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Duomo And Baptistry
Padua’s Duomo (Mon-Sat 7.30am-noon & 3.45-7.30pm, Sun 7.45am-1pm & 3.45-8.30pm) is an unlovely church whose architect cribbed his design from drawings by Michelangelo. The adjacent Romanesque baptistry , though, is one of the unproclaimed delights of Padua (daily: June-Sept 9.30am-1.30pm & 3-7pm; Oct-May 9.30am-1pm & 3-6pm; L3500/¬1.81). Built by the Da Carraras in the thirteenth century, and still in use today, it’s lined with fourteenth-century frescoes by Giusto de’Menabuoi, a cycle which makes a fascinating comparison with Giotto’s in the Cappella degli Scrovegni. The influence of Giotto is plain, but in striving for greater realism Giusto has lost Giotto’s monumentality and prefabricated some of his figures awkward and unconvincing. Yet many of the scenes are delightful, and the vibrancy of their colours, coupled with the size and relative quiet of the building, make for a memorable visit.