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BETTONA
Bettona was originally an
Umbro-Etruscan town, as numerous archaeological finds
and well-researched studies have shown. The
well-preserved city walls still stand in their original
form in many parts of the town.
There is some uncertainty to where the name Bettona
comes from. It is said that “Beth-ona” means “a married
couple’s home”; while others say “Vetus” which comes
from the term (also in the Etruscan language) “Vetumna”.
This would have meant “town of the ancients” – that is,
the settlers who preceded the Etruscans.
In the “Tavola Peutingeriana” Bettona is called Vettona,
and furthermore in the census of Umbria Pliny il Vecchio
called the Bettonese “Vettonenses”. When Umbria passed
to Roman rule Bettona was attributed to Clusturmina and
Lemonia. In the civil war between Augusto and
Marcantonio, Bettona was on the side of the latter which
meant they suffered serious losses at the hands of the
victor especially because they had given refuge to many
Perugian refugees. The important road Via Amerina passed
through Bettona, which was one of the busiest roads that
went to the north. With the dawn of Christianity, the
town became christianised according to the tradition of
St. Crispolto. He had arrived from Asia and the Primate
of Umbria made him the pastor of St. Brizio. This was
the will expressed by St. Pietro and it became the seat
of the bishop.
Bettona started to experience a rapid decline during the
Barbarian invasions. Before Totila did serious damage to
them in 548, Bettona passed to the Byzantine rule and
following that to the Duke Longobardo of Spoleto. In the
12th century there was a vast autonomous movement in
Italian cities and under this influence Bettona started
to recover. In 1198 Corrado d’Urslingen, Duke of
Spoleto, who was excommunicated by Innocenzo III, was
forced to give up part of the Dukedom of the church and
Bettona, therefore, passed to the subjection of the
Empire and that of the Roman church. The ecclesiastical
jurisdiction of Bettona fell to the diocese of Assisi,
but the people of Assisi wanted to also take control
politically. They fought over this for around 30 years
until the Bettonese were forced to surrender in 1223.
Profitting from the political imperial demands of
Federico II, Bettona formed an alliance with Foligno and
the Emperor against Assisi and Perugia, shaking off this
previous submission. In 1267 Bettona took the body of St.
Crispolto who had been held in a place called ‘La Piana’
and brought him inside the church which was named after
him. The people of Assisi claimed that this place was
theirs. They asked Perugia to side with them against
Bettona. With the help of Cardinal Savello, the future
pope Onorio IV, they came to an agreement to give the
Oratorio of St. Crispolto, annexed to the church to the
monks (Frati Minori). Following this was a period of
autonomous rule (Perugia’s powerful control over the
city was strong). It was a prosperous time for the city
but in1352 Bettona became involved in matters that were
out of its reach and was forced to surrender to Perugia
after an extremely hard siege. The city was burnt and
demolished, leaving only the churches. 157 men from the
town were taken prisoner in Perugia and with them they
took they body of St. Crispolto. The stones from Bettona
were used to construct the Palazzo dei Priori (Priori
Palace). In 1367 the Cardinal Albornoz ordered the city
to be reconstructed with smaller but more fortified city
walls.
In 1371 Bettona regained the body of their saint, the
martyr and the protector of the city. He had been kept
in Perugia for nineteen years. Bettona actively
supported Pope Gregorio VI in a new war against Perugia
and Florence in the years 1377-79. They were united in a
League of Liberty in the war known as ‘Eight Saints’.
After Bettona was under the control of the Signoria of
the Trinci of Foligno between 1389 and 1425. In 1425 the
papa Baglioni of Perugia took the city, however the
Bettonese people opposed this until 1439 when they
submitted to the power of Malatesta Baglioni. In 1648
the control of the city definitively passed to the
direct rule of Santa Sede up until the unification of
Italy.
ASSISI
Chances are, if you are reading this,
you have at least a vague knowledge that Assisi is the
birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi (b. 1181). Francis
was a very pious man, and is much revered, even yet, by
Roman Catholics, and probably by people of many other
religious persuasions.
Read more about St. Francis
The City of Assisi, which sits on the western slopes of
Mount Subasio, is city of about 5,500 full time citizens
(with another 25,000 or so in the immediate vicinity).
It's a strange place in a way because on the one hand
there is a real and palpable piety in the ancient stones
of the city. There are numerous churches, monasteries,
nunneries, religious schools and institutes in which
people busily go about their serious and sublime
callings.
On the other hand, Assisi is a "tourist" city almost on
par with the Big 5 (Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa and
Siena). Millions of people visit every year, following
largely the same paths. A relative few veer off the
standard routes into the smaller alleyways and streets
which are intriguing, charming, and occasionally
beautiful.
