The Jubilee Path was created by the Regional Forestry Service and co-financed by the Euganean Hills Park Authority and the Municipality of Teolo; this route, rich in historical and scenic suggestions, starts from the parking lot of the Praglia Abbey, ascending Mount delle Are through a forest predominated by black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), chestnut (Castanea sativa), black hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) and oaks. It leads to an old asphalt road that is followed for about 300-400 meters, then turning left onto a stretch of forest track. At this point, the tree vegetation becomes decidedly xerophytic (loving dry climates), represented by species such as downy oak (Quercus pubescens) and manna ash (Fraxinus ornus). Continuing, one leaves the forest to cross an area cultivated with vines and olive trees, until reaching the locality called Casa La Busa dell'Oro, finishing the stretch at a wayside shrine. Now the route turns sharply left and follows an old municipal dirt road, where recent interventions for the management of rainwater are recognizable. After a stretch of steep descent, one arrives at the plain in front of the Abbey; here, the path overlaps with tracks used by farmers to cultivate corn and vines. The route runs flat around the entire perimeter of the Abbey until the loop closes, returning to the parking lot.
The territory and the "Jubilee Ring" path
Within the territory of the Park, some of the most important religious sites in the province of Padua are present, significant pilgrimage destinations and venues for conferences: the Sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin of Health of Monteortone and the Monastery of San Daniele, both within the municipality of Abano Terme, and the Benedictine Abbey of Praglia in the municipality of Teolo. At the beginning of the new millennium, the Jubilee Path was restored, which rises easily from the parking lot of Praglia Abbey to Mount Lonzina, closing a loop rich in panoramic views of the Euganean territory and the plain to the north; subsequently, the paths of Monte Ortone and the Hill of San Daniele were arranged and made safe for walking. The Jubilee Ring is a thematic itinerary that can be completed thanks to the presence of cycle paths and dirt roads, all easily navigable; however, to complete the route, which connects the three main trails - Jubilee, Monte Ortone, and San Daniele, it is necessary to also pass on rather busy roads, which is why caution is advised.
The Abbey of Praglia
The name of the Abbey of Praglia derives from the Latin “pratolea,” meaning meadow, in reference to the vast meadows surrounding the monastery. Around 1100, Count Maltraverso of Montebello, a nobleman from Padua, established a noble foundation that began the history of the Abbey; during the Middle Ages, the ecclesiastical center was a stronghold of the Benedictine order and, since it is still inhabited by monks, the complex is not fully visitable. Its structure is arranged in a series of quadrangular cloisters alongside the monumental refectory, the ordinary refectory, the basilica, and the prestigious ancient library, which was built following the rebuilding of the monastery that took place in 1400. The library heritage consists of about one hundred thousand volumes with many rare works, restored in the famous book laboratory directed and run by the monks themselves.
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