Thermal Area and Euganean Hills |
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Itinerario di tipo: Areal journey
Summary
Colli Euganei (Heuganean Hills) are a group of hills of volcanic origin located in the Veneto region, a few kilometers south-west of Padua. The whole area was very famous even in the past for its natural hydrothermal therapeutic happenings due to the resurfacing of water coming from alpine areas: water overheats after seeping through the underground. The above-mentioned feature was the reason why this area was frequented for cultic purposes since the 8th Century B.C. (Montegrotto sanctuary). However, even more ancient is the foundation of the Este village nearby the Adige river during the 10th Century B.C. During the Iron Age this village became one of the biggest inhabited center of Veneto. The four stops described in this trip can make visitors understand the history of this area starting from its very early stages (with Paleolithic age, Neolithic age and the Bronze age remains shown at the Atestino National Museum and at the Montagnana Civic Museum), the extraordinary development of the Este center (Atestino National Museum, halls 2, 3, 4), until the Roman age when a colony was settled in Este (it is possible to visit the ruins of some Roman buildings in Via Albrizzi site and in the Atestino National Museum, halls 6-10) and Montegrotto sanctuary gained such a fame to become a real thermal center (in the site of Via Scavi it is still possible to have a look of its ruins). Moreover it is worthy to mention another important archeological site of the heuganean area (even if it is not included in this trip because it is difficult to reach and visit): the ruins of the initial part of the Roman aqueduct of Este, originated from the so-called “Buso della Casara” spring and located at 200 m height between the Venda mountains and Vendevolo (at Valnogaredo). [highslide] ( ;visualizza il file in google maps; ; ) [/highslide] Tappe del percorso
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