The poet's house in the Euganean Hills
In the green Euganean Hills, south west of Padua, Arquà Petrarca is a medieval village of grey stone houses that climbs the slope of Monte Ventolone, among olive groves, vineyards and jujube trees, and one of the "Borghi più belli d'Italia". It owes its fame and part of its name to the poet Francesco Petrarca, Petrarch, the father of Italian lyric poetry and of humanism, who spent the last years of his life here, from 1370 until his death in 1374.
His house, a fourteenth century building with a loggia and a small garden, has been preserved and can be visited: the rooms have sixteenth century frescoes inspired by his Canzoniere, the poet's chair and cupboard, and a curious relic, the embalmed cat said to have been Petrarch's beloved companion. In the main square, in front of the church, stands the tomb of Petrarch, a red marble sarcophagus on four columns. The village is known for the jujube (giuggiola) and its liqueur, the "brodo di giuggiole", celebrated with a festival in early October. The Euganean Hills, of volcanic origin, are a regional park with paths, villas and abbeys, such as that of Praglia.
Tip: the hilltop of Monte Ventolone offers views over the hills; the nearby Villa dei Vescovi in Luvigliano, owned by the FAI, is worth a visit.
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