The journey to discover the hinterland of Umbria comes to the last part: after visiting two beautiful cities such as Assisi and Perugia and wandering the streets of Todi and Montegridolfo, here are the last three places not to be missed: Bevagna, Montefalco and Spello!
Bevagna
Surrounded by walls and towers, Bevagna is a town in Umbria of Etruscan origin that preserves many testimonies of later Roman and Medieval times.
Its streets and the beautiful Piazza Silvestri are home to churches, monuments and buildings of deep historical and religious value, while the workshops are still linked to a rustic and peasant past.
What to see in Bevagna
Visiting Bevagna means stepping back in time, returning to the typical medieval atmosphere where centuries-old traditions rule. Here’s what to see:
Piazza Silvestri
The heart of Bevagna is undoubtedly Piazza Silvestri: atypical in shape, it houses the main landmarks of the city‡, as well as the Roman Column of San Rocco and the fountain.
Fonte: dal web
Palazzo dei Consoli
Built in the thirteenth century, the Palazzo dei Consoli has kept intact its medieval charm, especially thanks to its Gothic mullioned windows and staircase. Inside it is home to the Teatro Torti, a little gem to discover.
Fonte: dal web
Church and Convent of San Francesco
The Church and the Convent of San Francesco were erected in the thirteenth century and, still today, have much of their original structure. It is said that the stone on the left of the altar is the same one on which Saint Francis went to talk to the birds.
Fonte:dal web
Le Mura
Erected in medieval times, the Walls of Bevagna rise above the pre-existing Roman walls. They are kept perfectly intact and can still be covered. Their circumference is interspersed with towers and Gaite, that is, the city gates.
Fonte:dal web
Temple and Roman Baths
Among the testimonies of Roman times is the Roman Temple, which remained intact for being transformed in the current Church of Our Lady of the Snow, no longer consecrated.
Fonte:dal web
Next, here is the Roman Baths, an integral part of the city’s architecture rediscovered only in 1891.
Fonte:dal web
Montefalco
Located on a hill in the heart of Umbria, 473 meters high, Montefalco is located with a beautifully fourteenth-century old town.
Fonte:dal web
Its name comes from an idea of Frederick II of Swabia who, noting the large number of hawks in the area, decided to give the town the proper name of Montefalco. Today, unfortunately, hawks are no longer so numerous but, on the other hand, there are many historical traces scattered among castles, walls and buildings of worship.
What to see in Montefalco
Less than an hour’s drive from Perugia, Montefalco can be considered one of the most beautiful and interesting villages of Umbria. Its medieval atmosphere is able to involve anyone, dragging in a climate of colors, flowers and typical scents.
During a visit to Montefalco do not miss these stages:
Piazza del Comune
Piazza del Comune, also known as Piazza del Certame, has a semicircular plan where the main streets converge. Here overlook the Town Hall and its Bell Tower, the Municipal Theatre and the Palazzo Bernardino de Cuppis.
Fonte:dal web
Sanctuary of Santa Chiara della Croce
The Sanctuary of Santa Chiara della Croce is simply splendid: inside it houses a chapel decorated with prestigious frescoes of the fourteenth century and is accompanied by a cloistered monastery complete with a vegetable garden, a place of prayer and reflection.
Fonte:dal web
Le Mura
Just like Bevagna, Montefalco also retains the remains of ancient walls: despite the castle has been destroyed, today it is still possible to admire parts of the fortress and the four entrance gates, namely Camiano, Verziere, Rocca and Federico II.
Fonte:dal web
Skin
Finally, here is Spello, a small town in the province of Perugia located at the foot of Mount Subasio. Its original name is Hispellum, from Latin, and still today it preserves many testimonies of the Roman and Lombard times.
Fonte: dal web
After being destroyed by the Goths, Spello becomes an independent town and lives its moment of maximum splendor thanks to the presence of numerous artists such as Pinturicchio and Perugino.
Skin
It is an enchanting and, above all, strategic village: from here you can easily visit Assisi, Perugia and Spoleto.
What to see in Spello
Thanks to its glorious past, Spello deserves particular attention especially from those who love to make trips in the name of architecture and discovery: among cobbled streets, frescoed churches and ancient monuments, the village offers a large number of places to see. Here are the main ones:
Church of Santa Maria Maggiore
Built in the twelfth century, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore has a seventeenth-century facade but retains the portal and the bell tower in full Romanesque style. Inside you can admire the frescoes by Pinturicchio and Perugino.
Fonte:dal web
Church of Sant’Andrea
Built in the thirteenth century, the Church of Sant’Andrea has been renovated several times but retains, intact, the altarpiece of the Madonna and Child enthroned and various saints made by Pinturicchio. A real jewel to discover.
Fonte:dal web
Casa Romana
Lovers of archaeology can not miss a visit to the Roman House of Spello, dating back to the first century AD: here there are still visible the atrium, the impluvium and other environments of family life.
Fonte:dal web
Villa Fidelia or Costanzi
Another attraction of Spello is Villa Fidelia: built on the ruins of a Roman shrine, has been renovated and renovated several times, until the last intervention dating back to the early twentieth century. Today it is decorated in baroque and neoclassical style. Recommended a walk through the hedges and cypresses of the beautiful gardens outside.
Fonte:dal web
Sources of the Clitunno
Finally, a few minutes from Spello, here are the Fonti del Clitunno: it is a nature park that welcomes the sources of the homonymous river among poplars, cypresses and weeping willows that create the ideal habitat for swans, ducks and many aquatic animals.
Copertina:dal web
