Bo Palace, Padua, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Bo Palace (Palazzo Bo) is the historic seat of the University of Padua, on Via VIII Febbraio in the old centre of Padua. The university was founded in 1222, which makes it one of the oldest in the world, and the building is tied to Galileo Galilei and to Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, the first woman to graduate from the institution.

The story behind it

The name has nothing to do with scholars. Bo means ox, and the palace takes its name from an inn that once stood here, the Hospitium Bovis, which hung out a sign with an ox. The sign became a familiar landmark in the city, and the name stayed when the university made the building its home.

Over the centuries the halls have seen some famous names. Galileo Galilei lectured at Padua for many years, and in the seventeenth century Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia became the first woman to graduate from the university. Together with the age of the institution itself, this is why Bo Palace is considered the heart of Padua's academic life.

What to look for

• The old courtyard, where the walls and loggias are covered with coats of arms and inscriptions left by generations of students and teachers.
• The statue of Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia inside the building, a tribute to the first woman to graduate here.
• The lecture chair associated with Galileo, kept in the interior rooms that are shown on guided visits.
• The Anatomical Theatre, a steep, tiered wooden hall from the late sixteenth century, built so students could crowd around the dissection table.

Tips for your visit

• From the street you only need about 15 minutes to take in the facade and the surroundings. Allow around an hour if you go inside.
• The historic rooms are usually visited on a guided tour, so check current opening hours and booking arrangements before you go.
• Go in the morning for quieter streets, as the area around the palace fills up with students and shoppers later in the day.
• The palace sits between Padua's main squares, so Piazza delle Erbe, Piazza dei Signori and Caffè Pedrocchi are all an easy walk away.

See it on a quest

Hidden Magic: The Secret World of Padua passes Bo Palace as one stop on a longer walk through the city. You reach it on foot, the app tells you about the place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It suits a city with this much layered history, and one ticket covers the whole group.