is made up of nine boxes. The boxes depict, among other things: the reference apostle of the month; an allegorical representation of the month; the zodiac sign; the reference planet; the typical jobs of the month; the constellations configuring the zodiac “ascendant”.
Instead, in the lower band of frescoes, among other things, the insignia of the courts (once located here) are depicted, then the theological and cardinal virtues, and the trial conducted by the Inquisition Tribunal against Pietro d'Abano. The latter (1250-1316), professor of philosophy, medicine and astrology (sic) at the University of Paris, then at that of Padua, connoisseur of Greek and Arabic language (which was very rare in that era) is commonly considered the inspirer of the cycle of zodiacal frescoes.
In addition to this extraordinary pictorial cycle, the hall of the Palace houses many other frescoes; but the zodiac themes struck me more than any other, precisely because they have been rarely depicted, and at the same time they are important for an era in which astrology was considered science in all respects.
Then - it's almost obvious to remember it - I was struck by the wonderful "ship's hull" vault of the hall, perhaps the grandest in the world among those from the pre-industrial era.
It's worth remembering that this vault, originally from 1306, was burned by a fire in 1420, then destroyed by a whirlwind in 1756. The fire, among other things, ruined the original frescoes by Giotto - who worked for a period in Padua - which were then repainted maintaining the same figurative schemes.
Written 4 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
coconutugly
Marbella, Spain1,998 contributions
Nov 2023 • Solo
I got here at around 5 pm AND IT WAS GLORIOUS TO BE IN THIS MASSSSSIVE HALL ALONE, without tourists. It blew
My Mind like most things in Padua. Entry is 8euros. Its in a nice piazza, the fruit market downstairs
My Mind like most things in Padua. Entry is 8euros. Its in a nice piazza, the fruit market downstairs
Written 2 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kjellaug T
Sandnes, Norway334 contributions
Oct 2023 • Solo
Beautiful old market hall. Looked big on the outside, but even bigger being on the inside. Can just imagine the different marked stalls - picures on the wall for the different ones - so yes, pretty amazing.
Written 29 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
puddleduck2
Durham, UK1,796 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
The ground floor has a fantastic food hall with a buzzing atmosphere.
The large hall upstairs is a wonder. It’s empty apart from a simple huge horse sculpture at one end. The ceiling is amazing and the large walkway huge you great views if the piazza below.
The large hall upstairs is a wonder. It’s empty apart from a simple huge horse sculpture at one end. The ceiling is amazing and the large walkway huge you great views if the piazza below.
Written 18 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JJJC_Family
Virginia794 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
This is my second time visiting this impressive space and a testimony to its grip on my imagination is how fervently and vividly I remember it, which is only occasional in my extensive travels. I even remember how hard it was to figure out how to simply get upstairs to see the grand room, although not remembering precisely how to do it. In fact, we approached the project the same exact way and went through the same exact steps, the worst way until we broke down and went into a store begging for help, as we did the first time. That ate up ten minutes, right there. My wife and I both had to laugh. When we got upstairs to the grand hall, maybe a football field or more in length and perhaps 100’ across, you have the same sense of awe and delight. It’s completely empty except for a handful of benches along the wall and a very large wooden horse and something that looks like a planter but has no hole to put in plants The entire length and width of the walls are covered with a sort of monstrous fresco of portraits, animals and all types of other images, some bigger, some smaller. I spend probably an hour just walking around over and over trying to absorb it all and there are so many of them that’s hard to do. You get a headache after a while trying. But I love the place so I do it, anyway. The ceiling is also amazing. It’s all wood and it curves in fro both sides to meet in the middle, a sort of pointed arch. It’s really neat. There are some windows along the bottom of the long walls and even some punched into the ceiling. There’s a tiny little room on one side and I can’t remember what’s in it. Outside, on the upper level is an arcade/loggia that runs the entire side of the building. Strangely, neither time visiting did I walk the length of it, probably due to time constraints. It’s also neat. On the ground floor shops line an interior corridor and I think even the outside. It’s just a neat, fun building and I really do love it. It’s actually the place I think of and again truly remember when I think of Padua, even more than the incredible baptistry. If you visit Padua, you must see it and you really should see Padua, especially if you go to Venice, which is only a half hour away. Padua has a quite a few high quality things to see and in my opinion is not given enough consideration as even a secondary visit contender. We used it both times we visited it as primarily a base for seeing Venice as it is an inexpensive place to get a decent hotel, has decent restaurants, again more than enough to see in case you don’t feel like taking even the short train ride to Venice one day or two and it’s a fun place just to walk around. Oh and we are told it has one of the best hospitals in Italy, in case you need one. And we often do. So go see the Palazzo della Ragione and the rest that this great city has to offer. You won’t regret it.
Written 18 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
liverpool1023
London, UK1,175 contributions
June 2023 • Couples
The upper floor comprises a large guild hall. The outer loggia is nicely frescoes with floral motifs. The huge interior space allows you to see city guild animal and heraldic motifs and religious imagery. The only feature of the interior is a stunning wooden horse that dates from the 1400’s and look more like a contemporary piece of art.
Written 20 June 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fssutton1
Charleston, SC885 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
Well the grand hall upstairs is amazing in size and design but really a rip off as that is all there is for a fee. The lower food halls are amazing
Written 16 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia H
30 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
We had walked past this palace a number of times during our visit to Padua and decided to visit. The entrance fee was really cheap - €5 each for seniors like us. Inside was breathtaking. It is a huge hall with frescoes on all 4 sides, a beautiful wooden ceiling/roof, Foucault's pendulum and an enormous wooden horse on a pedestal. There were information points inside and an english version was available. The science behind the pendulum was explained but I only just squeaked my O level maths!!
Written 9 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Qualcuno sa dirmi quanto costa il prezzo del biglietto?
Written 30 June 2019
Are there any photos of the statue of the woman by the steps going up to the hall?
Written 23 May 2018
Sapreste dirmi come arrivarci on auto e dove parcheggiare senza passare da zone a traffico limitato? Grazie, vincenzo
Written 28 September 2017
ciao imposta nel navigatore Via Marghera. cerca la zona dietro allo stadio vecchio. li trovi posti non a pagamento. per arrivare al centro bastano poche centinaia di metri. ciao
Written 29 September 2017
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