Page 165 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Italy

THE VENE T O AND FRIULI І 163

P Scuola del Santo and
Oratorio di San Giorgio
Piazza del Santo 11. Tel 049 822 56 52.
Open daily. &
Five excellent frescoes, inclu ding
the earliest documented paint­
ings by Titian, are to be found
here. The Scuola del Santo con­
tains two scenes from the life of
St Anthony, painted by Titian in
1511. The works in the San
Giorgio oratory are by Altichiero
da Zevio and Jacopo Avenzo,
who painted them in 1378–84.
The Euganean Hills, formed by ancient volcanic activity
Y Orto Botanico
Via Orto Botanico 15. Tel 049 827 39 8 Euganean Hills E Casa di Petrarca
39. Open Tue–Sun (Apr, May & Oct: Via Valleselle 4, Arquà Petrarca.
daily). Closed 1 Jan, 25 Dec. & 7 V @ to Terme Euganee, Monte­ Tel 0429 802 06 56. Open Tue–
∑ ortobotanicopd.it grotto Terme. n Viale Stazione 60, Sun (also Mon if pub hol).
Montegrotto Terme (049 892 83 11).
Padua’s botanical garden, one ∑ turismopadova.it Closed pub hols. & =
of the oldest in Europe (1545), The picturesque town of Arquà
still retains much of its original The conical Euganean Hills, Petrarca, on the southern edge
appearance. The gardens and remnants of long­extinct of the Euganean Hills, is named
hothouses were used to grow volcanoes, rise abruptly out of after Francesco Petrarca (1304–
the first lilac trees (1568), the surrounding plain. Hot­water 74). This medieval poet, known
sunflowers (1568) and potatoes springs bubble up out of the in English as Petrarch, spent the
(1590) in Italy. The gardens also ground at Abano Terme and final years of his life here, in a
have a biodiversity section. Montegrotto Terme, where house frescoed with scenes
scores of establishments offer from his lyrical poems, over­
P Palazzo del Bo thermal treatments, ranging looking a landscape of olive
Via VIII Febbraio 2. Tel 049 827 51 11. from mudbaths to immersion groves and vineyards. He lies
Open for guided tours only. 8 Tue, in the hot sulphurated waters. buried in a simple sarco phagus
Sat am; Mon, Wed, Fri pm; Thu all day. Spa cures originated in Roman in front of the church.
Call for times. & ∑ unipd.it times; remains of the original
The historic main university baths and theatre are still
building originally housed the visible at Montegrotto Terme.
medical faculty, renowned
throughout Europe. Among its R Abbazia di Praglia
famous teachers and students Via Abbazia di Praglia 16, Bresseo di
was Gabriele Fallopio (1523–62), Teolo. Tel 049 999 93 00. Open Tue–
after whom the Fallopian tubes Sun (pm only). Closed religious
are named. holidays. 8 Donations welcome.
Guided tours include the pulpit ∑ praglia.it
Galileo used when he taught The Benedictine monastery at
physics here from 1592 until Praglia, 6 km (4 miles) west of
1610 and the wooden anatomy Abano Terme, is a peaceful
theatre, built in 1594 and now the haven in the hills where the
oldest surviving medical lecture monks grow herbs and restore
theatre in the world. manuscripts. They lead guided The Casa di Petrarca (part 14th century)
tours of parts of the abbey in Arquà Petrarca
and the church
(1490–1548), noted P Villa Barbarigo
for its beautiful Via Diana 2, Valsanzibio. Tel 049 91 31
cloister. There are 065. Open Feb–Nov: daily. & 7 =
also richly carved ∑ valsanzibiogiardino.it
stalls in both the This 18th­century villa to the north
choir and the of Arquà boasts one of the
refectory, and finest Baroque gardens in the
paintings and Veneto. These were planned by
frescoes by Zelotti, Antonio Barbarigo in 1669, and
a 16th­century are a grandiose mix of statuary,
The 16th-century anatomy theatre in the old medical faculty painter from fountains, a maze, formal parterres,
of the university’s Palazzo del Bo, Padua Verona. lakes and avenues of cypress trees.

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