Bevagna isn’t just one of the most beautiful medieval villages in all of Umbria, but also one of those that has best managed to make the most of its history and traditions.
As a medievalist, I’m deeply in love with all the little towns of our country, but in Bevagna I really left a little piece of my heart. This small Umbrian village seems to have stayed frozen a thousand years ago, keeping all its ancient charm.
Do you want to know what to do in Bevagna?
Among the things to see in Bevagna I recommend starting from its old walls, which still defend the town intact along the whole perimeter, then passing through the great medieval gates and enjoying the charm of the village.
Bevagna is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy: between Roman remains, brick houses and old churches, it will feel like a real journey through time.
But there’s more!
Every year, in fact, you’ll be able to discover medieval Bevagna thanks to a very special festival that shows you what life in this region was like more than 700 years ago!
Ready to find out what it is?
Off we go!
The Mercato delle Gaite: Bevagna in the Middle Ages
The best time to visit Bevagna is in June, when the famous Mercato delle Gaite takes place and thousands of visitors from all over Italy reach the village to immerse themselves in the charm of the Middle Ages.
But what is the Mercato delle Gaite?
It’s an event that faithfully reproduces the life of a medieval town between 1250 and 1350, based on the study of the town statutes of that period.
The festival lasts about ten days and, on this occasion, the people of Bevagna wear period costumes, falconry and juggling shows are staged, and concerts of early music resound throughout the village.
The taverns also serve dishes of ancient Umbrian cuisine, strictly without potatoes or tomatoes, since at the time they hadn’t yet been brought from the Americas.
Why is it worth going?
Beyond the medieval atmosphere, one of the most interesting parts involves the various craftsmen who explain the arts and trades of the past. The workshops of the medieval crafts circuit return to their ancient production, just as it was done in the Middle Ages: the old paper mill, the candle works, the mint and the silk works.
In the paper mill you’ll see how paper was made, a most precious material, starting from old rags left to macerate. At the silk works you’ll be shown how silk was extracted from the worms and how this technique arrived from Asia; the candle works and the mint, just as interesting, illustrate the making of candles and of coinage.
Don’t miss the Casa di Cecco, a typical medieval dwelling where you can understand how people lived 700 years ago.
Entry to the workshops of the circuit is paid (it’s best to check the updated price on the official website), but it’s absolutely worth it.
One last curiosity! The Mercato delle Gaite is also a contest between the four gaite (the districts into which the town is divided), which compete in the market, the crafts, gastronomy and archery: at the end, the district with the highest score wins the Palio della Vittoria.
The monuments of Bevagna
The history of Bevagna goes back to Roman times, when it became an important trading hub on the Via Flaminia. Later it became a free comune, until it was devastated in 1375 by Corrado Trinci, lord of nearby Foligno.
Among the things to see in Bevagna, a Roman theatre and the remains of two pagan temples still survive, partly reused in the churches of Piazza Silvestri.
And the medieval part?
The village oozes the Middle Ages from every stone. One of the entrances to the town crosses a lovely bridge over the river Clitunno, from which you can see the old public wash-house and a pretty view of the Teverone waterfall.
Inside the walls, I recommend starting your visit from the beautiful Piazza Silvestri. This is where some of the most important buildings of Bevagna stand, a 19th-century fountain and even a Roman column with a Corinthian capital.
The Palazzo dei Consoli is perhaps the finest: built in 1270 in Gothic style, it surprises with the external staircase rising to the loggia where the Teatro Torti now stands, a 19th-century gem entirely decorated with just 140 seats.
Two beautiful medieval Romanesque churches also overlook the square.
One is the church of San Michele Arcangelo, built towards the end of the 12th century: exceptionally for the time, we even know the names of the two masters who built it, Binello and Rodolfo, who left their “signature” in the inscription at the entrance. Pay attention to the details of the portal, with magnificent sculptures of the saint and an angel with a scroll.
Almost opposite stands the church of San Silvestro, dated 1195, a masterpiece by Binello alone (the date is carved on the portal’s jamb). The imposing nave was built over an ancient crypt, where the atmosphere is surreal: I felt like a pilgrim from many centuries ago.
But Bevagna isn’t only the Middle Ages: there are also many Roman finds.
Fancy getting to know them?
Discovering ancient Mevania
Despite its medieval look, Bevagna preserves the traces of a more ancient past, when the Romans called it Mevania and built a theatre, baths and several temples here.
The structure of the Roman theatre of Bevagna dates to around the 1st century AD, and it has a peculiarity: it’s there, but you won’t easily find it while walking through the medieval streets.
Why?
The only way to notice it is to look at the plan of Bevagna from above: a whole complex of houses was built following the curve of the ancient theatre’s foundations. The rest of the structure remained embedded in the dwellings.
If you expected a clearly visible structure like the one in Gubbio, you’ll be disappointed: here the theatre is “hidden”.
So what can you visit?
Part of this treasure can be visited on guided tours that lead into the ancient rooms of the Roman theatre: one of these is the ambulatory beneath the cavea, the central space of the theatre, about 90 metres long. Its remarkable size suggests that spectators came even from the nearby towns.
In imperial times, Mevania also held temples and sumptuous baths: the magnificent mosaics of the baths can now be seen along the route of the civic museum, which tells the story of the village from its origins.
I absolutely recommend it.
What to see near Bevagna
Unless you happen to arrive in the middle of the Mercato delle Gaite, visiting Bevagna will take you about half a day: the town isn’t big and is easily explored.
Still fancy seeing something?
Then I recommend one of my absolute favourite places, the beautiful Fonti del Clitunno: a nature park where, in a pretty little lake home to ducks and swans, the waters of the river Clitunno gush forth. This spot was already sacred to the Romans, who celebrated the so-called Clitumnalia here every year.
If instead you fancy going a few kilometres further, among the towns to see near Bevagna are the beautiful Spoleto, Assisi and the charming Roman town of Spello.
Wine tour between Bevagna and Montefalco
Are you a wine lover? Then I recommend a tour discovering the finest wines of Umbria.
This is the land of the famous Sagrantino: just 8 kilometres from Bevagna is Montefalco, also one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, famous for its vineyards.
With this wine tour between Montefalco and Bevagna you can admire the artistic highlights of both villages and taste three of the most celebrated local wines: Sagrantino, Montefalco Rosso and Bevagna’s Castelbuono, accompanied by other typical products such as the excellent olive oil. The tour includes a driver who picks you up at your hotel (even in Perugia, Foligno or Spoleto).
What to eat in Bevagna
Among the local specialities I’d point you to stewed snails, meat-filled gnocchi and gnocchi with Sagrantino: some of these recipes even come from the kitchen of an ancient Benedictine convent.
To finish the meal, there’s only one thing to do here: the famous tozzetti with vinsanto, a real institution.
And you, are you drawn more to the dive into the Middle Ages of the Mercato delle Gaite or to the Roman theatre hidden among the houses?
