Visit Montefalco
Montefalco is situated in Umbria, in the central part of Italy, and close to other popular towns such as Spello and Foligno.
Montefalco today is almost entirely enclosed by the double city walls, dating from the 13th and 14th century, surmounted by towers through which the gates open. The most impressive of these is the 'Gate of St. Augustine', dominated by an imposing crenellated tower, which houses, under the arch of the gate, a 14th century fresco of "Madonna in Majesty". The other gates are the 'Gate of Frederick II' (1244, built to commemorate the emperor's stay in Montefalco) and the 13th century Camiano Gate, on the walls of which there are the oldest preserved copy of the coat of arms of Montefalco. The core of the medieval city, which has its centre in the characteristic Piazza del Comune, contains many valuable buildings and works of art.
A tour of Montefalco
The visit can start from the Church of St. Francis and the Civic Museum. Built between 1335 and 1338 by the Order of Friars Minor, the Saint Francis Church was renovated in 1385. The decorations at the entrance arch are by Benozzo Gozzoli (1421-1497) or perhaps by Piero Antonio Mezzastri (active in the 16th century), who was his assistant. The frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli and his assistants in the chapels of the Church are of major importance, and some are signed, such as those on the altar wall; among these we mention, in particular, “St. Jerome who removes a thorn from the paw of a lion” and “The Evangelists”; and all the scenes from the life of St. Francis, “The Birth of the Saint,” “The Glorification” , “The Saint who gives his coat;” in short, this cycle of frescoes, for the mastery and narrative complexity, can be compared with the cycle by Giotto in the Church of St. Francis in Assisi.
Civic Museum and renowned 15th Century Art
The Civic Museum is divided into three sections; the former church, with numerous frescos from the XIV to XVI century, and with works by Benozzo Gozzoli, Perugino [1450-1523] (1503), the so-called “Master of the Montefalco Crucifix” (active in the 13th-14th century), Jacopo di Vinciolo [active in the 15th century) (1461) and other artists; the Gallery contains works by Francesco Melanzio (1465-1524), Melozzo da Forlì (1438-1494), Antonio Aquili, called “Antoniazzo Romano” (1435 ca.-1508 ca.), and wooden sculptures of the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries.
Francesco Melanzio is a local painter, and in Montefalco he is highly esteemed - we do not know much of his life, but he seems to have been a pupil of Niccolò di Liberatore (known as the 'Alunno', 1430-1502), and inspired by the style of Perugino. He worked almost exclusively in his city and showed a strong attachment to it - an honour now repaid by the town. Within the Art Gallery the “Melanzio Room”stands out, with some major works by the artist born in Montefalco; a “Madonna and Child with Saints” (1487), “Madonna Enthroned with Saints” (1488), and “Madonna of the Rescue”. Among other works, note also a wooden crucifix by an anonymous painter from Spoleto (XIII century) and a wooden sculpture from the late fifteenth century, attributed to the workshop of Niccolo di Liberatore. See also the "St. Vincent, St. ‘Illuminata’ and St. Nicholas of Tolentino”, by Antonio Aquili (known as Antoniazzo Romano), and, finally, a "Crucifixion", attributed to Francesco Melanzio.
Several archaeological finds from the surrounding area are gathered in the crypt; among those of particular interest are the “Hercules of Montefalco” statue, (II-III century AD); a large plate with floral scrolls (first century AD), used as a table of altar, and a fragment of bas-relief, probably of paleo-Christian age, depicting a shepherd.
The Church of St. Augustine was built between 1279 and 1285. The façade, of Gothic style, is enriched by a ogival portal and the interior, with two aisles, contains valuable works such as a wooden statue of the fifteenth century, a wooden crucifix of Renaissance style (on the altar), some frescoes from the second half of the 15th century by Jacopo di Vinciolo, and other works by Bernardino Mezzastris, Giovanni di Corraduccio (1390-1437), Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1290 ca.-1348) and Giovanni Battista Caporali (1476-1560).
The tour continued...and more art and churches
Montefalco is a town of churches and convents, which attracted many artists, especially of the Umbrian school, who embellished them with paintings and frescoes. Continuing, therefore, our visit to the churches of city, we enter the 15th century Church of Santa Chiara - with a clearly reconisable Baroque style following a 17th century restructuring. It holds the remains of St. Clare of Montefalco, a picture of the early seventeenth century, "St. Clare in Ecstasy" by Francesco Longhi (16th-17th century), a stucco altar (XVII century), by Camillo Rusconi (1658-1728), a painting by Francesco Refini (1615 ca.-1692), from Spoleto, and some frescoes of Umbrian School, dating from the mid-fourteenth century. Next to the church there is the monastery, which also holds valuable works, including a crucifix, attributed to Puccio Capanna (active in 14th century) and a box from the fifteenth century in which was preserved the body of St. Clare. Another religious building of artistic reputation is the Church of Santa Illuminata, built in the sixteenth century on the ruins of an earlier building; it has a Renaissance façade, and, within it, many frescoes by Francesco Melanzio are preserved ( performed between 1506 and 1515) and Bernardino Mezzatris (1507).
Other churches worth visiting in Montefalco are the 13th century Church of Santa Maria di Piazza, with other frescoes by Francesco Melanzio, a prie-dieu of the sixteenth century and a wooden pedestal with holy water, dating back to the Early Middle Ages. The Church of St. Bartholomew is of the 13th century and was renovated and enlarged in the 17th century; it preserves a picture by the Flemish painter Jacopo Ybot (second half of the seventeenth century), and a wooden statue from the seventeenth century, portraying the "Risen Christ". The Church of Santa Maria Maddalena (about 1269, rebuilt in 1726) is decorated with various frescoes by Melanzio, Cristoforo di Jacopo (XV century) and two statues of the XVIII century.
In the Town Square stands the Town Hall, built in the twelfth century and later remodelled. On the left side there is a Gothic lancet window, while the portico was built in the fifteenth century. In the Town Square there are also many ancient buildings from the local nobility, such as the Palazzo Santi-Gentili (16th century), with a Renaissance-style staircase and a large Hall with wood coffered ceiling, and the 15th century Palazzo de Cuppis-Abbati-Camilli.
Leaving via Camiano Gate you can see the house where Francesco Melanzio was born, with a fresco depicting “The Immaculate Conception” (19th century) in the atrium. Outside the walls, along routes that wind through a nature imbued with strong spirituality, we reach the Monastery of San Fortunato, very interesting from an artistic viewpoint for the presence of works by Benozzo Gozzoli and Tiberio d'Assisi (1470-1524); the Shrine of Madonna della Stella, with valuable paintings dating from the 19th century and the Church of Santa Maria di Turrita, rich in frescoes from the 14th and 16th centuries.
A trip outside the walls is an excellent opportunity to learn about local production, starting with Montefalco wines, both white and red, and in particular the so-called "Sagrantino", produced from a native vine. After the wine we suggest tasting the traditional cuisine of Montefalco, which uses natural products of the country and the tasty meat of local farms, all seasoned with olive oil, quality guaranteed. Besides the oil, another product to taste is the highly regarded local honey.
Beside the local cuisine, we also recommend that you admire the handicrafts of Montefalco, in particular those of pottery and weaving, the first inspired by the ancient art of pottery, using techniques that re-manufactures the oldest types of pottery but with new decorative forms; and the second, drawing its inspiration from the prestigious heritage of local textile manufacture,combines modern colours and traditional designs with very high quality results.
See also history of Montefalco.