Arquà Petrarca

Arquà Petrarca is a town and municipality (comune) in northeastern Italy, in the Veneto region, in the province of Padua. As of 2007 the estimated population of Arquà Petrarca was 1,835. It is the place where the poet Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) lived the final four years of his life (1370-1374). In 1870, the town Arquà added his name to its own. The house where he lived is now a museum dedicated to the poet. The German international literary Petrarca-Preis awards were held in his residence in 1976 and 1977. In 2004, the 700th anniversary of the poet's birth was celebrated here and in nearby Padua. The town has a medieval aspect. It is set in a picturesque location on the slopes of Monte Ventolone and Monte Calbarina, part of the Euganean Hills. Local produce includes olives, extra virgin olive oil, honey, chestnuts, and ziziphus. [source: wikipedia]