Palazzo Bo and the Anatomical Theatre

Padua's university was founded in 1222 and has been teaching ever since, which makes the Palazzo Bo one of the most evocative academic buildings in Europe. The name comes from an old inn that once stood here, the Hostel of the Ox, and the palace grew from that humble origin into the main seat of the university in the sixteenth century. A guided visit moves through courtyards whose walls are covered in the painted coats of arms of generations of students, then enters ceremonial halls and lecture rooms with a strong sense of history. One of the best-known stops is the Hall of Forty, where the wooden lectern used by Galileo Galilei, who taught here for years in the early seventeenth century, is displayed. Another is the statue and story of Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, who in 1678 became the first woman in the world to receive a university degree. The jewel of the tour is the Anatomical Theatre of 1595, a steep, elliptical wooden amphitheatre with tiers of narrow railings where students once crowded to watch dissections. Standing in this cramped room and looking down at the small central table is a striking way to understand how modern medicine began to value direct observation over inherited authority. Padua's medical school shaped Vesalius, Harvey and many others, and the theatre feels like the physical symbol of that change. Entry is only through guided tours, offered in several languages at set times, and groups are kept small because the space is delicate.

Because tours depart on a fixed schedule and capacity is limited, reserve ahead and confirm which language the tour will be in. English tours are usually available but not at every departure, so check before you plan the rest of the day. The visit lasts roughly an hour, and the pace is brisk, so wear comfortable shoes and keep questions for the end.

The most famous room, the Anatomical Theatre, is small, and the guide will explain how it worked: the corpse on the table, the students packed in six tiers above, and the lookouts who watched for the authorities during a period when dissection was controversial.

Many visitors say it is the most memorable part of the university tour. Outside the tour, the building is also a working part of the university, so you may see students crossing the courtyards. The palace stands in the heart of the historic centre, and it is just a few steps from Piazza delle Erbe, Caffe Pedrocchi and the market squares, so it fits naturally into a walking morning.

After the tour, stroll to the nearby Botanical Garden, another university institution, or follow the arcaded streets to the Basilica of St Anthony. Families with older children who like science or history usually enjoy the visit, though the tour is not ideal for very young children. Additional tours sometimes focus on art and architecture, including the twentieth century interventions by Gio Ponti, so check the programme if you want a different angle.

Wear layers, because the historic rooms are not always heated or cooled evenly, and bring a small notebook if you like to jot down names and dates, since the guide moves quickly through centuries of scholars. If you are curious afterwards, the university's museums elsewhere in the city extend the story of science in Padua.