A day in Umbria - Montefalco, Bevagna, and Spello
Italy is not a very large country. It averages about 160 KM wide down the peninsula. What this means for tourists is that there are a lot of places to visit in a very small area.
On this day, we visited three small hilltop towns. We started the day in Montefalco, lunched in Bevagna, and ended up meeting friends for supper in Spello.
Looking out from our hilltop view in Montefalco we saw the entire valley unfold beneath us. Known for its wine and linens, we took the opportunity to do some shopping while we meandered along the town’s pebbled streets.
Montefalco today has several churches, some in the Romanesque, some in the Gothic, and some in the Renaissance style. Historically, the most important is the church of San Francesco, which is now the town's museum, and, given its collection of art and artifacts, one of the most important museums in Umbria. The church is notable for its fresco cycle on the life of St. Francis, by the Florentine artist Benozzo Gozzoli (1450–1452). Other artists represented in the museum include Perugino, Francesco Melanzio, Pier Antonio Mezzastris, Antoniazzo Romano and Tiberio d'Assisi.
Among the other churches found inside and outside the town walls are Sant'Agostino, Santa Clara, Santa Illuminata and San Fortunato, the latter, built in the 4th century over the tomb of Fortunatus of Spoleto and renovated in the 15th century, had frescoes by Gozzoli and Tiberio d'Assisi.
The 13th century Palazzo Comunale ("Town Hall") has a mullioned window from the original edifice and a 15th-century portal. Also notable are the gates in the walls, including Porta Sant'Agostino, Porta Camiano and Porta Federico II.
While wandering the little town checking in on the different gates, we came upon a little church hidden away in a small side street. The earliest known reference to the church is a document dated April 1220, it is a small chapel dedicated to St Lucy. We found it captivating in that the church is wide open to visit and still contains several fragments of 14th century frescoes.
We then drove out of Montefalco and headed the 7 kms NW to Bevagna. Like many of the hilltop towns in the area, Bevagna was originally an Etruscan settlement that was taken over by the Romans in about 90 BC. The town now has a complete circuit of medieval stone walls that are said to be very near, if not identical with, the Roman walls.
We visited the romanesque Church of San Silvestro (built in 1195 and never quite finished) and the Church of San Michele Arcangelo (St. Michael the Archangel) built in 1070 AD. An interesting Bevagna is where St Francis is believed to have prayed to the birds. We saw the rock upon which he stood in the Church of San Francisco.
The densely inhabited town, built of stone, looks decidely medieva, and is enclosed by a circuit of medieval walls built on the original Roman foundations, including three Roman Late Antique gates (Porta Consolare, Porta di Venere and the "Arch of Augustus") and traces of three more, remains of an amphitheater, as well several medieval gates.
Spello lies on the slope of a hill and we entered through the Porta Consolare – which, of course, lies at the bottom of the hill. By the end of the day, we were really happy to be walking downhill back to the car.
Spello contains many small twisty streets and of course about a dozen churches. We spent a few hours walking the main street up the hill to a fantastic viewpoint overlooking the plains below before walking back down the second main street to meet our friends and their tour group for dinner.
As we walked past the ‘city hall’ and read the inscriptions on the wall, we realized that there was a very important document stored within. The ‘Rescript of Constantine’ is a document issues in 335 AD by the Emperor Constantine himself and his two sons.
The carved stone document lists, in broad terms, three requests that the Emperor granted to the City. The first is that the town (known as Hispellum) be given a name derived from Constantine (so it became known as Flavia Constans). The second request was that Constantine grant them the right to build their own temp to him there (Templum Flaviae Gentis). The third request was that the town could have its own priest and festival instead of relying on one from the neighbouring region of Tuscia.
After wandering the town, we went to the town center and met our friends for a lovely Italian dinner where Austin had to try a local beer.
On this day, we visited three small hilltop towns. We started the day in Montefalco, lunched in Bevagna, and ended up meeting friends for supper in Spello.
