The hills of Bettona and Torgiano.
Towards Assisi and the Umbrian valley
Torgiano, village with a medieval design, is famous for
its great wines. The Museum of the Wine, hosted in the rooms
of the Palazzo Baglioni, museum of the Lungarotti family,
illustrates in its rooms the history of the wine and of
the wine and of the oenology since the antiquity. If you
want to join to the art intense moments dedicated to the
taste, you can stop in the AGRITURISMO
POGGIO ALLE VIGNE always belonging to the Lungarotti
family and let you guide in the tasting by the most famous
doc and docg wines.
Bettona, on top of a hill surrounded by olive trees dominating
the plain of Assisi, has a long square where is located
the “Palazzo del Podestà” hosting a great
collection of paintings and the church of S. Maria Maggiore
founded in the 13th century but renovated during the 17th
century.
For the lovers of the art of the good table, of the nature
and for the families with children, the Restaurant of the
Country House TORRE
BURCHIO is without any doubt a charming place where
to stop and spend some unforgettable moments in great company.
Deruta, another medieval village with a straight and long
square, is famous all over the world for its ceramics, handicraft
activity employing the entire city, with dozens of shops
and decorations that you can find everywhere. Collemancio
is a small village where takes place a famous fair during
which is offered to the walkers wine directly from the barrels
and where are located the beautiful church of S. Stefano
dating back to the 16th century and the palazzo of the Podestà
from the 145h century. The panoramic views over the valley
of the Topino are beautiful with the village of Cannara
in the plain and Assisi and Spello on the shores of the
Subasio Mount. 
From
the Roman city of Assisi are remaining important traces,
the most important one being the façade of the temple
of Minerva located on the square of the Commune. The history
of Assisi is strictly linked to the one of San Francesco.
A year after his death, which happened on October 3rd 1226,
friar Elia was charged by pope Gregorio IX to build a church
dedicated to the saint. The works of the great basilica
of S. Francesco started and thy would have ended in 1367.
To these participated the most important artists of that
time, Giotto, Cimabue, Lorenzetti and Simone Martini. The
Superior Basilica and the inferior Basilica are representing
unique places of devotion, spaces of the sacred where it
is possible to live profound emotions. Other places inside
and outside the city are reporting testimonies of how this
city can be unique. The cathedral of San Rufino has a beautiful
Romanic façade from the 12th century.
There were baptised San Francesco and Santa Chiara. In the
basilica of Santa Chiara, built right after the basilica
of S. Francesco, in addition to the clothes of the saint
we can also admire remarkable paintings and the famous Crucifix
of San Damiano. Everything is dominated by the profile of
the Rock. Between 1350 and 1370 is coming out the figure
of Egidio Albornoz, cardinal and linked to the pontificate
that covers Umbria of rocks: Assisi, Spoleto, Narni and
Orvieto. In 1569 started, at the feet of Assisi, the works
of the great church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, destined
to welcome the Franciscan chapel of the Porziuncola. Slightly
outside of the city, we find the church of S. Damiano, one
of the most important place of the life of San Francesco:
it is there that in 1205 the saint heard the voice telling
him’ …go and repair my church that is falling
down…’. Between Assisi and Spello we find the
church of Rivotorto. It has been built to protect the hut
where Francesco lived with the first followers.
Spello, antique city becoming pink at the sunset, is extending
itself on the base of the Subasio Mount. It is the village
preserving architectonic elements of the Roman times, such
as the walls of August – suddenly at the basis of
the medieval ones – the doors Venere, Urbica and Consolare
and the various ruins of the amphitheatre, the theatre,
the terms and the temple.
Cannara, village of plain, built around the Communal palazzo,
has various interesting churches.
Bevagna, important centre of Roman origins and then medieval,
is built around the beautiful medieval square Silvestri.
There are located the palazzo dei Consoli from the 13th
century, the theatre Torti and two beautiful churches of
the 12th century, S. Silvestro and S. Michele Archangel.
Montefalco, balcony of Umbria, is on top of a hill dominating
all the Umbrian valley from Assisi to Spoleto and opening
itself on a large panoramic view on the Apennine. From the
central piazza located on the highest point are starting
all the streets, creating unforgettable views.
If you want to stay in the surroundings of Montefalco, at
the feet of the marvellous village of Trevi, the country
house NATALINI
is also equipped of restaurants of typical Umbrian cooking.
