The Way of Saint Anthony

Route details Recommended period Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter Phone+39 392 8852228

Useful advice Travelling on foot, by car, by bike

Here you can travel the Way of St. Anthony, and at the same time discover invaluable treasures immersed in the spirituality of a man from the 13th century: this is an experience only Padua can offer.
The route that follows the footsteps of the Saint starts from Santuario del Noce in Camposampiero. Legend would have it that the small church was built on the exact spot where Anthony gave a memorable sermon. The episode is represented by a work dating back to 1486 that is still on the altar: a cycle of frescoes depicting scenes of the miracles and life of Anthony by Girolamo del Santo, a 16th-century painter.

After a long and charming walk in the countryside of the upper Padua area, you reach the outskirts of Padua called "Arcella" where you will find the aedicule of St. Anthony. This is an important place that marks the spot where the carriage coming from Camposampiero, in which the Saint lay, turned toward the monastery of poor women, also known as Santuario Antoniano, the place where he died on 13 June 1231.

Through Porta Ponte Molino you reach the historic centre of Padua and after about 2 km you find yourself facing the mighty Basilica of St. Anthony. This majestic building started to be built in 1232, one year after the Saint died. It comprises a diversity of styles: Lombard, Tuscan and Byzantine, while the eight domes and two bell towers have oriental influence. Inside you find the sarcophagus where the remains of St. Anthony are kept.

All the worshipers who come here share a common gesture: for a few seconds they caress the tombstone while praying in silence and asking for the Saint's intercession.

Next to the Basilica you can see the convent with its beautiful cloisters. Piazza del Santo is dignified with splendid buildings among which the most striking is St. George's Oratory, a fully frescoed noble chapel, The School of the Saint and the Antonian Museum.


As with the most authentic pilgrimage traditions, the monks hand out a “Pilgrim’s Record” to those leaving Camposampiero, in which to stick the stamps of the respective Sanctuaries visited.