The vast Piazza del Santo, on which the church stands and which enjoys for a stretch the right of extraterritoriality, is limited by the Oratory of S. Giorgio, the Scuola del Santo and the Civic Museum. In front of the Basilica del Santo, high on its pedestal, one of the most famous equestrian monuments in Italy and in the world: the statue of Gattamelata by Donatello.
The Scuola del Santo, next to the ancient Oratory of S. Giorgio, stands on the right of the square. It was built in 1427 as the seat of the Archconfraternity of St. Anthony and between 1504 and 1505 was raised by one floor. It consists of two small churches placed one above the other. The upper hall, which is accessed by a staircase built in 1736 by Giovanni Gloria, is decorated with frescoes by Venetian artists of the ‘500 with episodes that narrate the life of the Saint and his works. Among these paintings by Titian (1510-11) and Bartolomeo Montagna stand out. The other frescoes were painted by artists of the Paduan school, such as Stefano dell’Arzere and Campagnola. In the 18th century the Scuola was enriched with statues attributed to Antonio Bonazza.
This square is one of the most famous and typical views of Padua, a place of devotion and art, but also of strolling and meeting, an unmissable stop for tourists, a place of the heart for Paduans.
