Abbazia di Santa Giustina

Incredible opportunity to visit the tomb of one of the 4 Evangelists, St. Luke!

The Abbey is of the 10 the century named after the saint Giustina of 4th century. You can find great architecture of the ancient church, relics of the first bishop of Padua, St. Giustina, St. Luck the Evangelist and others. Benedictine Monks were living here from the 10th century.

Place were the relics of St. Luke and St. Gestina are kept which in Padua near to the Basilica of St. Antony. A place which invites you to pray. St. Gestina was of 200AD. St. Luke, the evangelist who also is patron of Doctors.

The Basilica of Santa Giustina in the city of Padua was built in the 6th century. Its close to the huge sguare Prato della Valle.Inside the basilica there are decorated chapels, which tell the story of the city’s saints. Behind the basilica you’ll see the monumental domes of the 10th-century Benedictine abbey.

It is located on one corner of Prato Della Valle square. It is very huge and therefore it is impressive for its architecture. It is absolutely worth a visit.

The Abbey of Santa Giustina is a 10th-century Benedictine abbey complex located in front of the Prato della Valle in central of Padua. Adjacent to the former monastery is the basilica church of Santa Giustina, initially built in the 6th century, but whose present form derives from a 17th-century reconstruction. The basilica is monumental from the Prato della Valle is well visible. A church dedicated to the St Justina of Padua and of other 4th century Christian martyrs of Padua, was present at the site by the 520s, erected under the patronage of the Prefect Opilius and housing the relics of the saint. The church was already described as lavish in decoration in the 565 biography of Life of St Martin, written by Venantius Fortunatus. By the 10th century, pilgrims who came to the basilica to venerate the saints' relics, were ministered by monks. In 971, Bishop of Padua placed the community under the Rule of St. Benedict. The complex of the Abbey of Santa Giustina includes the large Basilica with eight domes and the rich monastery, of which it is possible to visit the Cloister of the Chapter, built in the 12th century in Romanesque style and the Main Cloister, also called the Painted Cloister for the many frescoes that decorated it. The interior of the Basilica of Santa Giustina, vast and bright, one of the greatest masterpieces of Renaissance architecture, has a Latin cross shape and is divided into three naves by large pillars. For dimensions (122 meters long) Santa Giustina is the ninth among the churches in the world, also marked in the floor of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. To the right and left of the side aisles there are twenty chapels, ten on one side and ten on the other. They are painted with masterpieces by famous Renaissance masters such as Giacomo Ceruti, Pietro Damini, Bernardo Falcone, Luca Giordano, Pietro Liberi and the greatest of all Paolo Veronese.

A Must view even if you don’t believe for all the structure, the art and the mystical ambient you’ll found. Beautiful church on my opinion, the structure and the monuments inside made me keep my mouth open. Very nice. Suggested but not a must.

A must see on your Padua visit or pilgrimage. A volunteer guide at the church, Giorgio, gave us an amazing historical/theological tour: you can see the tombs of St. Luke and St. Giustina, an intricate wood carved choir, and artifacts from the early Christian and medieval periods. The basilica itself is Renaissance in an austere monastic style. The guide explained how the domes were designed to favor acoustics, something I had rarely seen. Be sure the stop and by and enjoy this gem of a church and the beautiful plaza that surrounds it.