Itinerary: Cittą di Castello-Umbertide-Tuoro sul Trasimeno-Perugia
Cittą di Castello stands in the highest part of Tiberine valley. It has been considered an important Umbrian centre ever since the II c. BC. The town felt the effects of the Roman presence, sanctioned by the setting up of the Tifernum Tiberinum municipality. Few archaeological ruins are in Vitelli Palace, seat of the art gallery. Going along the SS3 bis road, in north direction, you reach Colle Plinio, where there are important remains of a Roman villa. Southwards, close to Umbertide, you find Ipogeo tombs in "Villa del Faggeto". Tuoro, the town where the battle between the consul Flaminio and Hannibal took place in 217 BC, is well-known for the discovery in Sanguineto valley of many sepulchres and holes called "ustrini", that were used to cremate dead bodies. This area also suffered the consequences of the Roman defeat. Perugia is rich of archaeological prooves. The town, called "Augusta Perusia" by the Romans, has probably Umbrian or Etruscan origins. The route to the town-center includes: Marzia door, which belongs to the Etruscan city-walls (III c. BC) and, passing through Baglioni road, it leads to the underground Paolina Fortress, the remaining building of a medieval area. The Etruscan Well, the chief source of water supply for the town in the past. The Etruscan Arch (or Arch of August), almost intact, that was the main entrance to the town. This arch was carried out with travertine ashlars, also used for the walls along Battisti road, close to it. St. Angel Church, whose structure is similar to that used in Paleo-Christian temples; Orfeo Mosaic (in St. Elizabeth road, under University of Science's arcade), which, in ancient times, belonged to a thermal building of I-II c. AC. The National Archaeological Museum and its collection of cinerary urns, ceramics, bronzes and prehistorical remains. In Ponte San Giovanni, close to Perugia, you can also visit "Ipogeo dei Volumni", an interesting place for its old tombs.
Gubbio, spiritual and political centre of Umbrian descendants, preserves not so many visible archaeological traces of the medieval local life. Some archaeological material is gathered in Consules Palace, for example, seven very famous bronze plates, from which inscriptions we know the only one news about Umbrian culture between the III and the II c. BC. Not so far from the center, there are some impressive remains of a theatre and a "Mausoleo", a Roman tomb. If you go along SS298, you reach Scheggia, an old stopping place, 130 miles from Rome. From here, entering Flaminia towards Gualdo, close to Scirca, you can see some ruins that were part of a Roman bridge. In Borgo, near Fossato di Vico, mosaic flooring and architectural materials have come out. They refer to a temple that was probably dedicated to an Italic Goddess, Cupra, who was worshipped by Picenean and Umbrian people. In Gualdo Tadino, some interesting archaeological finds are exposed in the Antiquarium, inside the Flea Fortress. Human settling's traces in Nocera Umbra go back to the Neolithic age, but this Roman town (named Nuceria) was well-known especially because it was an important junction along Flaminia. Today, an archaeological collection is kept in St. Francis old church (Civic Museum). Foligno, called Fulginium or Fulginia in ancient times, in Trici Palace preserves an antique collection and some architectural remains, which are walled up in the facade of Gramsci road buildings. Ever since the Prehistoric age, Colfiorito has been a busy place of transhumances and contacts amongst rural civilizations. A necropolis and different bronze votive offerings, dedicated to Goddess Cupra, were found in the area between Colfiorito and St. Mary in Campis church. In its cloister it's possible to notice various archaeological elements and materials.
Besides the typical Franciscan places, Assisi has got important archaeological sites; even though some parts of the Roman city-walls have been incorporated in the medieval ones, Roman ruins are still clear in this town, especially close to St. James Door. The so-called Minerva Temple (I c. BC), now turned into a church, keeps intact its facade and its Corinthian columns. All the area below the present municipal square, which was used as a forum in the past, is worth of a visit and full of finds. Inside St. Rufino church, there are remaining parts of a II c. BC tank, whereas traces of an amphitheatre are whether close to St. Caterina convent, or in Torrione road, so called because of some sepulchral ruins. Travelling southwards and along SS3bis, don't forget to stop in Torgiano. Here you can visit the olive-oil and wine museum, which also shows archaeological material connected to these two cultivations. Not so far from Bettona, just in the town entrance, the old Vettona shows an Ipogean tomb and long stretches of massive Etruscan walls. All around the village, the walls were built with squared blocks of sandstone. Bevagna, called Mevania by the Romans, developed on the west part of Flaminia. In this area there are important archaeological finds, such as traces of medieval walls, ruins of a Roman temple in Crescenzi road, a famous mosaic depicting scenes of sea life. Infact, it was part of a thermal building of the II c. AC. Moreover, there is a collection in the local civic museum. The importance of the Roman Hispellum Municipality (Spello nowadays) during the past is still shown by the huge entrance doors (Ubica door, Consolare door, adorned with 3 statues on its facade, Venus door with 2 towers and a twelve-angles plan); by traces of an amphitheatre, by particular materials incorporated in the village's houses and by a collection preserved in the old city-hall Palace.
