PERUGIA Civitella d’Arna - At the Centre of the Valley of the Umbrians by Umbria OnLine



	Home Page \| Pubblicità con noi \| Disclaimer \| Copyright \| Webmaster

Printable | Email this page

Civitella d’Arna - At the Centre of the Valley of the Umbrians

Once they had consolidated their hold over Perugia, the Etruscans built two city-fortresses on the other side of the Tiber: Vettona (Bettona today) and Arna. Both these cities were in the lands that had been controlled by the Umbrians, between the river Tiber and the Apennines. The word “arno” in Etruscan stood for “the current of the river”. Arna was therefore a riverside city for the Etruscans.

With their customary knack for military strategy, the Etruscans had built a city that stood directly opposite Perugia and commanded a 360° view over the surrounding valleys. Today Civitella d’Arna offers exceptional views over Perugia on the one side, Assisi, Spello, Foligno and Trevi on the other side, and Bevagna and Montefalco further to the right. During the last war the Allies were delayed for a number of days here as they were moving up through Italy in 1944.

The castle of Civitella d’Arna that is still visible today was not erected until between the 11th and 13th century, when life began to flourish once more in the cities and countryside of Umbria. It is built on the ruins of Etruscan and Roman constructions at the top of the hill, more precisely on Roman cisterns that are still visible today in the vaulted underpassages of the castle.

The castle itself was used as a residence for a number of noble families including the Sozi, later the Azzi Vitelleschi and finally the Spinola. The entrance bastion still survives, under which there is still a 14th century archway in the vaulted entrance. Remains of windows dating from the 15th and 16th century are still visible within. Sections of Etruscan and Roman walls are discernible along the exterior.

The Castle Church
The church within the castle has suffered damage on more than one occasion. The existing opening is from the last century. The church did not become the village parish church until the 17th century. A number of important works are kept within, including a particularly fine 1492 banner attributed to Bartolomeo Caporali, depicting the Madonna and Child with St John and St Sebastian. There is also a painting on wood of the Virgin regarded to be one of the best works by the Perugian painter Domenico Bruschi, as well as mid-19th century Crucifix. After the chapel of the local cemetary suffered severe damages during the Second World War, a fine Deruta tile from the late 15th century depicting St Cristopher was brought here along with a detached fresco depicting the Madonna in the foreground with the nuns of the monastery of Santa Giuliana in Perugia behind. The work has been attributed to Giannicola di Paolo, a pupil of Perugino.

All that remains of the old cemetary chapel is a section of the apse with a marble slab on the exterior on which there is inscribed "Isa opera Bonos fecit A.D. MLXXX" (Bono made this in the Year of Our Lord 1080).

A Convent Over Roman Cisterns
Before the rise that leads up to the castle there is the large construction of the convent of the Padri Filippini, erected between the 17th and 18th century also above a number of Roman cisterns. The convent incorporated a previously existing 14th century chapel and was used as the summer retreat of the Padri Filippini of the Chiesa Nuova in Perugia. The convent chapel is decorated with 18th century stucco work and contains a canvas by Francesco Appiani depicting the Ecstasy of St Philip.

Events in Civitella d’Arna

Festa delle Campane (bell festival) and the Rassegna del Piatto Antico featuring forgotten dishes, now in its 3rd edition.

Civitas Arnae poyphonic choir
Founded just three years ago, this choir has already reached a surprisingly high standard thanks to the direction of Vladimiro Vagnetti.

Palio dei Carrettini
An exhilirating competition on carts between the town’s five ‘rioni’, or quarters.

Those in need of sustenance after their visit to Civitella should stop at the Ripa Relais Colle del Sole, which serves traditional revisited Umbrian cuisine. Via dell’Aeroporto Sant’Egidio Ripa (Pg) tel. (+39) 075.60.20.131.

CITIES OF UMBRIA

Acquasparta
Allerona
Alviano
Amelia
Arrone
Assisi
Attigliano
Avigliano Umbro
Baschi
Bastia Umbra
Bettona
Bevagna
Calvi dell'Umbria
Campello sul Clitunno
Cannara
Cascia
Castel Giorgio
Castel Ritaldi
Castel Viscardo
Castiglione del Lago
Cerreto di Spoleto
Citerna
Citta della Pieve
Citta di Castello
Collazzone
Corciano
Costacciaro
Deruta
Fabro
Ferentillo
Ficulle
Foligno
Fossato di Vico
Fratta Todina
Giano dell'Umbria
Giove
Gualdo Cattaneo
Gualdo Tadino
Guardea
Gubbio
Lisciano Niccone
Lugnano in Teverina
Magione
Marsciano
Massa Martana
Monte Castello di Vibio
Monte Santa Maria Tiberina
Montecastrilli
Montecchio
Montefalco
Montefranco
Montegabbione
Monteleone d'Orvieto
Monteleone di Spoleto
Montone
Narni
Nocera Umbra
Norcia
Orvieto
Otricoli
Paciano
Panicale
Parrano
Passignano sul Trasimeno
Penna in Teverina
PERUGIA
Piegaro
Pietralunga
Poggiodomo
Polino
Porano
Preci
San Gemini
San Giustino
San Venanzo
Sant Anatolia di Narco
Scheggia e Pascelupo
Scheggino
Sellano
Sigillo
Spello
Spoleto
Stroncone
TERNI
Todi
Torgiano
Trevi
Tuoro sul Trasimeno
Umbertide
Valfabbrica
Vallo di Nera
Valtopina
Archivio
Handicraft
Bellezza e benessere
Sport
Enogastronomia
Wedding
Vacanze a tema
Parchi e Natura
Itinerari
L'Umbria a 5 stelle

