Padua, one of the oldest cities in northern Italy, usually serves as a quick day trip from Venice for most travelers. However, a visit of at least two days is necessary if you hope to scratch the surface of its illustrious history or its current identity as a rapidly developing metropolis. Even if you’re not a student at the city’s Università di Padova or on a Petruchian quest to wive it wealthily in Padua, take the time to explore its intriguing blend of old and new. With a population of 220,000, Padua is very much a modern city. It’s got the high rise buildings, congested urban streets,and industrial production to prove it. But for all that, this economic center of Italy’s Veneto region has retained many of its medieval qualities including breathtaking churches, spectacular piazze, and the vibrant intellectual life associated with a premier national university—one that counts Copernicus as an alumnus and Galileo Galilei as a former faculty member, no less. While a brief stay in Padua can leave you with the impression that the city’s unique historical character has been worn away by the forces of modernity, those who can muster some persistance will be rewarded with amore realistic understanding of this diverse and extremely relevant place.