The city of Padua in northeastern Italy has hidden a valuable masterpiece, considered one of the most significant works of the early Renaissance. The frescoes painted by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel can only be compared to Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel! Fully deserved, in 2021 the chapel was declared part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Where is located and how to visit it
The Scrovegni Chapel is located in the northern part of Padua, right next to the former Roman amphitheater (Arena Romana di Padova). This is also the reason why it is sometimes also called Capella dell’Arena. Buying a ticket is a bit of an adventure! It’s a must to get one online and well in advance of your actual visit…
You can find the official platform HERE. Tickets only for the Chapel aren’t sold, they are included with the nearby museum (Musei Civici) and the opposite palace (Palazzo Zuckermann) – 16 euro. If you plan to visit on Monday, when the palace is closed, the price is 12 euro. The process itself is a little complicated, requiring a lot of data and mandatory printing of the already purchased ticket…
How is the tour going
Tours start every 15 minutes between 09:00 and 18:45 and have a duration of 30 minutes. They begin in a purpose-built vestibule where a film with English subtitles is shown detailing the history of the temple, the complex restoration process and the efforts being made to preserve such a cultural treasure. Then comes the real part, namely entering the chapel itself, where light, humidity and temperature are strictly monitored. Also our time inside – exactly 15 minutes, after which a signal announces that we need to leave…
💡 Groups of a maximum of 25 people are allowed. It’s mandatory to arrive a few minutes early, because once you miss your time slot, you will not be allowed to enter another one.
How the Scrovegni Chapel appears
It all began when the local banker Enrico Scrovegni purchased a piece of land in the northern edge of Padua, with the aim of building his palace there, along with a family oratory in honor of the Mother of God. The project and the scale of the new building grew to such an extent that they began to disturb the long-term peace of the monks from the nearby Eremitani Monastery (today’s museum). This also leads to suspicions on their part that the rich banker acts with impure intentions and with the grandeur of the temple is trying to atone for the sins of his father – the usurer Reginaldo, immortalized in Dante’s “Inferno”. In 1303, Enrico Scrovegni commissioned Giotto to decorate the interior of the family chapel with a set of frescoes that became his undisputed masterpiece!
Who is Giotto di Bondone
During the Middle Ages, Italian artists were still heavily dependent on the country’s dominant Byzantine style. The last great master of this time was Cimabue, who began to give greater realism to painted figures. A drawing of a sheep on a stone attracts his attention and the little shepherd boy who drew it becomes his apprentice – Giotto di Bondone, who was born around Florence. Cimabue realizes his student is ready for his own path when Giotto jokingly paints a fly on his teacher’s unfinished canvas, and he swoops in to shoo it away…
Giotto changed the course of art forever, bringing life to his works above all else. The way his figures express their emotions, gesture and move is amazing! Everyone began to imitate him and he became one of the most famous artists of his time, praised even by the famous Dante Alighieri and Giovanni Boccaccio. His first significant project is considered to be his frescoes in the Cathedral of Assisi (St. Francis), and on his return to Florence in 1334 he designed and supervised the construction of the tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.
What are frescoes
The method of making the frescoes is extremely delicate and slow, because the dyes must be applied directly to the still wet plaster. Thus, they form a very strong chemical bond, so that they can become one of the most stable carriers of art. But these features drastically slow down the work process and a not very large area can be painted on a daily basis. Giotto and his team of about 40 assistants manage to cover the entire space of the ceiling and walls (about 700 sq m) in 625 working days!
Let’s take a look at the Scrovegni Chapel
It’s difficult for me to describe the feeling upon entering the chapel, but let’s say it is one of dumbfoundedness and adoration before the majestic work of the Florentine master, complemented by endless inspiration from what I saw. Let’s start with the ceiling, resembling the endless midnight sky, showered with many stars and two suns. The main frescoes on the walls illustrate various scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary and Christ, presented simply, but with an incomparable rendering of human emotions as the main emphasis. Look at the glances between traitor and betrayed that Giotto recreates in “Judas’s Kiss”… Perfection!
The undoubted highlight is the western wall and its illustrated Last Judgment, with its rivers of fire bearing desperate naked bodies to Hell. There is no trace of the former Byzantine style, and this becomes one of the most iconic works not only of Giotto, but of the early Renaissance! Opposite it is the altar with the statues of Giovanni Pisano and the tomb of Enrico Scrovegni, and in its lowest part the walls are completed by the virtues and vices. This chapel is definitely one of the most impressive places you can visit in Northern Italy!
