The best running trails around Monselice

Beautiful village, Petrarch's buen retiro

Arriving in Arquà from Monselice (so from the south-east) is beautiful: you can see the town that gave birth to Francesco Petrarca in all its ancient splendor. In addition to visiting the birthplace and tomb of the famous man of letters, you can have fun up and down the Euganean Hills, a real playground for bicycles.

Between the Castello and Ricco mountains, in the south-eastern area of the Euganean Hills, this panoramic point is located at the intersection of some paths. From here you can observe the Paduan plain and also other surrounding hilltops.

Wonderful village in the heart of the hills. Worth the short, very steep climb from the center to get to the little square at the top

View of Arquà Petrarca, a beautiful village in the Euganean Hills

Arquà Petrarca, in the heart of the Euganean Hills, is a charming little gem. The beauty of its small historic center, still extraordinarily intact and original, has earned it a place among the "Most Beautiful Villages in Italy." Beyond its objective medieval charm, what is striking about Arquà Petrarca is that, despite the large number of visitors, it has retained its pristine appearance: no souvenir shops, no overflowing ice cream parlors, no loud signs; as unfortunately often happens in other tourist villages, such as those on Lake Garda. The name "Arquà" was added to the name "Petrarca" with the annexation of the Veneto to the Kingdom of Italy (1868), in honor of the poet who spent the last years of his life here. https://www.arquapetrarca.com https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arquà_Petrarca

After a time spent wandering between cities and courts, Francesco Petrarca retired to this residence in the final years of his life, enjoying the tranquility and silence of the Euganean Hills, which perhaps reminded him of his native Tuscany. The building was renovated at the poet's request. After his death, it was remodeled several times by its many successive owners. In particular, in the 16th century, in the wake of Petrarchism, which held up the poet as a model of perfection in Italian literature, owner Paolo Valdezocco wanted to turn it into a house museum: the entrance loggia, the external staircase, and frescoes inspired by Petrarch's works were added. Interesting fact: in one room, inside a walled display case, there is a stuffed cat! As Petrarch himself recounts, while he was busy writing, a cat entered his study and perched on his lap: she became a regular visitor and much loved. These mummified remains are not actually that of that feline, but were added in the 17th century as a tribute to that affection and perhaps passed off as the originals. A short but beautiful visit, with an entrance fee (see link for hours and prices). Quite crowded on weekends, as is the rest of splendid Arquà Petrarca. https://www.arquapetrarca.com/cosa-vedere/

The house, in addition to being a monument to itself, offers a journey dedicated to the personality of Francesco Petrarca, the places he loved, his myth and the myth of the house. The building, which dates back to the thirteenth century, still maintains much of its original fourteenth-century structures, despite numerous restorations and alterations and the sixteenth-century addition of the loggia. In the 16th century the rooms were frescoed with a cycle inspired by Petrarca's most famous works, the Canzoniere and Africa. Petrarch moved there in 1369 and decided to restore the pre-existing building, adapting it to his needs and personally following the works. Upon the poet's death in 1374, several owners succeeded one another, but the house did not undergo substantial changes. The walk in the garden is pleasant.