Discover Bevagna: Roman Traces, Festivals and Culinary Delights

Bevagna combines impressive traces of the past with special festivals, routes through the river landscape and a cuisine in which Sagrantino, truffles and Umbrian specialities play an important role. When choosing a holiday apartment in Bevagna, you can therefore consider whether you would like your days to focus mainly on culture, activities, regional flavours or a mixture of all three.

Culture among churches, palaces and Roman traces

A striking example of the town’s long history is the Church of Madonna della Neve: the only temple of the ancient city was converted into this church. At the Museo di Bevagna, the tour is divided into an archaeological, a documentary and a painting section. It also contains rooms dedicated to Filippo Silvestri, Mario Mattoli and Agostino Mattoli. Admission to the Museo di Bevagna also allows visitors to see the Teatro Comunale; the Roman Baths building is another possible stop.

Other buildings take visitors through different periods. Palazzo Lepri, the former town hall, was designed by the architect Andrea Vici at the end of the 18th century. Its picture gallery includes works by Fantino, Dono Doni, Andrea Camassei, Carlo Lamparelli and Corrado Giaquinto. The Teatro Francesco Torti has been located in Palazzo dei Consoli since 1886. The Church of San Silvestro was built in 1195 by the master builder Binello. San Francesco was built at the end of the 13th century on the site of an older oratory dedicated to John the Baptist; the church contains paintings by Dono Doni and Ascensidonio Spacca.

The Roman remains also show how closely the town’s historical development is connected with its present-day appearance. The remains of the Roman Theatre follow the layout of a large theatre built on the slope and oriented towards the Via Flaminia. The Roman Theatre includes two ambulacra, which served as supports for the cavea and are visible inside private houses. The “Bevagna Cultura” single ticket includes a guided tour in which the Roman harbour building is one of the stops.

Festivals and craft experiences

Bevagna comes particularly vividly to life during the Mercato delle Gaite. The event takes place during the last ten days of June and brings Bevagna back to life as it was between 1250 and 1350. The four Gaite compete against one another in four contests: crafts, cuisine, the market and archery. Those who would like to learn more about historical working methods can visit the Circuito culturale dei mestieri medievali, a permanent attraction. It comprises four historically reconstructed workshops where craftspeople demonstrate complete production processes.

Cycling, hikes and the waterscape

For active days, the Assisi–Spoleto cycle route in Bevagna has a clearly recognisable special feature: it is completely flat here and runs along the embankment paths of the Marroggia, Teverone and Timia rivers. Pro Loco Bevagna also organises walks through the town and trekking tours outside the town walls. Personalised tours and itineraries can be booked there; they are led exclusively by professionally trained and officially or regionally qualified tour guides.

A distinctive aspect of the landscape is the Accolta. It is an old public washhouse and, at the same time, a waterfall formed by the Clitunno shortly before it joins the Teverone. Depending on the desired travel theme, Bevagna can thus be combined with cultural sightseeing, a flat cycling tour, guided walks or an excursion to a striking body of water.

Regional cuisine for planning your trip

Bevagna’s local culinary profile includes truffle dishes, Umbrian specialities, cold-pressed olive oil, and white and red DOC wines. Sagrantino from the Bevagna area is considered both a dry wine and a Passito wine with DOCG status. Gnocchi al Sagrantino is regarded as a typical dish of Bevagna.

For additional ideas in the area, you can also look at Badia, Matigge, Cenerente, Mantignana, Montone, Colfiorito, Giano Dell Umbria and Assisi.

For the overarching travel overview: Perugia.