THEl September 2, 1964 Margaret of England, Queen Elizabeth’s unfortunate sisterstay a weekend in the Euganean Hills. She is with her husband, the photographer Lord Snowdon, traveling in Veneto. She is hosted at the Catajo castle, in Battaglia Terme. She must have immediately felt “at home” among the 350 rooms and 26 hectares of park built in the 16th century. Today a plaque commemorates his visit.
But the even more curious aspect is to see among the sumptuous rooms frescoed by Gian Battista Zelotti, a disciple of Paolo Veronese, the signs on the walls with which in the 19th century the little Habsburg princesses measured their height. The Catajo Castle is one of the many immersed architectural realities – and little known – in the Euganean Hills, a group of one hundred hills of volcanic origin surrounding Padua. And only 50 kilometers away from Venice.
A view from above of the Catajo castle
Between foliage and Venetian villas: a weekend in the Euganean Hills
Exploited for quarries, since 1989 the Euganean Hills have been considered a Regional Park. Now I’m in contention to enter in the Biosphere Reserve program promoted by Unesco. In the past they were the favorite place of “country” residences of the Paduan and Venetian nobility.
“If only I could show you the second Helicon that I have set up for you and the Muses in the Euganean Hills. I really think that you would never want to leave from there” wrote the poet Francesco Petrarca who lived the last years of his existence in Arquà, which later became Arquà Petrarca, considered among the most beautiful villages in Italy.
Mozart, Goldoni, Goethe and Shelley they let themselves be inspired in turn by the walled cities, the medieval villages and the ancient monasteries located in the 15 municipalities of the area.
Villa Vescovi, Fai monument
A glimpse of the Euganean Hills from a room in Villa Vescovi
Food and wine and spa tourism are the main resources to explore. But other kinds of curiosities are not lacking. Villa Vescovi, in Luvigliano, was the country house of the Paduan bishops. It is inspired by a Roman domus. It dates back to 1500. Today it is a Fai monument thanks to the donation of the Olcese, the last owner family.
The palace, immersed in the vineyards, it is located in a scenic position with respect to the surrounding hillsyou. In the loggias, fake arches, adorned with pergolas and vine shoots, opened onto imaginary landscapes.
The Papafava Caves
A glimpse of the famous Caves
Not far away, in Rovolon, there are the Papafava Caves. A nineteenth-century rarity: they were used as entertainment by the owners according to the romantic spirit of the time. Artificially built with layered limestone, they are an example of an encounter between nature and man. Where the caves represent the unconscious.
Francesca Papafava, descendant of the family, he said that the idea came from his ancestor Alberto Papafava to feed the farmers in a time of famine. The work was completed in seven years.
The natural caves have dungeons, tunnels, internal lakes, stalactites and stalagmites, and are open to the public.
On Monte Venda, in Galzignano Terme, however, opens a natural amphitheater among the vineyards of Ca’ Lustra. Natural because the place already had its shape: in autumn and summer it becomes the venue for shows and events. The equipment is minimal, you sit on the grass in front of the large larch stage; there is a wooden house for hospitality and wine pouring. [email protected]
Visiting cellars in the Euganean Hills
The Euganean Hills area is located between the 40th and 50th parallel, close to the 45th, “the parallel of wine” which marks the equidistance between the North Pole and the Equator, the ideal latitude for all the great wines of the world, a watershed between the too cold of the North and the too hot of the South.
Following the itinerary of the Euganean Hills Wine Route you can find an infinite number of cellars and typical places where you can stop and perhaps taste a Fior d’Arancio, the excellent DOCG of the area. The Merlot vine is undoubtedly the most loved and widespread on the Euganean Hills.
The vines that form part of the Colli Euganei Rosso DOC wine are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère and Raboso Piave. Of note are the organic wines of Quota 101 managed by the Gardina family whose motto is “making the best possible wine with the least possible intervention”.
In 2019 they created, unique in the Euganean Hills, a modern cellar lined with natural larch to obtain the “CasaClima Wine” certification, one of the few in Italy. The structure was designed with a view to energy efficiency and building sustainability. The company has the brand of the Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers.
Spa at the Baths
The benefits of the mud from Abano Terme were already known in Roman times. According to the latest archaeological finds, since the VIII century. The Euganean Spas are considered the largest spa in Europe with its over 200 pools.
The bromine-iodic salty waters have thermomineral properties. They are used for both therapeutic and aesthetic treatments. To try: the H2O3 Pool, pool with ozone micro-bubbles to abandon yourself to the pleasant sensation of floating … in a glass of champagne.
Or the RoofTop54 is the salt water pool with central fireplace and panoramic view of the Euganean Hills hosted by the Esplanade Tergesteo hotel. There Whitepoolthe outdoor thermal water pool (in direct communication with the indoor thermal pool), has the temperature maintained around 34-36°C in the coldest season.
The RoofTop54 hosted at the Esplanade Tergesteo in Montegrotto Terme
Where to sleep in the spa area
Galzignano Terme Spa and Golf Resort. The group proposes the Hotel Majestic, Sporting and Splendid. The area produces one of the best thermal muds in the whole Euganean basin. galzignano.it/majestic
Esplanade Tergesteo. It is a 5-star luxury retreat in Montegrotto Terme. esplanadetergesteo.it/
Frassanelle. Villas and mini-apartments in the large estate of Villa Papafava dei Carraresi. In the countryside, near one of the Euganean Hills golf clubs. it.frassanelle.com
Where to eat on a weekend in the Euganean Hills
Gourmet aperitif at Incàlmo
Este. Incàlmo restaurant. In Venetian dialect it means “graft”, two plants that come together. Two friends, the Milanese Michele Carretta and the Brazilian Ricardo Scacchettiafter a career in London, just thirty years old, they decided to return to Italy.
And, together, they have created a gourmet restaurant in the well-known hotel Beatrice d’Este. It belonged to the grandfather of one of them. Inside, original 1950s Gio Ponti furnishings, Cassina chairs, Castiglioni chandeliers and Vennini lights. The menu changes every season. The ambition is the Michelin star. To taste the risotto creamed with marjoram, red pepper extract and black garlic. The chefs are both from Belluno, Francesco Massenz and Leonardo Zanon. Incalmoristorante.com
Torreglia. Antica Trattoria Ballotta. Orio Vergani is said to have founded the Italian Academy of Cuisine here. And here, the owner swears, the concept of km0 was born. In the Colli truffle menu, bigoli with court duck sauce and torresano, oven-baked stuffed pigeon. ballotta.it
Where to drink with friends
The Bistro inside Villa dei Vescovi
Bistro Enoteca Wine Road Villa dei Vescovi. Pouring of Euganean Hills wines. You need to contact Giacomo, the innkeeper of Enoteca di Strada del Vino, to have a tasting experience. Via dei Vescovi, 4, 35038 Torreglia PD. Phone: +39 3516181682.
Height 101. Torreglia. In this organic winery, we suggest tasting the red Ortone. quota101.com
Ca’ Lustra. Faedo of Cinto Euganeo. Winery with a strong organic vocation. The wine to try: Nero Musqué. calustra.it
Shopping: what to buy
Este Ceramiche Porcelain it is one of the oldest manufacturers in Europe, its origins date back to the 18th century. We continue to work ceramics by hand. Curiosity: it was taken over after the war by Giovanni Battista Giorgini, ambassador of Made in Italy and organizer of the first fashion shows in the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti. esteceramiche.com
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