Situated in the heart of north-eastern Italy, and less than 40 km from Venice, Padua is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, with over 3,000 years of history. This rich cultural heritage, appreciated every year by thousands of tourists, includes: the Scrovegni Chapel, with its frescoes painted by Giotto; Prato della Valle, one of the biggest squares in Europe; the thirteenth century Palazzo della Ragione, the world’s largest hall without supporting columns; the world’s oldest university Botanical Garden, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a historical city centre, with picturesque squares, palaces and museums.

The University of Padua is a world-leading research-intensive university that has been driving global change since its foundation in 1222. The conference takes place during the exciting thematic year of the celebration of 800 years of our University. Updates on events here https://800anniunipd.it/

The Centre for Advanced Studies in Mobility & Humanities (MoHu Centre), based at the Department of Historical and Geographic Sciences and the Ancient World (DiSSGeA) of the University of Padua (Italy), configures itself as an international research hub for the humanistic study of mobility. Drawing from a rich and unique mix of disciplines, and equipped with a Digital Laboratory for Mobility Research (MobiLab), the Centre aims to contribute original work to the emerging area of the mobility humanities in connection with other research Centres and Associations worldwide. Committed to running the Mobility & Humanities Seminar Series, within which key and emergent speakers in the field are regularly invited, it is a place where intellectual exchange and hospitality take a crucial part in the development of brand-new research. Within the Centre, five Department research clusters (Nodes) develop interdisciplinary activities and subprojects on the mobilities of People, Ideas, Objects, Texts, and mobility Theories & methods. All info at www.mobilityandhumanities.it

The conference sessions will take place at three different sites of the DiSSGeA Department, in the heart of the historical city centre of Padua.

Palazzo Liviano, Hall of Giants
Piazza Capitaniato 3/5

The Sala dei Giganti originally belonged to the Palazzo dei Carraresi (from the name of the da Carrara family which governed Padova in the 14th century). This great hall was named from the size of the figures – personages of Ancient Rome – depicted in the frescoes. The original cycle, now lost, was inspired by Petrarch at the invitation of Francesco I da Carrara, whose guest he had been, on the basis of his De viris illustribus, recounting the lives of illustrious men in the history of Rome. The first decoration of the hall, completed a few years after Petrarch’s death (1374), is attributed to either Altichiero da Zevio or Jacopo Avanzi. Among the personages portrayed was Petrarch himself, posthumously: his portrait is the only one of the older cycle which has survived. The hall was completely renovated in the 16th century. A new cycle of frescoes was completed around 1540, by Domenico Campagnola and his collaborators, in which the theme of two centuries earlier was taken up again, with changes to some of the subjects depicted. The Sala dei Giganti housed the University Library from 1631 to 1912. The frescoes were restored to their original splendour during recent works, completed in 2008.

Palazzo Luzzato Dina
via del Vescovado 30

Palazzo Wollemborg
via del Santo 26

By road:

• Motorway Venice-Milan (A4)

Exit at Padova Est if you come from Venice; Exit at Padova Ovest if you come from Milan

• Motorway Bologna-Padua (A13)

Exit at Padova Sud

PLEASE NOTE that Padua has a Restricted Traffic Zone. Further information can be found

in the Comune di Padova website (http://www.padovanet.it/lista.jsp?tassid=1619)

 

By rail:

From the Padua Railway Station you can reach the centre by walking in 15-20 minutes.

By taxi (the taxi rank is in the square in front of the station)

Tel RadioTaxi: 049.65.13.33

By APS city buses and metrotram: many depart from the railway station

 

By air:

• Venice: Marco Polo airport (Tessera). From here, you can get to Padua in the following ways:

By taxi: a 40-60-minute drive.

By coach: coaches run from the airport to the Padua coach terminus every half hour from

6am to 11pm on working days and at different times on holidays. Bus stop in front of the

airport. https://www.fsbusitalia.it/content/fsbusitalia/eng/veneto/timetables-and-lines.html

By rail: you can get a bus from the airport to the Mestre railway station and from there a train

to Padua. It takes about 40 minutes.

• Verona: Valerio Catullo airport (Villafranca Veronese). Buses run from the airport to the Verona railway station.
• Treviso: Antonio Canova (Venice-Treviso) airport (bus stop in front of the airport, at the opposite side