Arquà Petrarca

The most magical part of the town is that it is dedicated to the arts. In fact, solely to one artist: the Italian poet Francesco Petrarch. Petrarch (1304-1374)  is considered one of the greatest poets of world literature. Petrarca is his Italian name and the name adopted by the city formerly known as Arquà.

Of personal interest to me is that all of his poems are dedicated to one woman named Laura. He met her at church, but no one actually knows who she was. He did not marry her and it is thought she was already married. Petrarch continued to idealize her in his poetry even after her premature death from the plague.

He never married but had two children which he raised alone.

He was not only a father in the sense he had children, but he is also considered the Father of humanism. Humanism is defined as  - the promotion of civic virtue, realizing a person's full potential both for their own good and for the good of the society in which they live. He searched for and rewrote old manuscripts and by his death the ideals of humanism were spreading through Europe. Though he was a deeply religious man he was not shy to criticize the Catholic church. Petrarch encouraged the scholarship of non-religious subjects with humanity at its centre, and this study became a legitimate activity for all intellectuals, not only members of the church. (1)

So he loved a lady with my name, and held and promoted an ideal for individuals to better themselves and the world around them. Sounds amazing; why wouldn't a town change its name for this man ? 

His house, Casa del Petrarca, was closed when we visited on the 6th March 2021, due to Covid restrictions, but under normal circumstances it can be toured. The home has been a museum since the 16 century and was Petrarch's home  for the last four years of his life.  When it was turned into a museum, the new owner added a couple of extensions and had frescoes of the poet painted on the walls. The owner wished to have a house fit for the poet he admired, yet in reality, Petrarch lived very modestly. In the 19th century the house was given to the city of Padova, and remains in the style of the 16th century museum. 

2) One of his poems is written on the gate.

It has been claimed that Petrarch died at his desk surrounded by his books, with his daughter who had looked after him in his final years. He was buried in the parish church, Pieve di Santa Maria Assunta, in the lower part of Arquà Petrarca, after a funeral attended by many. Six years later he was moved to an ark built by his son-in-law in the churchyard which is still there today.

Another place to worship dominates the skyline of the upper section of the city; the Oratorio SS Trinita e Loggia dei Vicarari . The first mention of this Oratory dates back to 1181. The poet Petrarch often frequented the building to pray, as his house is nearby. During the 14th century, the Oratory was enlarged and frescoed. 

The influence and importance of religion is all around the city, tucked into small corners of the streets and crevices of the walls. They line the narrow cobbled path between the two monumental places of worship at the foot of the hills and the the top

The narrow streets of Arquà Petrarca were a delight on the beautiful, warm spring day we visited. For the first time in many weeks, we  could travel within our region, and drink or eat outside, and many of the quaint shops were open. The streets were quiet of tourists, but joyful in spirit.  

I would highly recommend climbing the stone stairs up the hill, just past Casa del Petrarca. At the top is a small park dedicated to fallen World War I and World War II Soldiers. The park has beautiful views of the surrounding hills and is well worth the climb.

As I initially introduced Arquà Petrarca - is a medieval village set in the Euganean Hills about 30 minutes from Padova in the Veneto region, but on exploration it is much more than a location or day trip. Arquà Petrarca is a city which for centuries has dedicated itself to one poet and scholar. It changed its name to honor a person who influenced not only the people in the city, but in Italy and in the world.

During his life, Petrarch challenged the church, humanity and most of all himself. He experienced a love which he spent his life analyzing and idolizing. He took complex words from his works and others and inspired others to care for one another and the earth. He lived in cities all around Europe and met with dignitaries from all around the world. But it was here in Arquà Petrarca, in a modest house tucked into the hill that he humbly came to repose after a lifetime of reading, writing and influencing people to better themselves.

As you read Petrarch's quotes and hopefully choose to read more of his poetry, you will realize when Petrarch thought of people bettering themselves it was not by attaining wealth but by becoming the best version of yourself. Living life to your fullest potential. Becoming 'awake' before 'death wakes you', becoming 'greater' and then 'doing greater'. He asked us to continually look at our surroundings and ourselves, to see how we can make them both better. He lived as he preached. It is only just, that his namesake city should be Arquà Petrarca, a truly beautiful, peaceful, reverent city. One should not wait for heaven to see the 'tracks of angels' they are right here in Arquà Petrarca.

“I saw the tracks of angels in the earth: the beauty of heaven walking by itself on the world.”

“Death is a sleep that ends our dreaming. Oh, that we may be allowed to wake before death wakes us.”

“The greater I am, the greater shall be my efforts.”

"Five enemies of peace inhabit with us – avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; if these were to be banished, we should infallibly enjoy perpetual peace.”

“Perhaps out there, somewhere, someone is sighing for your absence; and with this thought, my soul begins to breathe.”

"Man has not a greater enemy than himself.”

“Love is the crowning grace of humanity, the holiest right of the soul, the golden link which binds us to duty and truth, the redeeming principle that chiefly reconciles the heart to life, and is prophetic of eternal good.”

“It is more honorable to be raised to a throne than to be born to one. Fortune bestows the one, merit obtains the other.”

“Events appear sad, pleasant, or painful, not because they are so in reality, but because we believe them to be so and the light in which we look at them depends upon our own judgment.”