Colli Euganei 703

Across the Venetian Lagoon, past the Dolomites and beyond the towers of Venice, distinct conical hills are visible. Called the Euganean Hills, they are 81 long-dead volcanoes clustered together, above rolling green farmlands dotted with little monasteries and grand Palladian villas. At their centre is the beautiful village of Arquà Petrarca, Padua. Named for the great Italian poet Francesco Petrarch, after his death, it was also where he retired and one can only imagine how inspiring such spectacularly beautiful surrounds could have only been to the poet.

If you want to follow the same literary pilgrimage as countless others (Lord Byron among them), find a holiday rental in Padua and make the journey to Petrarch's final resting place.

How does a restaurant become a playground? That sounds like the beginning to a riddle or a joke. In fact, it's something that actually happened. Ai Pioppi was opened as a food stand in Battaglia, in the region of Veneto. Armed with some jugs of wine and sausages, a man named Bruno set out to establish a business in 1969 that has become something he could never have imagined. The stand first became a family restaurant and then, after an encounter with a blacksmith that lead to Bruno learning to weld, a very unique playground was born. Established as something extra to draw customers to his restaurant, it has developed into an entity with a life of its own. If you want to visit this astonishing place for yourself, find a holiday rental in Veneto and stop by.

Discover the charming city of Padua which is wonderfully easy to explore on foot. It’s a relatively flat city with cobbled narrow streets in the old centre. Padua city operates a superb tram service through the city centre which stops off frequently close to many places of interest for tourists to easily visit.

Those wishing to pass through this charming city for a day have a wide choice of holiday rentals in Veneto to choose from, all within an easy commute of Padua.

Start off your day of touring with a trip around the historical sites of Padua city centre. Hop onto the tram and stop off close to the remarkable cathedral of Saint Anthony, the city’s patron saint.

It’s probably the most famous attraction in Padua which draws in millions of visitors each year who come to see the tomb of the saint and look upon his relics. The famous Master sculptor, Donatello designed the metal statue of a horse and rider in the square in front of the cathedral as well as a crucifix which stands at the altar and other statues within the church interior.

If you’re holidaying in the beautiful Italian region of Veneto, be sure to spend an afternoon walking around the UNESCO awarded botanical garden in the city of Padua. ‘Orto dei Semplici’ is the world’s first botanical garden, created in 1545.

Stay in a cosy vacation villa rental in Veneto and have fun exploring all this stunning region has to offer for a few days!

This magnificent natural paradise still maintains its original layout of a large circular green surrounded by a small moat. This was designed to symbolise the world.

Other fitting elements were later added to the botanical garden in Padua at later stages, such as ornate garden entrances and green houses.

If you’re holidaying anywhere near to Padua city in the region of Veneto then be sure to visit the mesmerising sight of the Scrovegni chapel here.

It was commissioned to be built as a family chapel by a rich man called Enrico Scrovegni. He made his fortune through banking.

In the 14th century, Christianity condemned the act of charging interest on loans and so, many wealthy bankers felt obliged to obtain absolution for their trade by building lavish religious monuments.

What makes the Scrovegni chapel so famous is that it was entirely covered inside with richly detailed paintings depicting biblical scenes. It was painted by master artist, Giotto over a period of 855 days between 1302 and 1305.

You'll never be short of something to do in Italy but you might be struggling to find something a little more unique, a little different to all the more tourist-orientated or obvious choices. Well, look no further.

We've gathered a small selection of fantastic observatories in Italy for you to choose from. Italy actually has quite a large amount of observatories which are open to the public and abuzz with events and educational programmes – really, what else would you expect of Galileo's homeland?