Città di Castello, the beautiful Renaissance town of Umbria

The town, in the province of Perugia, is a beautiful Renaissance oasis in medieval Umbria. Founded by the Umbrians, it became a Roman municipality under the name Tifernum Tiberinum. After enduring several dominations and after being sacked and destroyed by the Goths of Totila in the 6th century AD, it was rebuilt, fortified, and renamed Castrum Castelli.

Piazza Matteotti in Città di Castello

Surrounded for long stretches by the sixteenth-century walls, in Città di Castello the "breath of art" can be found in the evocative atmosphere of the historic center, in the elegant Renaissance architecture, in the courtyards and loggias of the noble palaces, in the cloisters and in the naves of the churches such as the monumental Cathedral dating back to the 11th century.

In addition to designing the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Giorgio Vasari, painter and architect, designed the facade of Palazzo Vitelli, the conjugal residence of the Vitelli family. Today Palazzo Vitelli houses the municipal art gallery, enlarged with new exhibition rooms, the second most important gallery in Umbria, in which there are paintings by Raphael, Luca Signorelli and Ghirlandaio.
In Città di Castello you will not only find ancient art; the town is also an important center for contemporary art, thanks to the legacy of Alberto Burri, master of the Informal, whose works can be admired at the ancient tobacco drying buildings and at Palazzo Albizzini.

Tobacco drying buildings by Alberto Burri

Not to be missed is the Duomo Museum, adjacent to the cathedral, which preserves precious testimonies of sacred art. Walking along the historic center of the town, you can visit the textile collection at Palazzo Tommasini, where the history of the company "Tela Umbra" is retraced, then you should head towards the documentation center of the graphic arts Grifani - Donati, point of reference in the enhancement of the typographical tradition of the town.
There are other treasures to be discovered in Città di Castello, such as the fourteenth-century fresco of the Last Supper, recently found in the Templar site of Santa Maria della Carità. The fresco, periodically open to tourists for guided tours, dates back to the end of the 1300s, and the oldest decorations have been attributed approximately to the 1100s.
Even the most demanding food lovers can be gratified with the delicacies and culinary traditions of Città di Castello: his majesty the white truffle is the king of many dishes, and his seasonal variations are the true stars of the local cuisine.

Palazzo Vitelli

Stay in one of these villas within an hour drive to Città di Castello and experience the most authentic Italian living in style: Luxury villa Ada, Luxury villa Arcelle, Luxury villa Cannelle, Luxury villa Casa Lazzari and Luxury villa Piantaverna.

Luxury villa Piantaverna