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Iron AgeThe ancient ‘Veneti’ and their citiesAt the down of the 1st millennium B.C., beginning of the so-called Iron Age, Euganean Hills were nearly depopulated, while human settlements were concentrated on the plain and along rivers: here rose the two capital cities of the ancient ‘Veneti’, Este and Padua.The place where Este rose, at the foot of the Hills, was chosen not only for the proximity of the Adige river, which passed by there and gave the name to the city (Ateste), but above all for the presence of the high ground, which gave shelter from overflowing, and guaranteed easy provisioning of some essential raw materials, such as wood and stone. The built-up area was surrounded and protected as an island by the branches of the river, while on the early foothills lying behind the city stood the necropolis, with several sepulchral areas. The places of worship, which formed a sort of “protective belt” around the city, were strictly linked to the river and the wooded slopes as well. The thermal areaAt that time, the situation was sharply different in the east zone of the Hills, where no urban centre was attested at least as far as Padua. The only exception was the area between Monte Castello and Colle San Pietro Montagnon, in Montegrotto: here, during the 7th century B.C., rose an important sacred place, certainly connected to the extraordinary natural phenomenon of hot and cold water sources. Thick vapours with an acrid smell sprang from these sources; this event, undoubtedly terrifying for the men of the time, was obviously ascribed to a divine presence.
The east Euganean areaThis situation of depopulation concerned the east Euganean Hills as well: neither permanent settlements nor sacred places are attested here in the course of Bronze Age, with the only partial exception of Monte Orbieso.Only at the dawn of Roman Age, during the 2nd century B.C., small communities with strong Celtic connotations started to settle in the marginal areas (e.g. Arquà). As a matter of fact, the names of the Hills Venda and Vendevolo/Vindupalos refer to these presences, and are clearly connected to the Celtic etymon venda-/vindo- (white) and pala- (peak) – allusive to the highest peak, often covered with snow. |
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