Page 190 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

188  THE VENE T O AREA B Y AREA

y Montagnana
* 12,000. V @ n Piazza Trieste
15 (0429 813 20). ( Thu am. Shops
closed Mon am & Wed pm.
Medieval brick walls encircle
this town, extending for 2 km
(1 mile), pierced by four
gateways and defended by
24 tow ers. Just inside the
castellated Padua Gate is the
town’s archaeological museum.
The Gothic-Renaissance Duomo
contains Paolo Veronese’s
Transfiguration (1555). Outside
The Euganean Hills, formed by ancient volcanic activity the city walls is Palladio’s Villa
Pisani (c.1560). Now rather
t Euganean Hills simply Arquà. Its name changed neglected, its façade features
in 1868 to honour the medieval the original owner’s name
* 10,000. n Viale Stazione 60,
Montegrotto Terme (049 892 83 11). poet Francesco Petra rca, or (Francesco Pisani) in bold letters
Petrarch (1303–74), who lived below the pediment.
The Euganean Hills, remnants here in his old age. He had often
of long-extinct volcanoes, rise sung the praises of the well-
abruptly out of the Veneto Plain tended landscape of olive
and offer plenty of walking groves and vineyards, and spent
opportunities. Hot springs his last few years in a house
bubble up out of the ground at frescoed with scenes from his
Abano Terme and Montegrotto poems. The house still contains
Terme, where scores of the poet’s desk and chair, his
establishments offer thermal bookshelves and his mummified
treatments, ranging from cat. Petrarch is buried in a
mudbaths to immersion in the sarcophagus in the piazza in
hot sulphurated waters. Spa front of the church.
cures such as these date back
to Roman times, and visitors P Villa Barbarigo
can see extensive remains of Valsanzibio. Tel 049 913 10 65. Open
the Roman baths and theatre Mar–Nov: 10am–1pm, 2pm–sunset.
at Montegrotto. & = 7 ∑ valsanzibiogiardino.it
To the north of Arquà is the Villa
R Abbazia di Praglia Barbarigo, the only one of scores Antique market in Montagnana
Via Abbazia di Praglia, Bresseo di Teolo. of villas, built by wealthy Paduans,
Tel 049 999 93 00. Open Mar–Oct: regularly open to the public. The
3:30–5:30pm Tue–Sun; Nov–Feb: 2:30– villa itself is only open to groups, u Este
4:30pm Tue–Sun. 8 Donations but the real attraction is the * 17,600. V @ n Via Guido Negri
welcome. ∑ praglia.it Baroque garden. Planted from 9 (0429 600 462). ( Wed & Sat am.
The Benedictine monastery at 1669, it is full of variety, with Shops closed Mon am (clothes) &
Praglia, 6 km (4 miles) west of fountains, statues and lakes. Wed pm (food).
Abano Terme, is a peaceful
haven in the tree-clad hills. The Excavations at Este have
monks have long been growing uncovered impressive remains
herbs commercially and there of the ancient Ateste people, who
is a shop selling aromatic wares. flourished from the 9th century
They also lead guided tours BC until they were conquered
of parts of the abbey and the by the Romans in the 3rd
Renaissance church (1490– century BC. The archa eological
1548), with its beautiful cloister. finds, including funer ary urns,
figurines, bronze vases and
E Casa di Petrarca jewellery, are on display in the
Via Valleselle 4, Arquà Petrarca. excellent Museo Nazionale
Tel 0429 71 82 94. Open Tue–Sun. Atestino, set within the walls
Closed most public hols. & = of the town’s 14th-century castle.
The picturesque town of Arquà The museum also displays
Petrarca, on the southern edge The house of the poet Petrarch in the town examples of Roman and medieval
of the Euganean Hills, was once of Arquà Petrarca art, and pieces of local pottery,

188-189_EW_Venice.indd 188 8/18/17 11:16 AM
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.1)
Date 5th December 2012
Size 125mm x 217mm