Around Us

In the 2000, Assisi with its Historical Centre (the fortresses of Rocca Maggiore and Rocca Minore), the Basilica of St. Francis and the other Franciscan sites (the Cathedral of St. Rufino, the Basilica of Saint Chiara, the Convent of Chiesa Nuova, the Temple of Minerva, the Church of Saint Maria Maggiore, the abbey of St. Pietro, the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels with the Porziuncola, the Sanctuary of Rivotorto, the hermitage of the Jails and the Monastery of St. Damian), together with the ensemble of the city’s monuments was declared World Patrimony by the UNESCO.
Must see: The whole town!

For its enchanting geographical position, on the vertex of a pleasant hill (473 mt.), that rises in the centre of the Clitunno valley, the city has been defined ” Handrail of Umbria ”. Famous for the frescos of its churches, and its sanctuaries, which represent an important site for religious tourism, and an Umbrian spirituality still to be discovered. Montefalco was an inhabited centre since early antiquity. During the Roman era, the hill was populated by patrician villas, of which the memory remains in the toponyms: Assegnano, Camiano, Colverano, Rignano, Satriano, Vecciano. Numerous sculptures and epigraphs (Museo Comunale, Chiostro di San Fortunato) attest to the oldest and most unknown era of Montefalco.

Must See:
Church Museum of St. Francis: It represents a synthesis of the history, culture and tradition of Montefalco.
Palazzo del Commune ( XIII – XIV cent.)
Church of St. Philip Neri (XVIII cent.) today a theatre
Oratory Ex church of Saint Mary of Plaza (XIII cent)
Church of St. Lucia ( XII cent.)
Church of St. Augustin- of the augustinian community. Here different painters have operated among which Ambrogio Lorenzetti and Bar-tholomew Caporali. . Church of St.Illuminata (XVI cent.) embellished by frescos of Francis Melanzio and other umbrian painters .
Church of St. Leonard- attached to a monastery of clarisse where a great cloth of the Melanzio can be seen.
St. Claire of Montefalco– augustinian (1258 – 1309). In the Sanctuary the relics of the Saint and the chapel of Holy Cross, decorated in 1333 with frescos of exceptional value by the Umbrian School.

As attested to by numerous inscriptions and religious traditions, the territory of Foligno was inhabited by theUmbrian populus. The Roman infiltration happened with the construction of the Flaminia road. The etymology of the name connects the city to sacred origin, with reference to the existence of the cult of the goddess Fulginia.
The area occupied by the Roman city was north of the current centre, as proved by the findings of the necropolis and the domus. Included in the Dukedom of Spoleto, Foligno suffered the invasion of the barbarian tribes. In the XII century the construction of the city commenced. Under the rule of the Ghibellini it suffered a harsh siege in 1253 from Perugia. In 1264 the Ghibellini’s returned to power. Then from 1305 to 1436 the Trinci took hold of the city as pontifical vicars. When the allegiance with the Vatican broke, Pope Eugene sent cardinal Giovanni Vitelleschi to siege the city and later set up a pontifical state. From 1798 to 1799 and from 1809 to 1814, the city suffered French domination. The city heavily participated in “The Resurgence.”(Italian Unification) In the last conflict it was subjected to bombardments and it was active centre in the struggle for liberation.

Must see:
Palazzo Trinci
Civic Art Pinacoteca
Museo Archaeologic
Archaeological Museum “Plestini Umbri”
Institutional Museum
Oratory della Nunziatella
Park Colfiorito Naturalistic Museum.

Spello was founded by the umbrians for then to be denominated Hispellum in Roman epoch. It was declared by Caesar “Splendid Colony Julia.” The rests fortified wall, far greater in past than what we can admire today, and the archaeological sites that surround the town, attest to the greatness it once had. The Barbarians’ descent in Italy was devastating for Spello, that turned it into a poor village. In the epoch of the dukedoms it was engulfed into the Dukedom of Spoleto, to become later with Spoleto part of the Vatican States. The town, non the less missed its independence acquired during the Roman epoch, and soon became independent declaring its own laws. The period of independence lasted until the family from Perugia, Baglioni, took control of the town. In the IV century it became an Episcopalian centre.

