The University Rectorate is in the topographical and living centre of the city, this is a particular circumstance that's very rare even in other "University cities".
The Studio patavino (Paduan Study), was founded in 1222 and started with the exode of a group of students and teachers from the Bologna Athenaeum: it's the second in time in Italy and was one of the first in Europe (as old as Paris's one, in France).
The importance of the University for the city has even since been determining: as an example a local rigmarole that tells about "..., Venetians great gentlemen, Paduans great doctors,...". Furthermore the University was built in the most creative period in the story of the city, the Commons age (XII-XIII cent.) and under the rule of the Carraresi (1318-1405).

The main building of the University of Padova, called Bò from the name of an ancient hotel, has sixteenth-century mannerist aspects and has a wonderful colonnade and loggias court. In the upper loggia, there is an entrance to the rooms in which the degree thesis are examined and the degrees are proclaimed, from various faculties. It is also possible to get to the Teatro anatomico anatomy theatre built in 1594 and the first one of this kind in Europe.

This theatre is structured as an elliptical floor and it has a reverse cone shape. On its bottom there is a table used for the dissections, with the characteristic feature of a overturnable plane for eliminating the bodies in an room situated below.

From the loggia we can reach the Sala dei Quaranta hall, in which there is the Cattedra di Galileo.

From this hall we can get to the Aula Magna; once it was the Scuola dei Giuristi school where Galileo kept his conferences. It was rebuilt in 1854-56 and also in 1942.

Also to remember is the Sala del Collegio Accademico hall, in which there are some carved libraries (1698-1704).