Piazza Garibaldi is a small, busy square in the centre of Padua, where the old road from the east entered the medieval city. On one side stands Porta Altinate, a city gate that goes back to the 12th or 13th century; in the middle, a Roman column carries an 18th-century statue of the Virgin, the Madonna dei Noli, protector of the city's cab drivers. Most people cross it on their way between the station and the old town without noticing either.
Piazza Garibaldi at a glance
- Where: in central Padua, at the meeting of Via Altinate, Corso Garibaldi and Via Cavour, a few minutes from Caffè Pedrocchi.
- Created: as an open space at the old Altinate gate; the statue was placed on its column in 1756 and the square was named after Garibaldi in the 1880s.
- What it is today: a pedestrian square and tram stop, with shops, cafés and the arcades typical of Padua.
- Time needed: 10–15 minutes, longer if you continue to the nearby sights.
From hay market to Garibaldi's square
The square takes shape around Porta Altinate, one of the main gates of the medieval walls. The gate stood on the first pier of a Roman bridge over a canal, on the line of the Roman road towards Altino, which gives it its name. In 1256 it was seized and set on fire during the crusade against the tyrant Ezzelino III da Romano, and it was rebuilt in 1286. The canal, the Naviglio Interno, was filled in during the 1960s, but short stretches of the old walls survive beside the gate.
The open space in front of it was long known as Piazza della Paglia, the straw square, or Piazza dei Noli, after the cab drivers who waited here with their carriages. In 1756 the drivers and the parishioners of San Matteo placed a statue of the Virgin, attributed to Antonio Bonazza, on top of a Roman column in the middle. In 1886 the statue was moved to the nearby church of Sant'Andrea and replaced by a statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who gave the square its present name. On 8 December 1954, at the people's request, the Madonna returned to her column.
What to look for
- The Madonna dei Noli on her Roman column in the middle of the square.
- Porta Altinate, the stone gateway with its decorated arch and the brick tower above it.
- Next to the gate, the Baroque monument to Alvise Pisani, governor of Padua in 1686–1687 and later Doge of Venice, with a lion of St Mark carved in the Napoleonic period.
- The remaining stretches of medieval wall on either side of the gate.
- The arcades around the square, part of the long covered walkways that line Padua's streets.
The cab drivers' Madonna
The Madonna dei Noli is one of Padua's most local traditions. Every year on 8 December, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the city holds a ceremony in her honour: a Mass in the church of Sant'Andrea, followed by a gathering in Piazza Garibaldi with the city authorities, the fire brigade and the taxi drivers, today's heirs of the old carriage drivers. She is regarded as the protector of all those who serve the community, and the ceremony is a small, very Paduan moment worth catching if you are in town.
Tips for your visit
- Stand by the column and look east for the best view of Porta Altinate.
- Come on 8 December if you want to see the ceremony for the Madonna dei Noli.
- Watch out for trams and bikes: the square is a busy crossing point.
- Use the arcades to walk on to Caffè Pedrocchi and the market squares, dry even in the rain.
Nearby
- Caffè Pedrocchi: the famous 19th-century café once known as the café without doors, a few minutes' walk.
- Palazzo della Ragione and the market squares: Piazza delle Erbe and Piazza della Frutta around the great medieval hall, a short walk west.
- Scrovegni Chapel: Giotto's fresco cycle, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, about ten minutes' walk north.
- Church of the Eremitani: the Augustinian church next to the Scrovegni Chapel, with what remains of Mantegna's frescoes.
See Padua with World City Trail
Our Padua scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around 2 hours, with about 42 minutes of walking. Piazza Garibaldi is one of the stops, and the route also includes the Scrovegni Chapel.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Padua.
Play the Padua scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Padua →
Play the outdoor escape game in Padua →
Facts checked in October 2026.