Prato della Valle

Prato della Valle, one of the symbols of Padua, is a large elliptical square that is not only the largest square in Padua, but also one of the largest in Europe (88620 m2), after Red Square in Moscow.The square is actually a large monumental space characterized by a central green island, called Isola Memmia, in honor of the podestà that commissioned the works, surrounded by a moat decorated with a double base of numbered statues of famous figures from the past that according to the original plan there would be 88.
However, today we can only observe 78 statues with 8 pedestals surmounted by obelisks and 2 empty ones.Four avenues cross the Prato via small bridges and then converge in the center of the islet.
The arrangement is inspired by the great Venetian tradition of the patrician garden; here, for the first time, this was withdrawn from private use and, according to neoclassical concepts, proposed as an urban planning solution and environmental qualification.Source: padovanet.it/informazione/prato-della-valle

Since ancient times, this open space has had an economic and recreational function.In Roman times it was the site of a huge theater, the Zairo, the foundations of which were found in the canal around the island of Memmia, and of a horse racing circus.In the era of the persecution of the first Christians, the circus was used for fighting. Two of the city's four patron saints, Santa Giustina and San Daniele, were martyred here.In the Middle Ages it was instead the site of fairs, jousts, public festivals and competitions, such as the "sedoli" races, a kind of typical Paduan chariot or the "castello d'amore", which ended with the capture of beautiful maidens to marry some of the young men who came from all over the Veneto.Source: padovanet.it/informazione/prato-della-valle

Prato della Valle is one of the largest squares in Europe dating from the 17th century. It is the green heart of the city, a welcoming meeting place. The oval-shaped square, planted with plane trees, is surrounded by a tranquil waterway flanked by statues of famous figures.