The Portello Staircase

The Portella staircase in Padua is the best starting point for those who decide to discover the Venetian villas along the Piovego Canal and the Naviglio di Brenta, relying not on the speed of their car but on the slowness of the Burchiello. Here, the City Gate is a remarkable early 16th-century building in Istrian stone, a typical Venetian building material. It was intended to serve not only for military defence but also for civil and commercial purposes: from historical sources, it can be concluded that around eighty boats docked at the river port next to the Gate every day. The official name was Porta d'Ognissanti, but it is not surprising that it is still called Porta Venezia. The Borgo Portello, formed by the surrounding blocks, served as a support district for the boatmen, who formed their own corporation there. Today, the whole area has retained its historical layout, only swapping the past vitality of work for student life due to its proximity to the University Citadel. The beautiful 16th-century staircase that overlooks the canal, beyond the 18th-century bridge in front of the Gate, was restored a few decades ago and has once again become the embarkation point for inland river and canal navigation.