About
Francesco Petrarca, the father of modern Italian literature, lived his final years in a small museum.
This house, which predates even Petrarch's residence there, was later turned into a museum by the owner, Paolo Valdezocco, who commissioned frescoes of Petrarch and additions to the modest house. Years later in the 16th century, it was turned into a school by the government of Padua. The Casa del Petrarca sits overlooking the medieval town of Arquà Petrarca. After having it renovated, Petrarch moved in around 1369 after years of traveling around Italy. Five years later he died here, leaving it in the hands of his son and later aristocratic families until it was given to the government of Padua in the 19th century.
