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It’s never too early in the new year to be looking for inspiration so may St Anthony guide you in 2026.

And your travels as St Anthony is the Church’s torchbearer for travellers.

Now if the Christmas season is about Baby Jesus and the main saint is Nicklaus.

Then Saint Anthony is not far behind him.

Because as well as being the patron saint of peregrinators St Anthony is also the go-to man for lost causes.

And Christmas is definitely one of those occasions, as well as when you’re portable on holiday, when things go missing.

Under a pile of Christmas wrapping and bundles of new gifts.

Which is what happened to Herself when we repaired to go out for a tipple at the local North Berwick hostelry.

Only to realise that her keys were nowhere to be found.

Answer to our prayers

Of course, misplacing our valuables comes when we’re distracted.

And we are thinking about too much at the same time.

And I’m a master of both and have a mountain of possessions long since fenced by those little Borrowers blighters.

Now after Herself hunting high and low and sending me out of the house and the way.

I suggested we ask St Anthony as a last resort.

For a token fee, of course, in his collection box at the chapel.

Now disbelievers will scoff but the evidence is there and moments later She called to inform me.

That she had found them among the wrapping and tinnies in the bin.

With some story about the dog lead knocking them in there.

Man of charity

All of which mishaps among the merriment brings us to the hero of the moment.

No, not me, but St Anthony, and where we can find him to bank our favours for the future.

Well, for those who follow such things, St Anthony is often referred to as St Anthony of Padua.

Lisbon native Fernando Martins de Bulhões, having been as is so often the case, born from a privileged status.

But going on to dedicate himself to charity in the 13th century.

And preaching, and here is where this peregrinator, came face to face with the great man.

Or the closest thing to that with a reliquary of the Portugueezer in his adopted town of Padua in north-east Italy.

Now Anthony, his given monastic name, found himself in Italy after his ship was blown off course.

On his way back from Morocco, where he had fallen ill (been there, done that).

The trip of the tongue

And it was in Bologna where the legend of Anthony intervening when you lose something was spawned.

When Anthony lost his psalter and prayed to God that it would be found or returned.

And the thief was moved to not only return the book to Anthony.

With the stolen book now said to be preserved in the Franciscan friary in Bologna.

While St Anthony’s tongue and jaw bone which miraculously survived, while the rest of him turned to dust, is the sight of veneration.

In the St Anthony Basilica in Padua where pilgrims gather to pay homage.

And ask where they’ve left their keys, wallet, mobile phone or whatever is dear to you.

It’s often called a living museum and as we shake down the new UNESCO sites and celebrate Il Bel Paese’s pre-eminence.. Italy’s history written on the walls.

The addition of Bologna’s porticoes and Padova’s frescoes makes Italy numero uno with 58 recognised sites.

Arches of triumph

Donata McGlynn (she married an Italian) would tear her luscious brown hair out teaching me Italian of a morning.

We would do whistle-stop visits around her homeland in the exercises she set to test nostra lingua.

And we, of course, passed through Bologna’s porticoes which gave us plenty of practise our directions.

The porticoes date back to the 12th century and span over 39 miles with most found in the city.

Made of wood, stone, brick, or reinforced concrete they serve as entrances to arcades and workshops.

And naturally have become hubs for Italians to chatter, or chiacchiera, a beautiful onomatopoeic word.

Of course all with the hands, or parlare con le mani.

Padova’s frescoes

Of course, Renaissance Italy all started out with… Giotto in Padova.

Long before Michelangelo got to work on his Sistine Chapel Giotto was setting the template in Padova.

His showpiece the Scrovegni Chapel.

All of which you can learn about by googling. But much more fun coming with me on my Padova journey

UNESCO didn’t just stop there although you could easily while away an afternoon… and I did.

There are eight religious and secular building complexes which make up Padova’s 14th century fresco cycle.

So why not start your UNESCO Historic Sites of Italy in Padova.

Where its Botanical Gardens are already rightfully on the list.

And take a gentle boat ride to Venice.

Sites for sore eyes

Italy is, of course, an ancient land of regions and cities.

And it is only right that UNESCO should celebrate le citte as a whole.

And La Citta Eterna stands foremost of them, although, of course it’s a high bar.

So you should dwell a while in Florence, Sienna, Naples and Verona.

And Ferrara which bills itself as the City of Renaissance although Giotto and Padova might have something to say about that!

So check it all out… Italy’s history written on the walls.

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May St Anthony guide you in 2026