Abbazia di Santa Giustina

This is one of the most spectacular Churches I’ve had the pleasure of visiting in Italy. Aside from its historic appeal, it features incredibly detailed woodwork behind the alter, each section depicting a notable scene from the Bible. There’s also an older gentleman who keeps up the building, and offers complimentary tours, (in Italian). To my surprise there’s several other rooms in the building, and even a good sized monastery with a very peaceful garden area for meditation.

My wife and I visited this beautiful church on the day of Pope Francis' funeral in Rome. The exterior is architecturally very interesting. The interior is charming and serene. The Monastery of St. Justine is a 10th-century Benedictine monastery located in front of Prato della Valle in the center of Padua. The former monastery houses the Basilica of St. Justine, which was originally built in the 6th century, but its current form is the result of a 17th-century renovation.

Huge, old basilica. Specialy old seems to be side church with remains of Roman mosaics and chage of saint Luca. Church has also a crypt.

It is very important church of the city. The 1st temple was built in the 6th centuary, one of its tympanum is shown inside, in the shrine after the ancient well. Interior is mostly strict and classical, the major attractions, as for me, are baroque chapels with splendid sculptures and wonderful pieces of pittura di pietra artworks. Veronese in the high altar is hard to see, it is too far.

this church is really a masterpiece, which focuses on the martyrs who died in Jesus's name❤️

In theory this is the second Basilica for Padua, but it is incredible. The links to the St Luke writer of a Gospel for those who are Christian, but as a building it is breathtaking. The painted stone is so delicate it doesn't look real.

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.

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.