Padua

Scrovegni chapel, home of some of the most important frescoes in Western Art

Don't forget that you need reservations for the Scrovegni Chapel.

The Basilica of St. Anthony with its beautiful domes and turrets is magnificent. Also, nearby is the Prato della Valle with its beautiful statues on either side of the reflecting waterway.

I am going to Italy for my first time in December, and I am going to go to Scrovegni's chapel. I have studied it in college and it sounds amazing. I would recommend learning a little about Goittos frescos, as they are amazing and show a lot of history. The whole chapel is cool, but I'm expecially excited to see the frescos!!

You did not ask but FYI we stayed at the Hotel Al Cason in Padua and enjoyed our stay. Clean, spacious rooms, friendly people, good breakfast and a 5 min walk from the train station.

If you are looking for good wood-fired pizza, Pago Pago, just two short blocks from St. Anthony's, is a great choice. RS has it listed in his guide books.

We just got back from Padua and Venice. Padua is beautiful- I second the suggestion of St. Anthony's, it's amazing.
I would also suggest getting a map from one of the travel information booths and then just walking around, because IMHO, much of the charm of Padua is to be found in the architecture. The interesting parts are all fairly close. There are many cafes where you can stop for a rest and a delicious coffee (or maybe try a spritz) when you need to.
And we really enjoyed the Cafe Pedrocchi (hope I spelled that right!).