Torreglia
Torreglia is one of the towns of the Euganean Hills, the chain of volcanic hills southwest of Padua known for its thermal waters,...
Updated 11 July 2026
The story
The story of Torreglia
History and origins
The territory of Torreglia is part of the Euganean Hills, an area inhabited since antiquity and later chosen, between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, by the Venetian nobility as a place for summer retreats. It was during this period, under Venetian rule, that the great patrician villas were built which still shape the hilly landscape today, foremost among them the Villa dei Vescovi in the hamlet of Luvigliano.
Villa dei Vescovi at Luvigliano
The Villa dei Vescovi stands on a hill surrounded by a natural amphitheatre formed by Mount Pendice, Mount Pirio and Mount Rua, looking out over the plain toward Torreglia and Abano. It was designed by the architect and painter Giovanni Maria Falconetto, whose work began in 1529, and completed in 1543 by his pupil Andrea Da Valle. The interiors were frescoed between 1542 and 1543 by the Flemish painter Lambert Sustris, with input from Giulio Romano. Donated to FAI in 2005, the villa reopened to the public in June 2011 after extensive restoration and can now be visited as a museum.
The Hermitage of Rua
On Monte Rua stands one of the most evocative sites of the Euganean Hills: the hermitage founded in 1339 with contributions from the local population and rebuilt in 1537 by Camaldolese monks from Santa Corona. The complex, made up of the monks' cells gathered around the church of the Annunziata, is still inhabited today and open to visitors only on set days, in an atmosphere of silence and contemplation.
Nature, wine and oil
Torreglia's landscape is marked by vineyards and olive groves covering the hillsides, the basis of a food and wine tradition linked to Euganean Hills wines and local extra-virgin olive oil. Numerous hiking trails connect the town to the surrounding hills, making Torreglia a favoured gateway to the Euganean Hills Regional Park.
Events and local life
Torreglia's calendar includes food and wine events tied to local wine and olive oil production, as well as guided tours and cultural initiatives held at the Villa dei Vescovi, which in recent years has become a cultural reference point for the whole Euganean Hills area.
How to get there
Torreglia lies about fifteen kilometres from Padua and just minutes from Abano Terme and Montegrotto Terme, reachable by car via the road that crosses the Euganean Hills or by suburban buses serving the spa area.
Experiences not to miss
- Visit the Villa dei Vescovi and its Renaissance frescoes
- Reach the Hermitage of Rua on its open days
- Walk the trails of the Euganean Hills with views over the Padua plain
- Taste Euganean Hills wines and extra-virgin olive oil
- Combine the visit with a stop at the spas of Abano or Montegrotto
To see
What to see in Torreglia
Routes · Trovido Route
