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All Site ContentTaming of the ShrewAct 1Scene 1
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“Padua, nursery of arts … Lombardy, the pleasant garden of great Italy”
Historical Context
Act 1,
Scene 1
Lines 1-4

An explanation of Lucentio’s descriptions of Padua and Lombardy in Act 1, Scene 1 of myShakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.

[The acting troupe commences their play. The setting is a public square in the city of Padua, located in the northern Italian region of Lombardy. The sound of trumpets. Enter Lucentio, a young aristocrat, and his servant, Tranio. They have just arrived in Padua from Pisa.]

Lucentio

Tranio, since for the great desire I had
To see fair Padua, nursery of arts,    
I am arrived for fruitful Lombardy,    
The pleasant garden of great Italy,

Padua was famous as a center of learning, and the Lombardy region was known for its agricultural productivity.