The green hills of Arquà Petrarca and Monselice

A place to get lost in the scents of the hills and its typical products, where the poems of Petrarca will seem to take on a peculiar sweetness. We are talking about Arquà Petrarca, a ancient village of XIV century, which stands between the Euganean hills between views, scents and colors that look like a painting. the poet Francesco Petrarca fell in love with this village, and decided to settle here in 1370. We advise you to retrace his tracks in this small town flavor than once. In a journey through history , culture and culinary traditions .

If arriving by car you must exit at Terme Euganee from Autostrada A13 Bologna-Padova and go in the direction of Rovigo. Follow the signs. The parking can be found under the historical center. Alternatively, you can exit Monselice and follow the signs for Padova and Arquà. If you get off the train, stop in Abano Terme, or Monselice . From here you can take a bus or a taxi .

The poet’s house is surrounded by greenery. The most curious thing is the mummy of the cat of Petrarca, which is located on the ground floor. You will then see the studio where Petrarca died, his room and numerous frescoes that decorate the walls. For more information: phone and fax 0429.718294 . The house is open from March to October from 9 to 12.30pm and from 3 to 7pm, from November to February from 9 to 12 and from 2.30 to 5.30pm. Closed on Mondays.

The tomb is located in the main piazza: it is an ark in red Verona marble and holds the remains of the author of the Canzoniere. Also worth seeing is the Oratory of the Holy Trinity.

The village is famous for jujubes and their broth, which is dedicated to an entire festival , which is usually held in the month of October. On this occasion, you can taste the typical products, buy yhem from the stalls and see a procession of people in costume, including dances and musical performances. For information 042.9777327 , email proloco@arquapetrarca.com , info@arquapetrarca.com.

Do not fear for lunch: the country is full of taverns and farmhouses. we recommend that you order the specialty of the place, bigoli al ragù, big handmade noodles and topped with a tomato sauce, mushrooms and meat sauce .

After the visit to Arquà Petrarca you should move towards Monselice, which is only 10 minutes away by car. Monselice is an important military stronghold that has some deep roots .

Do not miss a visit to the Castello Cini opened the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday of November. The castle is open from Tuesday to Sunday at the following times : during the period of the daytime from 9 to 11 am and from 2 to 4pm, in the summer time from 9 to 11am and from 3 to 5pm.

On the ground floor of the library of the castle is hosted the Antiquarian Lombard features a small Lombard necropolis consists of five graves where lie seven bodies of warrior and child together at their funeral. On top of the Colle della Rocca stands instead Mastio Federiciano a mammoth fortification is now a museum which houses a variety of artifacts excavated. Go up on the roof terrace for a Glance breathtaking : the look will grow on the hills and plains. For information and reservations : phone and fax 0429.72931 , email info@roccadimonselice.it .

Among the festivities, we recommend that you see the medieval one called the Giostra della Rocca , held in September and sees the nine districts of the city compete to win the prize. It is a moment of great folklore among races of archers, war machine, chess game, jousting with lances on horseback tournaments and parades with more than 1000 participants .