Città della Pieve

Città della Pieve

When, about 1450, Pietro Vannucci was born here – the great painter who would be nicknamed “Perugino” in Florence – this inhabited place was not even considered a town, just a castle. It was called Castrum Plebis, “a castle near a country people's church” (pieve). The current Città della Pieve was at that time a fortified village to guard the border between Perugia (Umbria) and Siena (Tuscany). It rises in a wonderful panorama on the ridge of hills overlooking the Tuscan valley called Valdichiana. Controlling this area was of great strategical importance, so in the early 14th century the Commune of Perugia built here a castle to quarter a garrison, in order to both defend the place and make sure that it remained within its own sphere of influence. Still nowadays the Rocca dei Perugini, the “Stronghold of Perugia [soldiers],” is clearly visible in downtown. From then on, the history of Città della Pieve has been strongly bound with Perugia's.

What to see in Città della Pieve

Affresco del Perugino nell'oratorio di Santa Maria dei Bianchi.

The “Oratory” at Santa Maria dei Bianchi

The Church of Saint Francis Near the imposing Fortress in Città della Pieve a Church of Saint Francis exists, now also renamed Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. The Church of Saint Francis was built precisely by the Franciscans, just outside the town gate called Porta Perugina
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Oratorio di San Bartolomeo. Vista dell'affresco di Jacopo di Mino del Pellicciaio. Sopra all'affresco, che rappresenta la Crocifissione, è visibile il soffitto a capriate lignee.

Oratory of Saint Bartholomew, Church of Saint Francis

The Church of Saint Francis Near the imposing Fortress in Città della Pieve a Church of Saint Francis exists, now also renamed Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima. The Church of Saint Francis was built precisely by the Franciscans, just outside the town gate called Porta Perugina
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Vista leggermente scorciata della facciata della Rocca Perugina.

The Stronghold of Perugia Soldiers

The Rocca dei Perugini Nowadays The powerful Rocca dei Perugini, “Fortress of Perugian (soldiers),” was built along the town walls near Porta Perugina, the town gate toward Perugia, in fact. This is whence, already in 1296, the road called Via Pievaiola started, that still nowadays connects Città della Pieve and Perugia.
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Vista grandangolare di una stanza di palazzo della Corgna. Sopra le luminose finestre sulla parete di destra, si erge un soffitto maestosamente affrescato con varie scene e numerosissime grottesche.

Della Corgna Palace

Right in front of the Cathedral, one of the most beautiful lordly mansions in Città della Pieve rises, the Della Corgna Palace. A study on this building cannot make without the personality of its first owner, Ascanio Della Corgna, and the time period he lived in.
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Vista leggermente scorciata dell'interno del museo civico-diocesano di Santa Maria dei Servi. Ai lati dell'unica navata le nicchie contenenti le varie opere, sul fondo l'abside.

The Communal/Church Museum

A Museum inside a Church It is quite unusual to find a church used as a museum. This is however the case with the Museo Civico-Diocesano, the Communal/Church Museum existing inside the Church of Santa Maria dei Servi (“Saint Mary of the Servants,” with reference to the religious Order of the Servants of Mary) in Città della Pieve.
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Vista dell'interno della Cattedrale di Città della Pieve dall'angolo sinistro dell'unica navata. Sul fondo è visibile l'altare mentre sulla destra le nicchie nelle quali si trovano le opere dei grandi pittori come il Perugino e il Pomarancio.

The Cathedral of Saints Gervasius and Protasius

A Cathedral in a Small Town On walking in the streets of Città della Pieve, you will be noticing many fine buildings, both public and religious, that enliven the place. To whose who come from Gramsci Square, that is the downtown nucleus, one of the main monuments will immediately appear
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