Perugia | Terni | Assisi | Gubbio | Foligno | Spoleto | Orvieto | Amelia | Todi | Trasimeno | Norcia-Cascia | C. Castello
 Versione Italiana |
Historical outline of Città di Castello Citta di Castello, as this provincial town in the north Umbrian Tiber plain is known today, has had several changes of name in the course of its history: the Etruscans called it Tiferno, the Romans Tifernum Tiberis; after it had been destroyed by the barbarian warlord Totila it was rebuilt under the auspices of the Church and renamed first Castrum Felicitatis (Happy Castle) and later simply Civitas Castelli. It became a Guelph stronghold in the twelfth century and enjoyed a brief period of autonomy before being subjugated to rule by Roman pontiffs, after which it was torn between Guelph and Ghibelline oppressors and suffered a good deal as a result of being forced to fight bloody battles as an ally of successive conquerors, Florence and Perugia among them. One of the most dramatic events in its history was enacted by the scheming condottiere Cesare Borgia, who invited the head of the ruling Vitelli family to a conference, had him summarily strangled and seized the town in the name of the papacy. Over the next two centuries Citta di Castello offered patronage to great artists such as Raphael, Signorelli and Lorenzo Ghiberti, and saw the building of its great Vitelli palace designed by Antonio da Sangallo. In the sixteenth century it also became famous as a centre of typography.
What to see at Città di Castello - The Churches of di San Francesco, Santa Maria Maggiore e Madonna delle Grazie - The Museum of the Cathedral with Canoscio's Tresor - The Villa Cappelletti - The Town Hall Art Gallery - Vitelli a San Giacomo Palaces - Yhe Church of S. Domenico dated 1424 - Priori's Palace and Podestà Palace - Albizzini Palace - Old tobacco-drying sheds - Museum of Capitolo - Museum of vernacular life at Garavelle Feasts and festivals in Città di Castello - March: Tiber canoe race - April: Furnishing and design fair; Truffle fair - August/September: Festival of chamber music - Second Sunday in September: National Horse Fair - October: Agritab - 13 November: Feast of San Florido (patron saint) How to Get There By car - From Rome/Florence: A1 Autostrada del Sole: Arezzo exit; follow N 73 and N 221 - From Perugia: North on N 3 bis By train - Sansepolcro-Terni line By air - International flights to Rome, Florence, Bologna and Pisa - Internal flights to Perugia |
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Perugia | Terni | Assisi | Gubbio | Foligno | Spoleto | Orvieto | Amelia | Todi | Trasimeno | Norcia-Cascia | C. Castello
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