scrovegni chapel (cappella degli scrovegni)

It's incredible to see how much of this chapel has been preserved. Seeing work by Giotto is always a treat – it's from the 14th century and is truly a glimpse into the past.For Dante fans, the Scrovegni Chapel is especially interesting. The commissioner, Enrico Scrovegni, was obviously part of a very wealthy family. His father is mentioned in Dante's Inferno, as he was placed in the seventh circle of hell due to his greed. Some think that Enrico built the chapel in part to restore his family's reputation in the eyes of the Church and of the public.

It is about as important as the Sistine chapel and you see why when you see how beautiful it is. It may take some time, they only let so many people in at once for a set amount of time. You can buy a ticket for a certain time, and come back later. If it's tourist season I am told you have to book online up to 2 weeks in advance.

The chapel is a captivating place to visit. The frescos are a delight. It's amazing to consider that all this was completed in only two years.

I visited largely because a friend on a recent visit tried to and the place was closed. I'm glad I went on her behalf, it was an interesting visit. which starts with a 15min video giving you a historical background of the church, it's founder and the art. Followed by a 15min visit to actually see the live work. It's a small church so for me the 15mins was enough. I thought the entrance fee a bit expensive at €13 per person.

You have to go. That's all. Bring binoculars. It was magnificent. Make reservations, because you don't want to be turned away. (We somehow couldn't get three reservations to go through, so we only made two and were able to add an extra person at the museum ticket office -- but that was during low season and we may just have gotten lucky. The time slot just ahead of us seemed to have a larger crowd.)And my 13-year-old, who was tired of museums and paintings, liked it. The little chamber where they dry you out (literally, not idiomatically) and warm you up while showing you a video about the chapel was a very nice touch for younger travelers -- and of course a necessary part of protecting the frescoes. For younger travelers, who go through Italy looking at lots of paintings without exactly understanding why those particular paintings are significant or what the historical context was, the extra information might be the difference between appreciating works of art and thinking, "Oh, another beautiful picture. And a million more to come."

It was difficult to book tickets for this event online, long winded process but worth it. The walls ooze history. The film whilst waiting to go in to see the paintings was informative

The chapel is great! But you can stay in only 15'! We took a guided tour, the guide talked very quickly for almost 10 minutes to show details of the frescos and the story and then we had just a few minutes before the bell rang. Why not considering 5 minutes more?

We did not book on line so were pleased to gain entry to the Chapel - if we had known what we could have missed, we would have booked. Be prepared to wait, both outside and inside while other visitors leave and the climate is balanced in the chapel. Outside was cold as we were visiting in winter, inside was pleasant and the wait enhanced by a film. Giotto's frescoes were breath taking. You will be able to stand and slowly take in their beauty, without being hurried or pushed aside by other viewers. The environment and nature of the art encourages an almost silent viewing, unmarred by haste or loud explanations. I felt that the time we were given was just right and the whole venture a credit, of course to Giotto, but also to the people who make the frescoes available to viewers.

We booked this in advance online. Every painting tells a story. Very intricate and very interesting. They let us stay inside almost an hour.

I booked tickets here in advance via the rather arduous online system & bought a Padova card at the same time. But my word it was worth it.I'm not usually terribly interested in medieval art and frescoes and the sections of art galleries with painting from this period tend to be the ones I by-pass and I have no interest in the religious aspect of the works. However the frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel were astounding. I found them so interesting to look at, to see the wonderful faces, and best of all his stunning depiction of hell at the judgment day. The devil and the tortures and torments of the people depicted there was fascinating. I was completely absorbed in looking at them and the alloted time spent in the chapek itself ended all too quickly.Unmissable.

Padua is a lovely place to visit even without the Scrovegni Chapel. But if you like arts, you cannot miss it. Giotto at his best restoration to the point that you can see the tears down the cheek of the women crying in frescoes that are way above you. Worthy every single cent of the entry ticket.

You can wander all over Umbria and Tuscany viewing the works of Giotto but to have the most sublime exposure to this artist the Scrovegni Chapel in Padova is hard to top. The intimacy of the space allows you to view the frescoes one panel at a time. You need to be focused as the time allowed inside the chapel is not adequate to fully follow the tread of the narrative. If you go in the winter months you can avoid all the Reserve in Advance hassles. I found their website especially onerous to navigate. We were told by our hotel staff to just show up without a reservation and sure enough that worked. We got in on the next time slot, less than a 10 minute wait. But apparently that is not remotely possible during the busy season. our favorite panel was The Flight Into Egypt, the Madonna and Child sitting atop a determined and trustworthy donkey, you can feel the power of his stride, his sense of mission.