Looking out from our hilltop view in Montefalco we saw the entire valley unfold beneath us. Known for its wine and linens, we took the opportunity to do some shopping while we meandered along the town’s pebbled streets.
Among the other churches found inside and outside the town walls are Sant'Agostino, Santa Clara, Santa Illuminata and San Fortunato, the latter, built in the 4th century over the tomb of Fortunatus of Spoleto and renovated in the 15th century, had frescoes by Gozzoli and Tiberio d'Assisi.
The 13th century Palazzo Comunale ("Town Hall") has a mullioned window from the original edifice and a 15th-century portal. Also notable are the gates in the walls, including Porta Sant'Agostino, Porta Camiano and Porta Federico II.
While wandering the little town checking in on the different gates, we came upon a little church hidden away in a small side street. The earliest known reference to the church is a document dated April 1220, it is a small chapel dedicated to St Lucy. We found it captivating in that the church is wide open to visit and still contains several fragments of 14th century frescoes.
We visited the romanesque Church of San Silvestro (built in 1195 and never quite finished) and the Church of San Michele Arcangelo (St. Michael the Archangel) built in 1070 AD. An interesting Bevagna is where St Francis is believed to have prayed to the birds. We saw the rock upon which he stood in the Church of San Francisco.
Francis reached a place in which a great number of birds of different kinds gathered. When he saw them he ran swiftly toward them leaving his companions on the road. He was a man of great fervour, feeling much sweetness and tenderness even toward lesser, irrational creatures. When he was very close, seeing that they awaited him, he greeted them in his usual way.Leaving Bevagna, we could see Spello in the distance. Populated in ancient times by the Umbri, Spello became a Roman colony in the 1st century BC. Under the reign of Constantine the Great it was called Flavia Constans, as attested by a document preserved in the local Communal Palace.
"May the Lord give you peace"
Francis was quite surprised because the birds did not take flight as they usually do. Filled
with great joy, he humbly requested that they listen to the word of God.
"My Brother Birds ..."
Francis said, "My brother birds, you should greatly praise your Creator, and love Him always. He gave you feathers to wear, wings to fly, and whatever you need. God made you noble among His creatures and gave you a home in the purity of the air so that though you neither sow nor reap, He nevertheless protects and governs you without your least care."
"God made you noble among His creatures"
At these words, the birds rejoiced in a wonderful way according to their nature. They stretched their necks, spread their wings, opened their beaks and looked at him. Then he blessed them, and having made the sign of the cross, he gave them permission to fly off to another place. Francis and his companions went along their way, rejoicing and giving thanks to God Whom all creatures revere.
After the birds had listened so reverently to the word of God, Francis began to accuse himself of negligence because he had not preached to them before. From that day on, he carefully exhorted all birds, all animals, all reptiles, and also insensible creatures to praise and love the Creator, because daily invoking the name of the Saviour, he observed their obedience in his own experience.
The densely inhabited town, built of stone, looks decidely medieva, and is enclosed by a circuit of medieval walls built on the original Roman foundations, including three Roman Late Antique gates (Porta Consolare, Porta di Venere and the "Arch of Augustus") and traces of three more, remains of an amphitheater, as well several medieval gates.
Spello contains many small twisty streets and of course about a dozen churches. We spent a few hours walking the main street up the hill to a fantastic viewpoint overlooking the plains below before walking back down the second main street to meet our friends and their tour group for dinner.
As we walked past the ‘city hall’ and read the inscriptions on the wall, we realized that there was a very important document stored within. The ‘Rescript of Constantine’ is a document issues in 335 AD by the Emperor Constantine himself and his two sons.
The carved stone document lists, in broad terms, three requests that the Emperor granted to the City. The first is that the town (known as Hispellum) be given a name derived from Constantine (so it became known as Flavia Constans). The second request was that Constantine grant them the right to build their own temp to him there (Templum Flaviae Gentis). The third request was that the town could have its own priest and festival instead of relying on one from the neighbouring region of Tuscia.
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