Visit Foligno
The town of Foligno is found in the Umbria region of central Italy, between Perugia and Trevi.
The Republic Square in Foligno includes many of the most important buildings of the city including the Cathedral. Foligno cathedral was completely rebuilt by Bishop Marco in 1133, later remodelled several times until it assumed a neoclassical style with Luigi Vanvitelli (1700-1773) and Giuseppe Piermarini (1734-1808). The two façades are of Romanesque style, the main one with a loggia surmounted by a large rose window, while the secondary, built in 1201, is more decorated - indeed, given the amount of decoration it could perhaps be considered the main facade... The oldest parts are situated at the bottom, where the portal opens, with five arches with bas-reliefs. Of great importance are also a crucifix, dating from the 14th century, sculpted by Nicolò di Liberatore (1433 ca.-1502), called the “Alunno” and the Sacrament Chapel, added in the 16thcentury, on a plan by Antonio Sangallo the Younger (1484-1546).
For the two centuries after 1201 there was a major amount of building development in the city, especially with the construction of a fortified wall. Around 1229 the Cloister of Sassovivo was also erected, by Abbot Angelo, who entrusted the work to a "Master Peter", who worked with great skill, as can be seen from the structure of the cloister, made from more than one hundred marble columns, merged, some twisted, others spiral, holding up small marble arches, above which runs a frame of classical style, decorated with mosaics and colored marble and is a masterpiece of "Roman Art".
In 1232, at the behest of Pope Gregory IX (1170-1241), the Church and Monastery of San Claudio were erected, now almost completely disappeared. In 1251 the Church of San Salvatore was built, followed by then the Bell Tower in the 14th century.
On the opposite side of the square stands the Town Hall, built in the thirteenth century, but with a neoclassical façade dating from the early 19th century. Note also the Palace of the Trinci, a family who ruled until 1439. The Palace was completed in 1407, and is a work of art of great importance, especially for the frescoes that once decorated it, although some of them are now lost. A cycle of frescoes told the story of Rome by Romulus and Remus, and others were a mythological subject. Outside, the Gothic courtyard is notable, enriched with loggias and a staircase with three flights covered by cross vaults. The building now houses the Civic Art Gallery.
Foligno Art gallery and Renaissance art
The collections of the Foligno Art Gallery include various frescoes, altarpieces and paintings, mostly by local masters such as Nicolò di Liberatore, called the 'Alunno' [1430-1502] (see the statue towards “Porta Romana”); Pierantonio Mezzastris (active between 1507 and 1533); and Dono Doni (1500-1575). The 'Alunno' just painted frescoes, leaving many works portraying intimately tormented characters . Vasari wrote about him: [...] The best painting that Niccolò made was in a chapel in the cathedral, where, among other things, there is a "Pieta and two Angels", who, holding two torches, are crying so much that I believe any other painter, however excellent, could have done little better [...]"...He worked not only in Foligno (in the Church of St. Nicholas we can see his "Coronation of the Virgin" and “Saint Anthony Abbot and Bernardino) but in many other cities both Italian eg Rome, Ravenna, Milan, and even elsewhere eg London and Paris. There are also some works by Bartolomeo di Tommaso da Foligno (1425-1454) and a painter born in Foligno, rediscovered recently, Giovanni di Corraduccio, called the “Mazzaforte” (active between 1407 and 1417), who seems to also be the author of some frescoes in the Trinci Palace.
Continuing along Via Garibaldi there is the Church of San Salvatore (with a 14th century façade), and an interior renovated by Vanvitelli, and also the Church and Oratory of Nunziatella, consecrated in 1494 by Bishop Luca Cybo (1489-1522) - it is rectangular, with two altars in the bottom; around which there are several fluted marble columns. On the right altar there is the "Baptism of Jesus", a fresco by Perugino (1450 ca.-1523).
Along the Via Mazzini we arrive at Piazza San Domenico which contains one of the oldest religious buildings in the city, the 11th century Church of Santa Maria ‘Infraportas’. The exterior has an imposing bell tower, while the interior has three naves, decorated mostly by local painters and still has some rare Byzantine style frescoes.
Foligno has a very long tradition in the arts using jewellery, pottery and iron. Emiliano Orfini (1420 ca-1494 ca.), “Vir acutissimi ingenii” (“a man of a very subtle brain”) according to Francesco Patrizi [1529-1597], was a jeweller and the son of jewellers, who, among other things, was also a fine intellectual and brought the art of the press to the town around 1470
Another person worth mentioning is Sigismondo de Conti (1432-1512), a distinguished humanist, belonging to a rich and powerful family that were very influential in Rome; Sigismondo was able to convince Raffaello (1483-1520) to paint the famous “Madonna di Foligno”. Sigismondo had his "reward" by appearing in the painting (right, kneeling). The painting had a rather eventful history: it was first brought to Foligno, where it remained until 1797; then it was in France and then it was returned to Italy, only it never returned to Foligno, but ended in the Vatican Museum (where it remains to this day).
Other Foligno activities
For art and nature lovers Foligno has other pleasant surprises, such as for example the famous “Parco del Canapè”, a very old park, which dates from the eighteenth century. Outside the walls, the area offers various cultural attractions, such as excavations which recently brought to light new finds from ancient Foligno. Don't miss the chance to appreciate some local products such as meat dishes (usually barbecued), truffles, mushrooms, legumes. Then we find a fine selection of red wines such as the “Rosso di Montefalco”, and, among whites, the so-called Umbrian "Grechetto".
See also history of Foligno