An Art de Vivre based on beauty, intelligence and tolerance
Galileo liked to describe his 18 years spent teaching applied mechanics, astronomy and military architecture at the University of Padua as the greatest of his life. That's because it is here that he found love with a young Venetian woman, as well as an environment that worshipped beauty, intelligence and tolerance, and which, over several centuries, gave rise to the most significant intellectual, scientific and artistic movements in history.In Padua, Galileo benefited from the generosity of Venice, and the renowned glass industry, to develop his telescopes and his revolutionary theories. Andreas Vasalius, one of the greatest anatomists in history literally reinvented medicine here. The anatomical theatre over which he presided is a genuine architectural monument whose lines are reminiscent of a drawing of an eye. The frescoes created by Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel are the foundations of the Renaissance. The University of Padua is also the first to have awarded a degree to a woman: her name was Elena Lucrezia Piscopia and she received her Philosophy degree in 1678.
The traveller that stays at the Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova today in order to walk the streets of Padua, visit its monuments, admire its artistic treasures, or to sit in the extraordinary Pedrocchi cafe, which has welcomed Lord Byron, Stendhal and Dario Fo, is a privileged witness to the humanism, to which the city has contributed perhaps more than any other. Padua is certainly one of the melting pots of the time that created the Modern Man by placing him at the centre of the universe and making him master of his own destiny. The Statue of Gattamelata erected by Donatello in front of the Basilica of Saint Anthony (in front of rather than inside) is not only one of the most beautiful equestrian statues in existence, but also a symbol of this human liberty: for the first time the statue was no longer religious, but was personal. It was no longer confined and justified by the walls of the church and their shadow, but displayed in the middle of the square in broad daylight. The artist thus expressed, more than ever, his own freedom.
The Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova, while perfectly contemporary, is in harmony with the Art de Vivre and the culture of the city. It offers a mix of sober and subtle classicism that gives way to playful colours in the many paintings on display. The canvases are signed by Giuseppe Boaretto, a Paduan artist (who happens to be the father of the hotel owners) who translates his fascination for colour and its power of expression into compositions with real purity. The facade is structured around the fully glazed stairwell in which the lighting changes colour rhythmically.
The rooms contribute to this light and joyful quality of life with their generosity of space, including the bathrooms, which are unpretentious and where an abundance of light streams in. The windows open out onto beautiful views of the wooded banks of the canal and, from the 6th floor, of the city rooftops, from which rise the steeples and domes of the Basilica of Saint Anthony. Because Padua is also a city of water, the hotel offers, around its superb swimming pool, the Cignus Spa, a health and fitness complex including sound, light and water in various forms: such as the gentle sensations of tropical rain, the energy of integrated whirlpools, and the beneficial warmth of the sauna. While relaxing in the elegant comfort of the solarium it is easy to forget that one is just a few steps from a city so rich in seduction and temptation.
The Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova was built on the south bank of the "Riviera del Brenta", the canal that has linked Padua and Venice since the 16th century. A few steps away are the Porta del Portello and the pier for boats heading to Venice. This journey is an unforgettable way of exploring the City of the Doges, while admiring some of the villas built by its great riches in the surrounding countryside. Just like the Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova, they championed an extremely rich Art de Vivre which combined joy and elegance with work, art, science and the pleasures of all five senses.
| Best Western Premier Hotel Galileo Padova |
| Via Venezia 30, Padova, Italy - 35131 |
| Phone: 049 770 22 22 Fax: 049 7800762 |
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