Featured Destination: Padua and the Scrovegni Chapel
Many people know Padua as the home of St. Anthony and the Pontifical Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua is one of the most visited sites in the city, but Padua has many other treasuers to visit as well.
We would like to draw your attention today to the Scrovegni Chapel (often called the Arena Chapel for its original proximity to the ruins of a Roman arena), which is a church in Padua that contains a fresco cycle by Giotto that is considered to be one of the most important masterpieces of Western art.
The frescoes, which narrate events in the lives of the Virgin Mary and Christ, cover the entire interior of the chapel. On the wall opposite the altar is the grandiose Universal Judgement, which concludes the story of human salvation. The chapel was originally attached to the Scrovegni family palace, built after 1300, following the elliptical outline of the remains of the Roman arena.
The genius of the Chapel lies in the narrative’s layout: Giotto arranged the different scenes chronologically, in horizontal bands. Mary’s life appears first, followed by the life and ministry of Jesus, and finally culminating in scenes depicting the Passion. However, when the bands are read vertically, viewers will be struck to realize that each scene foreshadows the next.
The Chapel was acquired by the City of Padova in1880, and the vulnerable frescoes were subjected to several specialized restoration operations during the 19th and 20th centuries. From the 1970s until today, thanks to close collaboration between the city administration, cultural heritage authorities and the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, the state of the building, the quality of the air in it, polluting factors, and the state of conservation of the frescoes themselves have all been subjected to careful study and monitoring. The addition of the new access building, with its special air-conditioned waiting-room, means that even great influxes of visitors can enter the Chapel and admire Giotto’s masterpiece without further jeopardizing its fragile condition in any way.
The latest checks, which show that the condition of the frescoes is now stable, have allowed them to be restored further – delicate operations undertaken by the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro – thanks to an agreement between the City of Padova and the Italian Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali.
If you’re considering organizing a pilgrimage to Italy we highly recommend including this site on your customzied itinerary! Customized itineraries for group eladers are available upon request by calling 800-566-7499 or emailing sales@georgesintl.com