Cappella degli Scrovegni
14th-century chapel in Padua, entirely frescoed by Giotto between 1303 and 1305, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2021.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Cappella degli Scrovegni, known by the surname of its patron Enrico, is dedicated to Santa Maria della Carità and is famous worldwide for Giotto’s fresco cycle. The work is the artist’s greatest masterpiece in fresco and documents the profound revolution that the Tuscan painter brought to Western art.
The cycle was completed in only two years, between 1303 and 1305, and covers the entire interior surface. It tells the History of Salvation along two routes: the Stories of the Life of the Virgin and of Christ on the nave walls and the triumphal arch, and the Vices and Virtues in the lower part of the walls, which ends with the Last Judgement on the counter-façade. Giotto innovated the representation of space with perspective effects that anticipate Renaissance theories by a century, and he paid great attention to the physicality and emotions of the figures. The vault is a starry blue sky with roundels of the Virgin, of Christ and of the Prophets. In the presbytery is preserved the sculpted group of the Madonna and Child between two angels by Giovanni Pisano.
To protect the frescoes, access takes place through an equipped technological unit that stabilises the internal microclimate. The cycle was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021, as part of the serial site of the 14th-century fresco cycles of Padua.
Highlights
- Fresco cycle by Giotto (1303–1305)
- Stories of the Life of the Virgin and of Christ
- Vices and Virtues and the Last Judgement
- Starry blue vault
- Madonna and Child by Giovanni Pisano
Permanent exhibition
- Ciclo di affreschi di Giotto – Visit to the chapel with Giotto’s frescoes that narrate the life of the Virgin and of Christ, the Vices and Virtues and the Last Judgement.
- Founded
- 1305
- Operated by
- Comune di Padova – Musei Civici
- Visitors per year
- approx. 350,156
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €15 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €11Groups of at least 10 people, EU citizens over 65 and members of associations with a valid card. |
| Children & teens | €6free up to age 5 · Ages 6 to 17: €6 (plus €1 advance-booking fee). Free up to age 5. |
| Visitors with disabilities | freecompanion free · Free (plus €1 advance-booking fee) for people with disabilities, their companions and ICOM card holders. |
| Students & apprentices | €6Students visiting individually and school classes, university students even over 26, and students of academies: €6. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €11 per personGroups of at least 10 people: reduced ticket. |
| Special reduced ticket (residents of the Comune and Province of Padua, employees of the Comune) | €7Plus €1 advance-booking fee. |
| Standard evening ticket (Giotto sotto le stelle, from age 18) | €9Plus €1 advance-booking fee; Cappella only. |
| Reduced evening ticket | €7Plus €1 advance-booking fee. |
| Double evening session (by call centre only) | €16 |
| Biglietto Unico / Urbs Picta Card 48 hours | €28Includes public transport; 72-hour version at €35. |
Advance booking is mandatory: each ticket costs €1 more. The standard ticket is valid from Tuesday to Sunday and on public holidays on Mondays. On Mondays that are not public holidays, individual visitors pay €11 because Palazzo Zuckermann is not open to visit. Tickets are non-refundable. Same-day bookings are not possible.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
- Coat check
- Lockers
Cloakroom and lockers (44 × 31 × 46 cm) at the Musei Civici; trolleys and suitcases are not admitted.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Photography | Photography is permitted without equipment, without flash, without tripods and without touching the works. |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Booking is mandatory, online or by calling the call centre on 049 20 100 20 (Monday–Friday 9:00–19:00, Saturday 9:00–18:00). The visit lasts about 30 minutes: 15 minutes in the decompression chamber and 15 minutes in the Chapel. Arrive at the entrance of the technological unit at least 5 minutes before the time indicated; if you are late, you cannot enter. Maximum 25 people per session, guide included. Animals, bags, food and drink are not admitted. |