PERUGIA News

96 news found, showing the first 5 news

Music - I Solisti di Perugia Play Barber and Shostakovich in Perugia
Congress - Internal friction and Mechanical Spectroscopy Conference in Perugia
Wine and Food Treats - Typical Local Produce at Fontignano
Wine and Food Treats - Chili Festival in Pila
Wine and Food Treats - Spaghetti Carbonara Festival in Fratticiola Selvatica

... All perugia News >>

PERUGIA

Appointments & Events

Where to sleep

Bed & Breakfast in Perugia

Castle, Residence and Historical Residence in Perugia

Eurochocolate 2008

Weather Forecast in Perugia

Cooking Course in Perugia

The Berti Oil Press of the Perugia Hills

Useful Numbers

Information: Perugia Città Museo

Italian School for Foreigners

Visit to the Museums of Perugia

Golfing in Perugia

Perugino’s Last Works at Fontignano

San Sisto - An Impregnable Fortress

Civitella d’Arna - At the Centre of the Valley of the Umbrians

St Orfeto - A Mysterious Roman Legionary

Ripa.."dolcissimo ai mortali almo soggiorno"

Typical products

The Route of the Four Bell Towers

Monte Tezio: a Natualist's Paradise

Stepping into Another Dimension at Mugnano

Santa Maria di Cenerente and the Monferrato Marauders

The Fontana Maggiore

The Rocca Paolina

Palazzo dei Priori

Etruscan Burial Grounds in Perugia

Pila: an Archaeologist's Paradise

Embroidery Classes in Perugia

Umbrian Textiles and Embroidery Tour - Giuditta Brozzetti

Umbrian Textiles and Embroidery Tour - Ceccucci Tessuti

Umbrian Textiles and Embroidery Tour - Arte Artigianato

Embroidery and Lacemaking in Umbria

The Carnival of San Sisto

Umbria Jazz

PERUGINO AREA

Province: Perugia
Area: Perugino (Corciano; Deruta; Perugia; Torgiano;)

comprensorio Perugino

INFORMATION

FIGURES
Province: Perugia
Area: Perugino (Corciano; Deruta; Perugia; Torgiano;)
Altitude: 493 m s.l.m.
Surface: 444.92 kmq
Population: 156673 (01.01.00; Istat)
Inhabitants name: Perugini
ZIP 06100
Tel. area code: 075

Localities: Bagnaia, Bosco, Capanne, Castel del Piano, Cenerente, Città della Domenica, Civitella Benazzone, Collestrada, Colle Umberto I, Colombella, Ferro di Cavallo, Fontignano, Fratticiola Selvatica, La Bruna, La Cinella, Lacugnano, Olmo, Migiana di Monte Tezio, Montebello, Monte Corneo, Monte Petriolo, Mugnano, Parlesca, Pianello, Piccione, Pila, Pilonico Materno, Poggio delle Corti, Poggio della Pietra, Ponte Felcino, Ponte Pattoli, Ponte Rio, Ponte S. Giovanni, Ponte Valleceppi, Prepo, Pretola, Ramazzano, Rancolfo, Ripa, S. Fortunato della Collina, S. Giovanni del Pantano, San Marco, San Martino in Colle, San Sisto, Santa Lucia, Sant'Egidio, Sant'Enea, Solfagnano, Villa Pitignano, Santa Maria Rossa.

Comune di Perugia
Palazzo dei Priori Tel. 0755771 Fax 0755735300

Province di Perugia
Piazza Italia, 11 Tel. 0755747/1 n. verde 800013474

Some Famous Personalities: Baldo degli Ubaldi (giurista, 1319-1400); Braccio Fortebracci (condottiero, 1368-1424); Fiorenzo di Lorenzo (pittore, 1440-1525); Bernardino di Betto, detto il Pinturicchio (pittore, 1454-1513); Malatesta II Baglioni (condottiero, 1491-1513); Galeazzo Alessi (architetto,1512-1572); Vincenzo Danti (scultore, 1530-1576), Luigi Canali (scenziato, 1759-1814); Annibale Mariotti (medico, 1737-1801); Francesco Morlacchi (musicista, 1784-1841); Orazio Antinori (esploratore, 1811-1882); Luigi Bonazzi (storico, 1811-1879); Ariodante Fabbretti (storico, 1816-1894); Alinda Brunacci Brunamonti (poeta, 1841-1903); Giuseppina Pasqua (cantante, 1882-1982); Gerardo Dottori (pittore, 1884-1977); Aldo Capitini (filosofo, 1899-1969); Sandro Penna (poeta, 1906-1977).