During the Christmas period, the municipality decided to organize a great initiative: all museums free of charge for residents. Despite having a small child, I wanted to take advantage of it and decided to visit the Museo degli Eremitani in Padua. I ended up staying longer than expected because it turned out to be much larger than I had anticipated. Inside, you can find a bit of everything: stone statues, Roman artifacts, tombs, mosaics, paintings, and objects from different periods. The very unique artwork at the entrance is worth appreciating.
I found the bone remains interesting, including horses, horse owners, and the horse itself, etc... these are things you usually don't find in a museum, so it was quite striking to have them so close.
Then there are the classic pre-Roman artifacts, some Roman items... the section dedicated to Egypt was unexpected, since it's not European, I didn't think it would be there.
There are also medieval and Renaissance works, sculptures, statues, and paintings. I must say I found most of the paintings really beautiful, and I took several photos, even though I would have liked to take many more.
In particular, I'd like to highlight this painting. It was really large, with hundreds of horses and jockeys on top of them, ALL different. Looking at it, you can't find two that are the same; each one has its own characteristic. Some are racing, but most are not... I can only imagine the skill required to paint them so small and detailed. One doesn't need to be an art enthusiast to appreciate it (
It's a place to walk around slowly, looking at what interests you the most and getting lost in it for a few hours. If you're visiting Padua as a tourist, this museum is a good choice.