Under a magnificent star-studded sky, an emotional journey awaits you: immerse yourselves in a work of art that is recognised around the world as one of the masterpieces of Western art and set to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Come, take a look\u2026<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the year 1300. Enrico Scrovegni, a rich Paduan banker<\/strong>, buys the land which currently houses the Giardini dell\u2019Arena (Arena Gardens), north of the historic centre of Padua, where you can also admire the remains of an Ancient Roman arena dating back the the 1st century.<\/p>\n\n Three years later he decides to build a chapel to atone for the sins committed by his father<\/strong>, who was so guilty of the sin of usury that he was given a place in hell in Dante\u2019s Divine Comedy.<\/p>\n\n The banker entrusts one of the greatest artists of his time with the work of adorning the building<\/strong>: Giotto di Bondone<\/strong>, known simply as Giotto.<\/p>\n\n What Giotto creates on the Scrovegni Chapel\u2019s interior is well and truly a piece of visual storytelling composed of several scenes<\/strong>: from the story of the Virgin Mary\u2019s parents, Anne and Joachim, until the death and resurrection of Christ.<\/p>\n\n The narration recalls periods of Mary and Jesus\u2019 life including the Annunciation<\/em>, the Baptism<\/em>, the Crucifixion<\/em> and the Ascension of Jesus<\/em>, that all align themselves like pieces of photographic film into three narrative strips.<\/p>\n\n The grand scene of The Last Judgement<\/em>, painted on the fa\u00e7ade\u2019s interior, concludes the story by artistically interpreting the biblical description of the Apocalypse.<\/p>\n\n In the sky Christ the Judge, \u201cwhose face resembles the sun,\u201d sits inside the centre of the rainbow, surrounded by the Angels. The lower level is a series of fake marbles and allegorical portrayals<\/strong> of the Virtues<\/em> and their opposites, the Vices<\/em>. It represents a sort of vademecum, or guide, of behaviour for Christians at the time. <\/p>\n\n Marcel Proust<\/strong> even wrote about the Virtues<\/em> and Vices<\/em>. When he saw the Scrovegni Chapel in May 1900<\/strong>, Giotto\u2019s frescoes left such an impression on him that he mentions them in the first pages of his most famous novel, \u2018In Search of Lost Time\u2019.<\/p>\n\n The Story of Salvation<\/em>, painted along the walls of the Chapel, has a blue starry sky painted vault overlooking it that is divided into three decorative strips with ten round portraits<\/a>. In the cycle of frescoes in Padua by Giotto, he lets loose his creativity in the portrayal of places, costumes and time, making an ancient story come alive and feel like it\u2019s today. Little is known of the Chapel\u2019s story until the 19th century, when it risked disappearing due to its new owners\u2019 disinterest.<\/p>\n\n The intervention of the Council of Padua, that in the meantime had bought it (in 1881), served to avoid losing it. However, both the building and the frescoes were gravely damaged by then. <\/p>\n\n Radical refurbishment efforts were made particularly at the end of the 1800s and in the early 1960s. But more recently a new type of disrepair started to take place due to pollution, as the colour started to increasingly pulverise.<\/p>\n\n In 2000, the construction of the new modern structural entrance area<\/strong>, along with the installation of an air filtration and decompression system, allowed the management of the flow of visitors in a way that avoided damage and preserved the frescoes. Here, whilst you wait to enter the Chapel, you will be able to watch an interesting film that tells the story of this place of worship.<\/p>\n\n Ready to book your visit to this place of wonder? Where it is<\/strong> Info<\/strong> Photo via:![](\"https:\/\/www.apartmentspadova.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/logo_apartmentspadova_orizzontale.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nA journey through the history of the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua<\/h2>\n\n
From Giotto\u2019s images to the pages of Marcel Proust<\/h2>\n\n
![\"Scrovegni_Chapel_Padua\"](\"https:\/\/www.apartmentspadova.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/LastJudgmentGiotto.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.apartmentspadova.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/Giotto_diavolo.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.apartmentspadova.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/\/Ira-535x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.apartmentspadova.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/Carità.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.apartmentspadova.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/Fede.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.apartmentspadova.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/Invidia.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.apartmentspadova.it\/wp-content\/uploads\/Speranza.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li><\/ul>The magnificent star-studded ultramarine blue sky<\/h2>\n\n
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Giotto in Padua creates an artistic revolution <\/h2>\n\n
The Scrovegni Chapel today<\/h2>\n\n