The University of Padua at the Bo Palace

The Bo Palace housed the university campus from 1539 and architecturally represents one of the

oldest and most majestic buildings in Padua. The Palace is divided into two structures, the first

being the Old Courtyard, which once housed the Hospitium Bovis , an inn located in the city’s

meatpacking district during the medieval period. The namesake of the Bo Palace thus preserves the

history of the medieval inn that once stood in the same location.

The second structure of the Palace was the result of restorations carried out between the end of the

nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century in the space once occupied by the

sixteenth century Palazzo Battaglia-Capodivacca, whose architectural features have been preserved

and can be seen overlooking Via San Francesco today. The current appearance of this portion of the

Bo Palace was made possible by former university rector Carlo Anti, who, from 1932 to 1943,

redefined the appearance and functions of the Palace. Anti commissioned architect Ettore Fagiuoli

to design the exterior of the New Courtyard, while the Milanese architect Giò Ponti was

commissioned to oversee the interior design of the Palace’s rooms and the rectorate with the help of

other famous Italian artists during the period.