Galzignano Terme is the best place to play golf in the Euganean Hills and the perfect destination for a relaxing holiday in a special atmosphere among green landscapes and historical houses. Villa Barbarigo in Valsanzibio is the most famous among the local historic villas because of its beautiful Italian gardens.
Ancient settlement on the south-eastern slopes of Mount Rua, where the valleys Pavaglione and Cingolina meet, Galzignano Terme conserves a natural and practically uncontaminated environment with mainly rural settlements, making it the ideal destination for those wishing to spend a relaxing holiday close to nature. The territory is still scattered with noble villas built by rich families from Padua and Venice who loved the pleasant and fertile Galzignano valleys.
One outstanding example is Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani, at Valsanzibio, with its historical gardens that are among the most important gardens in Europe. The green, variable natural countryside has earned the attention and development of two splendid golf courses: Golf Club Padova -27 holes -, founded in 1962 is the historical provincial club of Padua, and the Golf Club Terme at Galzignano with 9 holes, opened in 1999 with a wealth of water features and lakes.
Not to be missed.
Villa Barbarigo Pizzoni Ardemani gardens: the historical garden of Valsanzibio is one of the historic natural features of excellence in Italy. Surrounded by a splendid hillside amphitheatre, it was created in the second half of the 17th century by the Venetian noble Zuane Francesco Barbarigo, helped by his son Antonio, and is still today one of the most important and intact historical gardens in Europe. The high symbolism of the park was inspired by Gregorio Barbarigo, cardinal and later saint, while the design is attributed to the most important papal architect and fountain maker of the 17th century, Luigi Bernini. In this historical garden, water animates an extraordinary world of fountains, streams and fishponds. Between high box hedges and secular trees, seventy works of art, mostly by Merengo, and as many again by lesser artists, blend in with architectural elements, streams, waterfalls, fountains, lakes, water features and fishponds arranged among trees and shrubs covering an area of fifteen hectares. It includes significant features including the great Maze, Rabbit Island, the Monument of Time and the Water effects, Diana’s bath (the old monumental entrance) and three large fishponds broken with fountains was designed and built to symbolise the path of man towards his own perfectibility and salvation.
S. Maria Assunta: in a splendid position on a green hill shaded by cypress trees, this ancient and disused church still conserves traces of some 17th century frescoes.
Pieve di S. Lorenzo: immersed in a tranquil atmosphere reminiscent of days gone by, the hamlet of S. Lorenzo runs along the crest of Mount Staffolo through farmyards, vegetable patches, gardens and vineyards as far at the Church of S. Lorenzo, dating back to the 11th century but extended to its current size in the mid 17th century.
Footpaths: from Galzignano Terme some of the most pleasant and interesting trails in the Regional Park of the Euganean hills can be followed. The Mount Venda trail starts at Casa Marina in Sottovenda: this hill (601 m.) is the highest in the Euganean hill range, and is rich in landscape, nature and historical-monumental features, including the suggestive ruins of the Olivetani Monastery. The Monte Gallo, Monte delle Grotte and Monte delle Basse trail starts at Case Steogarda, offering splendid views of the Monte Rua hermitage, the villages of Galzignano and Valsanzibio and many hills including Monselice hill with the Federiciano Dungeon.