I made an overnight trip to Padua from Venice specifically for this attraction. A wide ranging, expansive 48-lecture series (covering dozens of artists and hundreds of paintings) that I watched several years ago had two lectures specifically devoted to the Scrovegni Chapel so I was tipped off in advance to its importance. I purchased two admission tickets several months in advance (1PM and 5PM) and stayed at a hotel within walking distance from the building. The street entrance is fairly non-descript, consisting of a gate on the Piazza Eremitani leading into the ticket office with the chapel a brief walk from there. The process for visiting the Scrovegni Chapel itself is fairly straightforward. Pre-purchased tickets are timed and you are asked to show up outside the chapel five minutes before. There is a fifteen minute documentary describing the chapel along with the preservation and restoration work that has taken place over the past few decades. After this, you are ushered into the climate controlled church to view the frescoes themselves for fifteen to twenty minutes. This is all done under the supervision of a guide obviously with no pictures allowed. (I found that out the hard way!) The interior is well lit and the frescoes large enough for easy visualization. A bell rings to announce the end of the viewing, and the group is ushered out. In addition to the chapel itself, there is a very impressive multimedia room (Giotto Learning Center) outside the café at the entrance. This consists of another documentary, several electronic work stations that describe literally every detail of the chapel’s frescoes, a demonstration of what a fresco is and how it’s completed, and even a life-sized replica of Anne’s house found in two of the scenes. There is also information on general life in 14th century Padua and numerous other subjects. I spent over two hours down here with the overall experience almost as memorable as a visit to the chapel itself.In summary, one of the supreme works of Western art is given a very appropriate treatment at this facility. Not only is the interior of the chapel worth a visit on its artistic merits alone, but the entire process is very visitor friendly and the adjoining Giotto Learning Center (that’s my appellation, not theirs) allows you to indulge in the experience if desired. I spent a total of five hours here and it was definitely worth it. No one goes to Washington DC without visiting the White House, Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, or Cairo without gazing at the pyramids; even if you have no interest in painting or the arts this is a mandatory visit if you are traveling to Padua. Tips:*Timing (I): Off-season visits have the benefit of a little more “relaxed” schedule for timing in the chapel. I was allowed a few extra minutes on my first visit and was the only person (!) on my second.*Timing (II): Consider two visits to the chapel, the first to familiarize yourself with the story of the paintings followed by a visit to the learning center, and finished with a second visit to reinforce what you’ve studied.*This is an attraction that can also be experienced on a brief stopover as well.*As most know, tickets must be purchased in advance. I saw several people being turned away at certain times due to this rule. *The adjacent Civic Museum has a very impressive panel by Giotto called “The Crucifixion.” Admission is free and it’s worth searching out on the second floor.

Feb., 2015. Truly beautiful, especially given it's early, early Renaissance provenance! Giotto was an amazing man! I feel inadequate trying to describe this place & relating it's beauty. Thank God there was a Giotto to steer us into the period of artistic "rebirth". Somethings to know: when (if) you take the tram from the ferrovia to Scrovegni: get off the tram @ the Scrovegni/Chapel stop & stand facing Scrovegni's grounds (see the ancient Roman wall, across the street from the tram stop). Cross the street. Walk to the RIGHT in order to enter the Ticket Office. Apparently, "in season"', just follow the lines. In winter, you're on your own. Scrovegni Visitors are let in via groups. In the winter, (on a chilly Wednesday in February, about 10:30a) we were in a group of 6 people, the group after us had about 4. There must be WAY more people, as indicated by the # of chairs in the de-humidifying room, "in season"! So! Consider a winter visit! We did NOT have advance tickets, as we weren't sure we could take the time to stop in Padua. "In Season", apparently, given small "group admission" practices, Scrovegni advance tix ARE a must. However, we just walked in & asked to buy 2 tix for the next admission time, which was in about 10'. Getting around: Purchase your tram tix @ the Padua Tabacchi Shop or "T" @ the ferrovia (train station). The tram is "caught" outside. The tram stop is out the door of the ferrovia & to your right, with your back to the station's "doors". Look for McDonald's. The stop is exactly in front of it on the ferrovia side. Look, also, for the tram tracks! Purchase: 3 tix @ "T Shop". Use 1, and then just verify this ticket on this segment, to reach Scrovegni (actually walkable from ferrovia). Use the 2nd ticket to take the tram to St. Anthony's Basilica, which is walkable, but a LONG, LONG walk (St. Anthony's is a must see if you've made the trip to Padua) from Scrovegni AND REMEMBER to verify! Use the 3rd ticket (remember to verify!) to take the tram back to ferrovia from the Basilica (which is actually on Vatican City's grounds). There are only a few "T Shops" by the Basilica & these can be closed for HOURS during the mid-day "break", so purchase, in advance while @ the ferrovia. There are tram ticket machines @ the stops, but fumbling with change, etc is silly if you can just do it all @ once @ the Tabacchi Shop, on your way into town. The tickets will remain "good" until you verify them, then you've got 75' to use or lose them. If you plan it right, it's very easy to see both sites in 1 day and VERY, VERY much worth it! A day you'll not forget! Insure you have time to visit the most remarkable museum @ Scrovegni, as well! Ask for directions to the "Crucifix"! (We didn't buy a Padua Card.)

What a great visit in the chapel designed by Giotto 700 years ago! We recommend a guided tour, to ask for your own language . Try to get some info before entering this wonder, there are breathtaking and inspiring visions , and you learn things you did not know and could not appreciate. Also Nice the museo civico with a lot of archeological remains and the pinacoteca paint exhibition with some masterpiece from 14 the till 18th century . Great