The proposed itinerary refers to the route of the poet Francesco Petrarch when he went to his house in the Colli Euganei from padua.
The excursionis very rich in tourist attractions and users cycle paths and secondary roads with little traffic in places on unmade surfaces.
From the Roman Excavations of Montegrotto Terme we head towards teh Battaglia canal, on the top of whose embankment runsa pleasant cycle path. The first thing to emerge along the road is Villa Obizzi, more commonly know ad the castle of the Catajo for the way in which this noble residence of Pio Enea I of the Obizzi, military leader of the Serenissima, had it copnstructed in military style; the villa has over 350 rooms.
After the castle, an unexpected scene on the canal opens : on a wide stretch of the waterway we find moored some boats; this is the navigation lock, celebrated because it allows the boats to negotiate a rise in water level of ever seven metres.
Meanwhile, in the background there is Battaglia Terme, the inner city is characterised by a special arrangement of the houses on the waterfront, whit its original stepped bridge in Venetian style and the hydraulic guardhouse in the neighbourhood of which stand mills, a hammer for wrought iron work, a saw and a paper mill, contructed to exploit the hydraulic energy released by the fall in water level.
Pedalling again along the cycle path we stop anew in the area of a tourist poster that illustres the hydraulic details of the canal bridge of Rivella and admire the splendid country landscape of the Valli Selvatiche , comprising the Villa Selvatico-Sartori that stands on the Sant'Elena hill, the surrounding fertile countryside and the pronounced backdrop of the Colli Euganei.
Having left the lift bridge, one discovers, hidden by an elegant Italian style garden, the beautiful Villa Emo, the work of Vincenzo Scamozzi.
The long straight stretch ends in the port of Monselice, from where the visit to the inner city begins, an authentic jewel case of art, history, archaeology and nature.
From the walled city one turns into a beautiful little-used foothill road on a slight incline that turns around Ricco mount.
Having traversed an uneven plain the hamlet of Arquà Petrarca appears, to whose name is tied of the poet (Petrarch). The itinerary leads to the large square in front of the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta where the monumental tomb of the poet is conserved.
Petrarch's house is to be found in the upper part of village, I advise you to reach it on foot because of the steep slopes.
Having left the hamlet of Arquà, for about two kilometres one travels along a road that can be busy during weekends and holidays and it ends at the Lago della Costa, a natural basin fed by thermal springs.
The retourn to Battaglia Terme is on unmade roads surrounded by a veru striking landscape.
From the hamlet of Monticelli we admire the picturesque Villa Renier, built on the summit of a rise and surrounded by a high wall and at the foot of the mount of Lispida Villa Italia.
From Monticelli we suggest to follow the route to Valsanzibio ad visit the beautiful and historical garden of Villa Barbarigo.
In Battaglia Terme we discovered the road we set out on and this way we retourn to Montegrotto Terme.
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