In Trevi (or Trebiae, an old Roman municipality), traces of ancient walls still remain, especially in the highest part of this village. They are visible from Mazzini Square. An antique collection is kept inside the Municipal Palace. Close to the town and near St. Mary di Pietra Rossa church, dedicated inscriptions and some old materials were discovered along Flaminia. These materials were also used during the ecclesiastic construction. According to literary texts, the springs, where Clitunno river originates from, were well-known for their clear cool water and for their fertile soil, and were loved a lot by Roman people. According to Plinio the Young, in the past this area was rich of temples, whose remaining parts were used to build St. Salvatore church (IV-V c.). This church, infact, is now called "the little Temple of Clitunno". Spoleto has been a Roman settlement since 241 BC. In this place the Roman presence can be prooved by numerous traces, such as the city-walls, the theatre (I c.), the Arch of Druso and, close to it, by the ruins of a temple that is below St. Ansano church. Roman remains are also a votive altar of Sillan period, inside a massive building in "della Spagna" road, a beautiful Roman house in "di Visiale" road, rests of an amphitheatre and of the so-called Bloody Bridge, in the end, the collection of the Civic Museum. Norcia (or Nursia) was the northest Roman centre, but very few traces remain here because of the frequent and disastrous earthquakes in this area. In the town centre, there's St. Benedict church, whose crypt keeps ruins of an apse-shaped Roman building; opposite this church, inside Castellina Fortress, there's also an Antiquarium full of finds coming from the close villages. Cascia hasn't got any traces of old settlings, but near it, that is in St. Silvestro Villa, and under the homonym church, remains of an Italic Temple and rich furnishings were found.
Since IX c. BC, Orvieto has been an important strategic place; it was called Velzna by the Etruscans, Volsini by the Romans and Urb Vetus by the Longobards. Little traces of old buildings still remain in the town center, but considerable collections in the Archaeological and Faina Museums testify Orvietan society's magnificence and richness. Noteworthy remains are those of Belvedere Temple and its planimetry, because they go back to the Etruscan and Italic periods. The town center importance is due especially to the big necropolis (the most famous are Crocifisso di Tufo and Cannicella), which document different ways of burying in the past. These tombs were originally full of funerary kits, but today they are scattered in various museums all over Europe. Following SS448, you reach Todi (Tuder in the past), that once was the main border between Umbrian and Etruscan territory. Todi became an important economic centre during the Imperial Age. In the Old Market Square, you can notice a huge building, called "Nicchioni" because of its three big and semicircular travertine blocks. Other ruins, belonged to the Roman period in Todi, are incorporated in the medieval buildings of the town center. Going southwards along SS3bis, nearby Massa Martana-Vicus ad Martis and 70 miles far from Rome, in St. Faustino Villa there are old remains of Flaminia road and of a Roman bridge. This one overlooks the catacombs and was anciently named "Ponte Fonnaia", because of the river flowing close to it. Souther, you find Carsulae area, an archaeological site along Flaminia. In the past this place was a typical Roman settling. The discovered monuments show how rich this centre was during the Imperial period (I-II c. AC). Here we have a theatre, an amphitheatre, the forum, some temples, the Basilica, some tanks, houses, arches and funeral monuments. Close to Cesi, at the top of Torre Maggiore Mountain and near St. Erasmus church, traces of old city-walls and Italic sanctuaries still exist.
Itinerary: St. Peter in Valle Abbey-Terni-Amelia-Narni-Otricoli
St. Peter in Valle Abbey rises close to Ferentillo, along SS209. This is a Longobard abbey, built during the VII c. Inside it, you can find Roman inscriptions and sarcophagus, that make believe this was a worship place in the past. Going on along SS209, you reach Terni, an old Umbrian town, once called Nahars. It was then a Roman municipality named "Interamna", already inhabited during the Bronze Age. Close to the "della Passeggiata" Public Gardens, you can see some remains belonged to the Roman city-walls and to the amphitheatre; some ruins of an ancient "domus", under St. Salvatore church, and other archaeological material, which is preserved inside the local museum. Amelia, an Umbrian and Roman center, once called Ameria, is well-known for its huge polygonal town walls (IV-III c. BC), made of dried limestone blocks, linked one to another. The town is also famous for the relevant building divided into 10 rooms containing tanks of I c. BC. The Municipal and Archaeological Museum is important too, because of its valuable bronze statue of Germanico. In Narni (Narnia in ancient times), undying wrecks of the Augustean Bridge are visible in the stony blocks of the city-walls, close to the Cathedral, in the so-called Cardona Bridge and in the Formina Aqueduct. This one can be also visited with a striking underground itinerary. If you leave the town center towards Otricoli, along Flaminia road, you can notice some Roman propitiatory relieves and, not so far from here, an altar once used for sacrifices. These remains are between the 83.600 and 83.500 km, on a rocky face and inside the so-called Orlando's Cave, 5 km from the ground. Near Otricoli, where you can see an interesting antique collection, there's the Otriculum archaeological zone, whose peculiarity is due to the massive ruins of brick buildings belonged to the Imperial Age. Here you find thermal baths, a theatre, an amphitheatre, some tombs and a forum. They were originally rich of elegant mosaics and statues, that are nowadays preserved in the Vatican Museums.
