Padua is a historically important city in northern Italy, about a quarter of an hour by train from Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the Bacchiglione River flows through it. There is not only an ancient centre but also more modern suburbs. Padua also appears twice on the UNESCO list: for its botanical garden, which is the oldest in the world, and its surviving 14th century frescoes. The city is home to the famous University of Padua, one of the oldest in the world. From Padua, you can reach Verona or Milan within two hours, offering a great starting point for exploring northern and central Italy.

The University of Padua was founded in 1222, making it the third oldest university in Italy and the seventh in the world. The history of the University of Padua is interwoven with many famous personalities who have studied or taught there. Such famous names include Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, William Harvey to the more modern Tullio Levi-Civita, Concetto Marchesi, Giuseppe 'Bepi' Colombo and many others. The range of courses is diverse, including more than 100 undergraduate and graduate degree programmes and includes more than 8 schools and 32 departments.