Boarding the boat at the monumental Conca delle Porte Contarine, dating back to 1526, the most distinguished hydraulic monument in Padua, located in the city centre, at the corner of Via Giotto and Via Matteotti.
Navigation along an evocative river route through the city’s inner canals, skirting the ancient Venetian Renaissance walls, which, with their gates and bastions, represent one of the longest curtain walls in Italy. Along the Piovego, a canal dug in 1230, we will follow ancient river routes that for centuries were the main transport route for goods and people. We will walk along the 16th-century walls and the university citadel until we meet the Portello, the most important river port in Padua during the Venetian domination and docking point for all the boats that connected the city to the Venetian lagoon. Porta Portello stands out with its monumental gateway in Istrian stone and its beautiful 16th-century staircase (also painted on canvas by Canaletto). Continuing along the walls and ancient bastions we arrive at the historic Ponte dei Graissi, the only remaining masonry bridge along this river route. Along the way we encounter the superb, recently restored Villa Giovannelli, an imposing ‘villa temple’ that stands out for its classical pronaos and beautiful staircase, designed by architect Giorgio Massari and adorned with statues representing the five senses and reason.
Navigation to the Conca di Noventa Padovana and return to the Conca delle Porte Contarine.
