Il Santo

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Piazza del Santo, Padova, Italy

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Il Santo

by Liam Hetherington

Manchester, United Kingdom

April 21, 2007

Best of IgoUgo The Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua is more commonly just known as 'Il Santo'. It is a large red-brick building with numerous bulbous domes, set to the southeast of the core of Padua.Originally from Portugal, Anthony reached Italy after an ...Read more The Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua is more commonly just known as 'Il Santo'. It is a large red-brick building with numerous bulbous domes, set to the southeast of the core of Padua.

Originally from Portugal, Anthony reached Italy after an ill-fated attempt to preach to the Moors of Morocco. He soon became known for his oratorical skills and, legend has it that when he once found no people to whom he could spread the good word, he instead preached to the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. He was a true superstar of the church in the thirteenth century, and within eighteen months of his death, he had been canonized, and the people of Padova had started to construct this basilica to house his tomb.

Unlike the tourist-ified Basilica of St. Mark in nearby Venice, this is a real devotional church. More prevalent than the jacket-wearing guides are the friars who wander about, hearing confession and offering benediction. The devout flock here, believing that the saint's intercession can work miracles, as their votive photographs of wounded limbs and car crashes testify. The pilgrims circle the tomb in the Chapel of St. Anthony, along the left-hand wall, placing a hand on the stone at the back and praying. Helpfully, preprinted slips of paper in the language of your choice allow you to request his aid. Instead, I admired the carvings along the back wall telling the stories of St Anthony reattaching a boy's severed foot, reviving a baby that had been boiled in a cauldron, and so forth. Above each carving there is a cityscape, just to the left of the centre panel you can recognise the domed Basilica itself.

Further back is the chapel of relics. If you ever want to understand the new Europe, you just need to note that the sign is now handily translated into Polish. Amongst the relics, you can view the robe of St Anthony, the tunic of St Anthony, the cilice of St Anthony, even the chin, tongue, and vocal cords of St Anthony! There is also meant to be an actual thorn from the actual crown worn by Jesus when he was crucified, though I couldn't find it.

As an active place of worship, access to the basilica, and even its associated chapels, is all free, though only a miser would begrudge a charitable donation.

Returning outside into the suddenly blinding daylight, you will find yourself in the Piazza del Santo, a smoothly-flagged square ringed with stalls selling items to meet all your devotional needs: rosaries, candles, hagiographies, and portraits of the saint. Looming above all is Donatello's giant equestrian monument to the 15th-century mercenary leader Erasmo da Narni. He was better known as 'Gattamelata', literally, 'The Honeyed Cat'. To my eye, the mounted figure looked rather insignificant compared to the muscular nobility of his steed. Its curving flanks serve to counterpoint the angles of the basilica's facade magnificently. Close

From journal A Pilgrimage To Padua

Il Santo

by Library Dragon

Athens, Alabama

February 5, 2001

This pillard basilica was built in the thirteenth century to honor St. Anthony of Padua. It is known simply as Il Santo. If you arrive by train you will see that the buses simply list this stop as Il Santo. The church is a mixture of ...Read more

From journal Padova

Il Santo

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Il Santo

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