University of Padua (Bo Palace)
The name comes from an ox — the emblem of the inn that stood here before students took over the building in 1539. That small, unglamorous fact sets the tone for Palazzo Bo: a place that has always been more interested in work than ceremony. Founded in 1222 by a breakaway group of scholars from Bologna, the University of Padua became the address for anyone serious about medicine, astronomy, or law during the centuries when those disciplines were being remade from scratch.
Galileo taught mathematics here for eighteen years. The world's first permanent anatomical theatre — six stacked elliptical galleries of dark wood around a central dissection table — opened inside these walls in 1595 and kept running until 1872. Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia received her doctorate of philosophy here on 25 June 1678, the first woman anywhere in the world to hold that degree.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who've done the tour more than once tend to slow down in the Sala dei Quaranta, where Galileo's original wooden podium still sits among forty portraits of the university's most famous students. The anatomical theatre stops most visitors cold — the scale is smaller than you expect, and that somehow makes it more unsettling.
The story behind University of Padua (Bo Palace)
The university began in 1222 when roughly a thousand students and teachers left Bologna in a dispute and resettled in Padua — a city whose motto, Universa universis patavina libertas, essentially promised academic freedom to all comers. The institution drew additional migrations from Bologna in 1306 and 1322, and despite three significant interruptions (1237–1261, 1509–1517, 1848–1850) it built a reputation across four centuries as the leading school of medicine in the world.
Palazzo Bo itself took shape gradually: the site had been an inn, then a meat merchant's property gifted by Francesco da Carrara in 1405, before becoming university property in 1539. Andrea Moroni of Bergamo is thought to have designed the ancient courtyard's double loggia, though no documents confirm it directly. In the 1930s and 40s, Rector Carlo Anti brought in architect Giò Ponti, who added a new courtyard and reworked the Aula Magna — its interior completed between 1938 and 1942.
Good to know
Entry is by guided tour only, running Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays at 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 5 p.m. Book ahead on the university's official website; no refunds after booking. Adults pay around €15. The combined Padua City of Science ticket also covers the Botanical Garden nearby.
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What travellers say about University of Padua (Bo Palace)
Palazzo del Bo is a fascinating place that reveals a more intellectual and contemplative side of Padua. While the building itself carries centuries of academic history, the Teatro Anatomico is without question the most striking and memorable part of the visit. Stepping into the anatomical theater is like stepping back in time. The narrow, circular wooden structure, built to hold students standing shoulder to shoulder, creates an intense and almost solemn atmosphere. Looking down toward the central table where dissections once took place, you can easily imagine the silence, concentration, and curiosity that filled the room centuries ago. It is both impressive and slightly unsettling, a powerful reminder of how knowledge was pursued through direct observation and courage. The theater speaks quietly but forcefully about the origins of modern medicine and scientific thinking. There is no excess decoration, just function, discipline, and purpose, which makes the experience feel authentic and deeply human.
The anatomical theatre was fantastic and a unique experience. The Aula Magna was unfortunately busy with a conference. Otherwise our guide was kind and informative enough. Definitely reserve a guided tour before.
The tour guide is very insightful. We enjoyed the explanation very much, and learned a lot from it. The university is very special, and taking the tour is totally worth it!!
The “Ox Inn” converted in 1494 to become eventually Padua University. The old court, one of the finest buildings of the renaissance began in 1546 with Doric columns in the lower and Ionic in the upper decorated with original crests. Galileo taught (1592-1610) in the great hall which is dedicated to his memory and where current honorary degrees are presented. The anatomy theatre (1594) is the earliest permanent anatomy theatre in the world. The theatre has an inverted cone and elliptical ground plan with 6 layers of seating and last used in 1872. Elena L. C. Piscopia, in 1678, became the first woman in the world to graduate from a university and received her degree in philosophy at Pudua. This historic university is a great value visit. Do take a guided tour to learn about the history and to have access to the anatomy theatre.
Interesting guided tour. It lasted about 45 minutes and we sawsome of the most important rooms in the building. It costs 8 euros per person.
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