Ragione Palace

The Palazzo della Ragione is an architectural unicorn—a massive medieval courthouse hovering above a bustling market. It is essential for history buffs and art lovers, but casual tourists might find the interior slightly sparse for the ticket price. You are stepping into one of the largest hanging halls in the medieval world. The sheer volume of the space (82 meters long) is humbling. The roof, shaped like an inverted ship’s hull, is an engineering masterpiece from 1306. The walls are covered in one of the world's rare medieval astrological fresco cycles. It acts as a giant calendar, depicting the months, zodiac signs, and daily life of 15th-century Padua. It’s fascinating to try and find your own zodiac sign on the walls. Don't just look up! The ground floor of the Palazzo is home to the "Sotto il Salone", one of the oldest covered markets in Europe. After your visit, go downstairs to grab some cicchetti (Venetian snacks), local cheese, or a glass of wine. It’s the culinary heart of the city.

Beautiful historic building in the centre of the old town, with a great hall upstairs. With its frescos and other details (wooden horse statue, Foucault pendulum) it is worth visiting.

My wife really wanted to visit this place, so we stood in a long line that wound up the steep stairs towards the ticket office. Given the interest, we were sure that there would be something to see. After a long wait for the ticket office (price 8€), we only managed to get into a large space, which is interesting but empty except for the wooden horse and swing. Disappointing. The roof is nice, wooden. Nice view outside of the square under the building. Still, not enough for this price and so much waiting.

This is an interesting UNESCO World Heritage Site. What started off as a Medieval Market Hall 1172-1219, then Town Hall and Justice Building, is worth the 8 euro ticket price. Fra Giovanni built the roof in 3 parts but was replaced after a fire in 1420 with enormous roof. Originally Giotto painted frescoes in the market but repainted by Nicola Miretto & Stefano da Ferrara after the fire and added an image of an astrology professor from Padua University. There are several interesting attractions inside: Galileo Galilei initiated the idea that the earth moves around the sun but later proven by the working Foucault’ pendulum on display; a wooden horse by Donatello depicting Gattamelata stands large as a copy; and, the chair of Public Humiliation for debtors. The building is gigantic and still holds the best specialty food shops Padua has to offer to the public. Do plan on eating here because you won’t want to miss this opportunity.

Stunning interior paintings, but the price could be lower. The palace is something that is must to see if you are visiting city. The wooden horse is from 19. century. The paintings consist from religious and profane persons.

Certainly a must-see building if you are anywhere near this city. A spectacular and cavernous great hall, with an amazing array of frescos and a beautiful horse statue. A unique and surpassingly beautiful historical building.

An astonishing place in itself. The architecture and atmosphere are truly impressive, making the Palazzo a must-see. What I found lacking, however, is the amount of information provided to visitors—there could be more explanations, context, and historical detail to enrich the experience. In general, more content in English would also be very helpful. I was lucky to understand Italian, but not everyone will.

Very lovely architecture, very well kept building, seems like it’s used for events and venues. There not a whole lot to see here but it’s definitely very nice. And if your in Padua I would check it out; maybe they have an exhibition to see or something.