Must see:
The Walls Consular Gateway Urbica Gateway Venus Gateway Arce Gateway Augustus Arch Forum Town Palace- collection of archaeological findings
Roman Domus (ex Hospital) Villa (loc S.ANNA)
Villa (via BALDINI) Amphitheatre Thermal Baths(Church of St.Claudio) The Sanctuary.

Spoleto was a flourishing Roman town whose signs are still evident in the arc of Druso and Germanic (23 a.C.), in the Roman Theatre (I cent. a.C.) and in the Roman House. From the IV century it became an Episcopal centre developing a solid ecclesiastical organisation. The city, developed, then, a fundamental political role, shortly after the arrival of the Longobards in Italy, Faroaldo constituted the Dukedom longobardo of Spoleto. The Dukedom of central Italy with Spoleto as its capital, maintained independence until 729 a.C, when its was subjected to the Longobard King. In 1362 cardinal Albornoz chose Spoleto as strategic centre for the re-conquest on the Vatican States. The last great period of Spoleto occurred when it became the head town for the department of Trasimeno, which went from Rieti to Perugia, from 1808 to 1815, during the Napoleonic Empire. The basilica of Saint Salvatore allowed Spoleto to be included in the list of cities nominated as World Patrimony by the UNESCO

Must see:
Palazzo Comunale – The oldest elements of the palace date back to the 1200(the bell tower). It was restored and notably magnified at the end 1700.
Palazzo della Genga – The Palace, a gift to the town from Annibale della Genga, who was to become Pope Leon XII dates to the XVI-XVII century .
Palazzo Collicola – Built in the first half of the XVIII century is the work of the Roman architect Sebastiano Cipriani, on behalf of the Collicola family.
Palazzo Ancaiani – Built by the Ancaiani family. Restored in 1960 after decades of abandonment, only the façade has preserved its integrity.
Today the building entertains the centre of the Italian Centre of Studies On the High Middle Ages and that of the Spoleto academy.
Palazzetto Ancaiani -The plaza of the Liberty up to the beginning of the 1800 was a kind of private court of the family Ancaiani.
Palazzo Mauri – contains the Town Library, currently in phase of resto-ration, it was commissioned by Andrew Mauri between the XVI and the XVII century. Its façade is adorned with a series of elegant windows and the interior still preserves the frescoes of the 1600s and 1700s.
Teatro Nuovo – The Theatre was inaugurated the 3rd of August of 1864; for that occasion the opera Guisemberga of Spoleto was written on libretto of Charles d’Omerville, by the Roman composer Filippo Sangiorgi.
Teatro Caio Melisso- one of the first theatres of Italy,after numerous transformations of an ancient Spoleto theatre, that was constructed in XVII on the incomplete area of the “Palazzo della Signoria”.
Teatro Romano
Basilica San Salvatore.

Perugia was an Etruscan city importance as testified by monuments such as the Etruscan Arch, the Marzia gateway, the Etruscan well. In the II century a.C. the emperor Ottaviano sieged and conquered Perugia declaring it “August Perusia.” After the fall of the Roman empire the city suffered numerous invasions until it constituted a free Commune in the XI century and it was in that period that the city started to assume that urban order, with rich palaces, sculptural works, and paintings of exquisite value, that distinguishes it still today. During this time the city was frequently divided by feuds among the main families, such as the Michelotti’s, the Piccinino’s, the Fortebraccio’s or the Baglioni. The later prevailed and dominated until 1531, when the bloody “Salt War” erupted. This war was caused by the pontifical states implementing a new tax on salt. The Vatican winning the war, occupied the city, and the Pope, Paolo III Farnese, to demonstrate the Vatican supremacy built the impressive Rocca Paolina architected by Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane. The rule of the Vatican lasted until 1860, when Perugia became a part of the Italian kingdom.

An ancient legend narrates that the city that today is called Todi was originally founded in 2707 B.C. by the VeiisUmbri, which guided by Tudero had decided at first to settle long the shore of the river Tiber. While big boulders had already been deposited for the construction of the wall that would surround the city, an unforeseen event determined the future location of the city. Some work men were eating their meal, when an eagle swooped down, took their food to then perch itself on the hill behind. This was taken as an omen by the gods, and soon after the construction of a great wall commenced around the hill, which was called “Nidole,” since it had been the location of the eagles nest and the town was then called Todi in honour of Tudero the ancient ruler of that Umbrian tribe.