Euganean Hills and Bassa Padovana

<< Veneto

Just south of Padua are the Euganean Hills, a group of volcanic hills featuring several landmarks and various popular spa resorts. The rest of the countryside south of Padua is known as Bassa Padovana, and it mostly includes small rural centers, but also some larger towns like Monselice, Este, and Montagnana. These three cities have a rich history and offer various historic attractions.

Abano Terme

Located at the northeastern end of the Euganean Hills, Abano Terme is the most important center in the large thermal area of the Terme Euganee. This area is known for its hot springs since ancient times and now Abano Terme serves as a major hub for spas and hot baths, attracting many tourists.

Montirone Park

Montirone is a small hill and park in Abano Terme, hosting one of the most important spring areas of the thermal city. The monumental entrance to the park is flanked by two buildings hosting a museum on local arts.

Montegrotto Terme

Montegrotto Terme is a spa resort and one of the main centers of the Terme Euganee, located at the foot of the Euganean Hills. In ancient times, the town was inhabited by the Romans, who knew the area for its hot springs. The importance of this thermal district was again on the rise since the Early Modern period and today it is a wellness center visited by many tourists.

Archaeological Areas of Montegrotto Terme

The town of Montegrotto Terme was already a spa resort during the time of the Romans, and now a few archaeological areas attest the long history of this city. The Archaeological Area of Viale Stazione is located near the town’s train station and hosts an ancient thermal complex from the 1st century BCE. A bit to the south is the Roman Villa of Via Neroniana, the ruins of a 1st-century patrician palace also housing ancient thermae.

Butterfly Arc

The natural park and museum Butterfly Arc is composed of two different environments. One is the Casa delle Farfalle, an exhibition space hosting thousands of butterflies and showcasing their life and diversity. Meanwhile, the Bosco delle Fate is a small park with a path focused on mythological and legendary creatures.

Euganean Hills

The Euganean Hills (Colli Euganei) are a group of volcanic hills located south of Padua, standing out among the plains of central Veneto. They are famous for their hot springs and the spa district of the Terme Euganee, while also being visited for their beauty and peaceful environment. Castles, villas, and monasteries dot the area, linked with the small picturesque towns by a network of footpaths that cross the natural reserve of the Regional Park of the Euganean Hills.

✪ Praglia Abbey

Praglia Abbey (Abbazia di Praglia) is a Benedictine monastery founded in 1080 and located at the foot of the Euganean Hills. It lived its golden age between the 14th and 16th century, when most of the complex was expanded and rebuilt and the interiors were decorated with frescoes and sculptures. After being closed and reopened a few times, it is now again inhabited by monks and it has been turned into an important center for the restoration of ancient books, also hosting a rich historic library.

Villa dei Vescovi

Villa dei Vescovi is a Renaissance rural palace located on the slopes of a hill, just outside the town of Torreglia. It was built as a summer retreat for the arcibishops of Padua between 1535 and 1542 and it was inspired by ancient Roman villas. The richly decorated interiors host an impressive series of 16th-century frescoes.

Villa Barbarigo

Villa Barbarigo is a large rural villa located on the slopes of the Euganean Hills in the town of Valsanzibio. The baroque-style palace was built during the 17th century and it is mostly noted for its gardens. The wide park that surrounds the villa hosts various attractions such as a labyrinth and many statues and fountains.

Villa Beatrice d’Este

Villa Beatrice d’Este is a patrician rural palace located on the top of Monte Gemola near the town of Baone. Originally built as a monastery in the Middle Ages, it was later abandoned and briefly turned into a lazaret. After being restored during the 20th century, it now hosts a museum of natural history.

Monastery of the Olivetans

The ruins of the abandoned Monastery of the Olivetans (Monastero degli Olivetani) are located on top of Monte Venda, the tallest of the Euganean Hills. It was built during the Late Middle Ages and it was active until 1771, when it was closed. The ruins can be reached by climbing a long footpath and from this place a great panoramic view of the hills can be enjoyed.

Battaglia Terme

Battaglia Terme is a small town at the eastern edge of the Euganean Hills. While not as famous as other centers of the Terme Euganee such as Abano Terme or Montegrotto Terme, this city also enjoys some warm springs and it is notable for being located on the navigable Canale Battaglia that leads to Padua.

Catajo Castle

Catajo Castle (Castello del Catajo) is a large palace located just outside of Battaglia Terme, along the sides of a nearby hill. Originally a simple villa, then a rural palace, it was finally turned into a true castle starting in 1570 by Italian nobleman Pio Enea I degli Obizzi. The castle was adorned with gorgeous frescoes and surrounded by large gardens. In the 19th century it became a possession of the Dukes of Modena and then the Archidukes of Austria, and during this time it was expanded even more. The Italian state gained the palace at the end of World War I and later sold it to a private owner. Now it is open to the public.

Due Carrare

Due Carrare is small town that was born when the municipalities of Carrara Santo Stefano and Carrara San Giorgio were merged in 1995. This is the birthplace of the Carraresi family that ruled Padua during the 14th and 15th century.

