Arquà Petrarca is a small town in the province of Padova at the foot of the Colli Euganei, hills of volcanic origin. The thermal water and therapeutic mud of Abano Terme and Montegrotto have been famous for their cure since Roman times. On these hills one finds the Abbazia di Praglia, a small Benedictine monastery where the monks cultivate healthful herbs and transcribe ancient manuscripts. In this region one also finds Arquà Petrarca, a picturesque town named in honor of the poet Francesco Petrarca.

Arquà Petrarca

The poetry of Francesco Petrarca opens a new age in the Italian and European culture. His poetry would have an undisputed influence for four centuries. Still today, Petrarca is a source of inspiration for those who write poetry and his work is matter of study for scholars and students.
Francesco Petrarca was born in Arezzo on July 20, 1304 and died at Arquà on July 19, 1374. In 1312 his Florentine family moved to Avignon, France. After having studied law at Montpellier and Bologna, the poet returned to Avignon where on April 6, 1327 in the church of Santa Chiara he met Laura for the first time and they fell in love.

Casa Petrarca

The vast work of the poet contains works in Latin and Italian.
In Italian he wrote Trionfi and Canzoniere. This last work is divided in two parts: poetry on the life and death of Laura, composed of 317 sonnets, 29 canzoni, 9 sestinas, 7 ballades, and 4 madrigals. Canzoniere is the masterpiece of the European lyric.
Padova has organized a grand show on the occasion of 700 years of the birth of Francesco Petrarca:
“PETRARCA E IL SUO TEMPO”.
Musei Civici agli Eremitani
May 8 – July 31 2004
In honor of the 700 years of the birth of Francesco Petrarca, Padova has organized an exposition to remember the tie between the Poet and the city.
Petrarca was in Padova for long periods of time. From 1368 to 1374 he was a long-term guest of Francesco the Elder of Carrara. In those years Padova became a great cultural center which attracted intellectuals and scholars. The house of the Poet would become a destination for friends and famous visitors, like Giovanni Boccaccio.

Palais des Papes, Avignon

The program “Petrarca e il suo tempo” consists of one show at the Museo Civico Eremitani that displays roughly 170 works: codes, manuscripts, illustrations, paintings, etchings, reproductions as well as a tour of the city, tracing the presence of Petrarca and the cultural climate of the time.
To learn more: www.petrarca2004.it http://www.padovanet.it

SPOLETO AND THE FESTIVAL OF TWO WORLDS

Founded by the Etruscans, Spoleto became one of the most important Roman colonies. Then came the government of the Lombards and in 1354 Spoleto became part of the Papato. Spoleto is one of the most beautiful cities in Umbria, on the foothills of Monteluco, the mountain on which San Francesco founded a convent. Famous are the churches of Spoleto: Sant’Ansano, Sant’Eufemia and the 12th century Duomo with its splendid façade. In the interior one finds a newly restored fresco cycle by Filippo Lippi (1467-69).

Spoleto poster, 2000

San Salvatore is a beautiful church in the lower part of the city. San Ponziano with the Roman façade typical of Umbria, the church of San Gregorio, dated in 1069, provide this little city with rich works of art. At the Pinacoteca Comunale one can see works of Perugino and other famous artists.
In the splendid frame of the streets and the piazze, from the end of June to the middle of July is held annually the Festival dei Due Mondi, a world-famous art festival of prose, lyric, dance and concerts.

The Festival dei due Mondi takes place every year in the heart of Umbria. In 1958 Gian Carlo Menotti, the Italo-American composer, inaugurated the first edition of the festival. Afterwards, it became, year after year, a center of great interest for spectacles of dance, prose and lyrics. Famous artists and young talents take part every year in this cultural celebration.
The Festival dei Due Mondi is an attraction with world resonance, that gives an international image and fame to this Umbrian city. Gian Carlo Menotti was looking for a little Italian city with the possibility and the characteristics to host the festival. He chose Spoleto for its many scenographic settings: the 600-year old theatre Caio Melisso, the19th century theatre, the open air roman theatre and all the places of great suggestion, like Piazza del Duomo, where the closing concerts of the Festival are always organized.

Ingrid Bergman

SPOLETO E IL FESTIVAL DEI DUE MONDI

Spoleto, di origine etrusca, divenne una delle più importanti colonie romane. Venne poi governata dai Lombardi e nel 1354 divenne parte del Papato. Spoleto è una delle più belle città dell’Umbria. Sorge ai piedi del Monteluco, la montagna sulla quale San Francesco fondò un convento. Famose sono le chiese di Spoleto: Sant’Ansano, Sant’Eufemia e il Duomo del XII secolo con la sua splendida facciata. All’interno del Duomo si trova uno famoso ciclo di affreschi (1467-1469), recentemente restaurato, di Filippo Lippi. San Salvatore è una bellissima chiesa nella parte bassa della città, San Ponziano dalla facciata romanica tipica dell’Umbria, la chiesa di San Gregorio costruita nel 1069 rendono questa cittadina ricca di opere d’arte. Alla Pinacoteca Comunale si possono vedere opere del Perugino e di altri famosi artisti.
Nella splendida cornice delle sue vie e delle sue piazze, si tiene ogni anno dalla fine di giugno a metà luglio il Festival dei Due Mondi, manifestazione culturale di fama mondiale articolata in vari settori: prosa, lirica, danza, concerti.

Spoleto manifesti, 1997,1984