Arquà Petrarca
Last updated on September 10, 2026Overview
Arquà is a village on a slope in the Euganean Hills, twenty minutes from Abano Terme, and it is where Petrarch chose to end his life.
He moved here in 1370 and died in 1374, reportedly at his desk. His house survives, and so does the village around it -- a medieval hill settlement of stone houses on two levels that has not been substantially rebuilt.
His tomb stands in the square below the church, in red Verona marble, raised on columns so that it is impossible to walk past without noticing. The village added his name to its own in 1868.
Quick Facts
- Type: Historic Place
- Local name: Arquà Petrarca (vedi la pagina italiana)
- Built: Medieval village; Petrarch resident 1370-1374
- The village took his name: Arquà added "Petrarca" to its own name in 1868, nearly five centuries after the poet died there.
- A tomb placed outside the church: The red Verona marble sarcophagus stands on columns in the open square, put there in 1380 -- where the village walks past it rather than shut away inside.
Visit Responsibly
Arquà is a very small village -- a few hundred residents -- carrying a steady literary-pilgrimage traffic. Park below and walk, keep noise down in the lanes, and do not photograph into houses.
The terraced slopes are working agricultural land, not scenery. Keep to paths and roads.
Buy locally: the village's shops, the jujube products and the Colli Euganei wine are what give a place this size a reason to keep its young people.
Petrarch's house is small and its rooms fill quickly. Going in low season or on a weekday is better for the building and for you.
Plan Your Visit
Petrarch's house charges a small admission, generally around six euros, and closes on Mondays with seasonal hours. The tomb and the village are free and always open.
Arquà is about 20 minutes by car from Abano Terme and 40 from Padua. Public transport is limited; a car is effectively necessary.
Cars are kept out of the village core -- park below and walk up, which takes a few minutes on a stepped lane.
Allow an hour and a half for the house, the tomb and a walk through both levels.
The village is steep and stepped throughout, on uneven stone. It is not accessible, and the upper level in particular is a climb.
It combines naturally with the Euganean Hills walking routes and with Monselice or Este.