Villa Zaborra Castello di San Pelagio

Located a bit outside Due Carrare, this 16th-century rural villa features a medieval tower and was restored several times before gaining its current appearance. Part of the complex now hosts the Air and Space Museum (Museo dell’Aria e dello Spazio), which features various aircrafts and exhibitions on the history of aviation.

Arquà Petrarca

Arquà Petrarca is a small town among the Euganean Hills. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, it is famous for being the place where poet Petrarch lived it final years, before his death here in 1374. Located in a beautiful environment, this small village still has some historic buildings that give it a medieval appearance.

House of Petrarch

The house where Petrarch lived his final years in Arquà is now a museum (Casa del Petrarca) that exhibits the life and works of the famous poet. The original building was erected in the 13th century and later altered during Petrarch’s stay. The house was heavily renovated in the 16th century, and most of its current appearance dates to this time.

Monselice

Monselice is a town located at the foot of the Euganean Hills, and dominated by a small hill. The town grew since the Middle Ages around the fortifications on the hill, and became one of the main centers in the countryside south of Padua. Now it is known for its beautiful castle and peculiar sanctuary.

✪ Seven Churches Sanctuary

The Seven Churches Sanctuary (Santuario delle Sette Chiesette) is a religious complex located along the slopes of the hill of Monselice. Starting near the castle, the road that leads up the hill features six small chapels built between 1592 and 1615. At the end of this path is the seventh church, the Church of San Giorgio, which curiously hosts a large amount of humans skulls and bones. These churches were built as a pilgrimage sites for faithfuls who could not go to Rome and do the traditional visit to the Seven Pilgrim Churches. Next to the Church of San Giorgio is the Renaissance Villa Duodo, decorated with several artworks.

✪ Monselice Castle

Also known as: Cini Castle

The Monselice Castle is a fortified complex located on the side of the hill that dominates the town. Erected in various phases during the Late Middle Ages, it is very well preserved, as it was restored in the 20th century. The castle features various decorated halls, and also houses some artworks and historic objects.

Mastio Federiciano

Also known as: Rocca of Monselice

The Mastio Federiciano is an ancient fortification located on top of the hill of Monselice. Erected during the Early Middle Ages, it was one of the main forts in the area for centuries, but it was later abandoned. Now in ruins, a few structures, such as the main tower, are still standing.

Piazza Mazzini

Piazza Mazzini is the main square of Monselice. Here are various historic landmarks, such as the 13th-century Civic Tower (Torre Civica), and the Renaissance Palazzo del Monte di Pietà, which features a beautiful Venetian-style loggia. Also facing this square is the Church of San Paolo, which was erected in the Late Middle Ages and now hosts the San Paolo Museum (Museo San Paolo), an exhibition of archaeological ruins unearthed around the town.

Este

Este is a town located at the southern edge of the Euganean Hills. It was already inhabited during the Iron Age and the city became an important regional center during the Roman era, with the name of Ateste. After a period of decline, it rose to prominence again in the 10th century as the birthplace of the powerful Este family. These nobles later moved to Ferrara, and the city was ruled by Padua and Venice before becoming part of Italy. Now Este is one of the largest towns in the area of the Euganean Hills.

✪ Museo Nazionale Atestino

The Museo Nazionale Atestino is the museum of the city of Este. It hosts a large archaeological collection of artifacts from the pre-Roman and Roman period, paintings and findings from the Middle Ages, and a rich library. The museum is housed in a historic villa located just outside the Carrarese Castle and surrounded by its ancient walls.

✪ Carrarese Castle of Este

The Carrarese Castle of Este (Castello Carrarese di Este) is a medieval fortification that might have originated as a mansion that was later expanded and turned into a fortress, before being destroyed in 1249. The current building was erected on the ruins of the previous one during the 14th century by the Carraresi family that ruled over Padua. The castle was later abandoned again. Now restored, it has been turned into a public garden and still features most of its impressive medieval walls.

Church of Santa Tecla

Also known as: Duomo of Santa Tecla

The Church of Santa Tecla is the main religious building in Este. The current baroque church was built between 1690 and 1720 in place of a previous one that was damaged by an earthquake. Among many art pieces, it hosts a beautiful altarpiece by Giambattista Tiepolo, one of the most notable works by the artist.

Montagnana

Montagnana is a town in the countryside of Veneto. It rose to prominence as a military outpost during the Late Middle Ages, especially under the rule of the Carraresi family of Padua. Montagnana still keeps many of its medieval features to this day.

✪ Walls of Montagnana

The Walls of Montagnana are one of the best preserved examples of medieval fortifications in Europe. Still surrounded by a moat, now without water, these impressive walls were built mostly between the 11th and 13th century. Four gates allow access into the city center, but two (Porta XX Settembre and Porta Vicenza) were only built later. The original two gates (Porta Legnago and Porta Padova) are heavily fortified and known as Rocca degli Alberi and Castle of San Zeno. The Castle of San Zeno is the larger of the two and was the main fortress in the city, now serving as a museum and a library.

Duomo of Montagnana

Also known as: Duomo of Santa Maria Assunta

The large Duomo of Montagnana dominates the main square of the city. It was built between 1431 and 1502 with a Gothic and Renaissance style and, among various notable artworks, it features a painting by Paolo Veronese and two frescoes by Giorgione.