The crowds arrive mostly in July and August, when the
Umbrian sun is at its hottest. We recommend a late
spring, or early fall sojourn when things are cooler and
you can conserve your energy, which you will need as you
explore this hillside city
Start your visit in the valley below with a visit to the
Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli, an imposing structure
in a setting that affords one to step back and glimpse
the entire front of the edifice. Inside, there are
remarkable frescoes, paintings, and sculptures. Inside,
you will also find a small church, called the
Porziuncola, where St. Francis and his followers are
said to have founded the Frati Minori (Minor Friars) way
back in 1209.
Then make your way to Assisi, by foot (about 2km), car
or bus. You might want to orient yourself by starting
(or ending) your visit at the Basilica San Francesco,
wherein you will find the tomb of Saint Francis (and
various other notables), and numerous objects of art,
some of which are quite stunning. Cimabue and Giotto,
among others, painted here.
Afterwards, make your way uphill into the city itself
along the medieval Via San Francesco (of course). You
will encounter numerous restaurants, cafes, gelaterias
and shops, some of them with very artistic - and
inviting - window displays. Eventually, you will come to
a small piazza with a water fountain, where you will be
confronted with the choice of following one of several
streets. Better have one of the impeccably wonderful
gelatos while pondering your choices.
Generally speaking, we advise you to head uphill...probably
along Via Brizi until you come to the Piazza del Commune,
where you can catch your breath while marveling at the "works
of man" made manifest in every cobblestone and building.
From there, keep moving uphill (yes, more uphill) along
the Via San Rufino until you come to the Duomo. It is
very cool inside - in all meanings of the word.
The next part of your journey will take you to Piazza
Matteoti and then on to the ruins of a Roman
Amphitheatre. You can sit down and rest your weary bones
for awhile and then head east or west to take a look at
a couple of ancient forts. The most impressive is the
Rocca Maggiore to the west, although the Rocca Minore is
worth seeing too.
Once you have achieved the summit of Assisi, and have
quite exhausted yourself physically and emotionally, it
will be time to head back to the Basilica of San
Francesco. Do yourself a favor - do not reverse your
steps. You really can't get lost, so just head down in
the general direction, taking the unheralded streets and
alleys of the city. It is the best way to transform
yourself from tourist into traveler.
PERUGIA
If you travel to Italy you must visit
Umbria, and if you visit Umbria you must visit the City
of Perugia, one of the largest medieval cities in Italy
and one of its most contemporary and fashionable too.
Perugia, with a population of about 140,000 sits on a
500 meter (that's about 1600 feet) high hill overlooking
a vast expanse of rolling and very beautiful Umbrian
countryside, including the Val d'Umbria on its east
side.
The original inhabitants were an Italic tribe, the
Umbrians, but they were ultimately displaced by the
Etruscans, who in turn were subjugated by the Romans.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Perugia became a
city state ruled over by a succession of brutal
overlords, ultimately taking its place amongst the
string of papal states strung-out from Rome on the west
coast to Ancona on the west coast. Eventually the city
fell under Austrian control, and later French control
under Napoleon. Umbria, and therefore Perugia, became
part of the modern country of Italy during the
unification which was completed in 1870.
Modern day Perugia is beguiling because it has all the
conveniences and attractions of a modern city, from
high-end fashion boutiques to hot night clubs. It also
has a couple of renowned universities, including the
University of Perugia which has been educating students
since the 14th century, and the University for
Foreigners, which attracts students from all over the
world who are anxious to deepen their Italian language
skills.
Architecture buffs will feast their eyes upon an array
of mind-boggling architecture spanning several centuries.
Those of a more spiritual or religious nature will enjoy
the cool and calm sanctuaries of Perugia's cathedrals
and churches. Art aficionados will encounter works by
Perugino (teacher of Raphael) and other important
medieval and renaissance artists in the Galleria
Nazionale, and various other public buildings.
And then there is the Corso Vannucci that runs from the
Piazza d'Italia to the Piazza IV Novembre, which
everyone will enjoy, particularly at night when the
gorgeous people of Perugia enjoy the nightly
passeggiate, one of those Italian customs that a
traveler finds easy to adopt. It is the stroll of
strolls - for families, lovers, friends, and even the
lost and lonely. No one will mind if as you walk, you
lick a three-flavored gelato cone. It's just the right
thing to do.
So, Perugia! There are a few very good, and many good
hotels if you wish to stay awhile. And there is plenty
of good food, from pizza and pamnini to elaborate
multi-course meals served in exquisite restaurants.
Perugia is a place for all tastes and pocketbooks.
Lastly, Perugia is a great base from which to do day
trips to other Umbrian towns and cities. Assisi and
Spello are a few kilometers away, but Orvieto, Gubbio,
Bevagna, Montefalco and dozens of other places are an
easy drive, bus or train journey.
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Visit Umbria, Visit Assisi, Visit Bettona, visit
Perugia, apartments in the center of Umbria near most important place:
Perugia – Assisi – Bettona |
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