Scrovegni Chapel (Cappella degli Scrovegni)

Padua chapel with Giotto's complete fresco cycle from 1305 – a milestone of European art and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Scrovegni Chapel in Padua is one of the most important artistic sites in the Western world. Built between 1303 and 1305 by banker Enrico Scrovegni – reportedly as atonement for his father's usury, which earned the elder Scrovegni a place in Dante's Inferno – the chapel contains a complete fresco cycle by Giotto di Bondone depicting the lives of Mary and Christ. Giotto's work here is considered a turning point in European painting: for the first time, figures are shown with psychological depth and spatial presence, breaking decisively from the flat Byzantine tradition. The chapel also contains sculptures by Giovanni Pisano. Since 2021 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Padua's Cycles of Frescoes. Entry is strictly limited; advance booking is essential.