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Cittą della Pieve 509 meters above sea level , 7000 pop.
The small town of Cittą della Pieve, characterized by the red color of
bricks with which it was built, is situated on the border of Umbria and
Tuscany not far from Lazio, in the heart of Central Italy. It is located
on a hill overlooking the Val di
Chiana (Chiana Valley) and Lake Trasimeno.
In the valley below are Italy's
more important communication systems: the regular railroad and the
high-speed Florence-Rome railway (the Chiusi- Chianciano Terme station is
8 km away); the A1 highway (Autostrada del Sole) with the Fabro exit 17 km
south, and the ChiusiChianciano Terme exit 15 km north of town. Thanks to
its favorable position, halfway between Rome and Florence, has known
a tourist growth and nowadays is one of the most visited towns of Umbria.
Cittą della Pieve, a typical border town, is an original blend of the
cultures of Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio. It belonged to the city-state of
Chiusi during the Etruscan-Roman period, as is proven by the numerous
archaeological objects, now scattered in various European museums, found
along the Val di Chiana at the base of the hill. There remains in Cittą
della Pieve a singular Etruscan obelisk from the 6th century B.C., now on
the ground floor of the Palazzo della Corgna.
The town developed between the 7th and 8th centuries A.D. around the
baptismal church ("Pieve") of Saints Gervasio and Protasio, patrons of the
fortified look-out Its urban plan, as we see it today, dates to al least
1250, year of the Emperor's death. It is for these political reasons, and
not only for its geographical position, that Castel della Pieve modelled
its urban structure and building materials (i.e. bricks) after Siena, the
great Central Italian, pro-imperial power in constant conflict with
Perugia.
Between the 13th and the 14th centuries, numerous buildings rose within
the city walls: the new Pieve with early signs of the Gothic style; the
Lombard-Romanesque city tower; the Priors' Palace; the Bishop's Tower and
the solid Perugia Fortress, built in 1326 by the Sienese architects
Lorenzo and Ambrogio Maitani. This is one of the most important examples
of military architecture in the region.
From the middle of the 14th
century, the monastic orders settled outside the city walls and built
Sant'Agostino, San Francesco, Santa Maria dei Servi and
Santa Lucia.
There
are numerous paintings by artists of the Sienese School, including the
Gothic fresco "Sorrow of the Angels" in the Oratory of San Bartolomeo,
painted by Pellicciaio a follower of Pietro Lorenzetti, Ambrogio
Lorenzetti and of Simone Martini.
Cittą della Pieve is the birthplace of
the greatest painter Pietro Vannucci nicknamed Perugino who was born there
in the middle of the 15th century. Several masterpieces of Perugino are
preserved in Cittą della Pieve: the renowned "Adoration of the Magi" (1504)
in the Oratory of Santa Maria dei Bianchi; " Madonna in Glory and Saints"
and "Baptism of Christ" in the Cathedral; "Deposition from the Cross"
in
the church of Santa Maria dei Servi; "Sant'Antonio Abate between Saints
Marcello and Paolo Eremita" in the church of San Pietro.
Valuable
paintings in the Cathedral and in the church of San Francesco are
attributed to Perugino's school. Other notable works of art by Salvini and
Pomarancio are preserved in the Cathedral and in the church of
Sant'Agostino
Events :
Holy Saturday, Easter, Easter Monday: Food and Craft fair : products and crafts from the area of Trasimeno,
Pieve, Orvieto, Val di Chiana, Val d' Orcia.
Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday from 54p.m. to 7 p.m. :
Every year, scenes of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ are
represented in the picturesque underground of Palazzo Orca. About 40
characters create "living paintings" representing the "Last Supper", the
"Ecce Homo", the "Flagellation" and the "Descent from the Cross".
On the Sunday closest to June 21 st :
The Infiorata di San Luigi, patron Saint of the Terziere Casalino
district.
The neigh-bourhood' s residents pave Via Pietro Vannucci with flower
petals in designs inspired by Renaissance paintings, especially those of
the painter Perugino. The "Snail fair" takes place in the Casalino
district Tavern, located near the Bishop's Tower (Torre del Vescovo)
From 10th August to the second-last Sunday of the month:
Palio dei Terzieri.
The three sections of town inspired by the ancient disputes that have
characterized the life of the city since the Middle ages, challenge each
other to an archery competition, "The Bull Hunt", the target being the
rotating outline of a bull. On this occasion, each quarter opens a Tavern
where they serve food typical of Umbria and Tuscany. In addition there are
theatrical and musical performances inspired by Renaissance period in
which Perugino lived.
August 15- The Terzieri Throw the Gauntlet.
From Piazza del Plebiscito at 5 p.m. a procession of 700 people in
Renaissance costume, moves to the Santa Lucia Sports ground for the "Bull
Hunt". There are acrobats, fire-eaters, flag-wavers etc.
Christmas time:
Nativity Scene
The district "Castello" organizes a monumental Nativity scene dedicated to
a particular theme. Local artists and craftsmen collaborate in the design
and creation of the scenes.
Getting there:
By Train : The closest railway stations are Chiusi and Fabro :
Train schedules
By car : Exit at Fabro or Chiusi-Chianciano Motorway A1 exit
The nearest International
airport is Rome airport; domestic flights to Perugia.
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