Montefalco
| Montefalco | |
|---|---|
| Comune | |
| Comune di Montefalco | |
 |
|
 Montefalco
|
|
| Coordinates: 42°53′N 12°39′E / 42.883°N 12.650°ECoordinates: 42°53′N 12°39′E / 42.883°N 12.650°E | |
| Country | Italy |
| Region | Umbria |
| Province / Metropolitan city | Perugia (PG) |
| Frazioni | Camiano, Casale, Cerrete, Fabbri, Fratta, Madonna della Stella, Montepennino, Pietrauta, San Clemente, San Marco, Torre di Montefalco, Turrita |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Valentino Valentini (since June 2004) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 69 km2 (27 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 473 m (1,552 ft) |
| Population (2007) | |
| • Total | 5,702 |
| • Density | 83/km2 (210/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Montefalchesi |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 06036 |
| Dialing code | 0742 |
| Patron saint | St. Fortunatus, St. Clare of Montefalco |
| Saint day | June 1 (St. Fortunatus), August 17 (St. Clare) |
| Website | Official website |
Montefalco is a town and comune in the central part of the Italian province of Perugia (Umbria), on an outcrop of the Colli Martani above the flood plain of the Clitunno river, 7 km (4 mi) SE of Bevagna, 11 km (7 mi) SW of Foligno, and 9 km (5.5 mi) NW of Trevi.
The town has been actively settled since the times of the Umbri. It has been under the successive domination of the Romans, Lombards, being called Coccorone in the Middle Ages. In 1249 it was sacked by Frederick II, but was soon rebuilt with the modern name. from the 13th century it had been a free comune under the domination of local nobles and merchants, but later, as with many other Umbrian locales, the comune gave way to government by a Signoria — in this case, that of the Trinci from the nearby Foligno (1383–1439). In 1446 it fell under the rule of the Papal States where it remained until the unification of Italy in 1861.
St. Clare of Montefalco, sometimes known as St. Clare of the Cross, was born in Montefalco and died there in 1308.
Montefalco today has several churches, some in the Romanesque, some in the Gothic and some in the Renaissance style. Historically, the most important is the church of San Francesco, which is now the town's museum, and, given its collection of art and artifacts, one of the most important museums in Umbria. The church is notable for its fresco cycle on the life of St. Francis, by the Florentine artist Benozzo Gozzoli (1450–1452). Other artists represented in the museum include Perugino, Francesco Melanzio, Pier Antonio Mezzastris, Antoniazzo Romano and Tiberio d'Assisi.
...
Wikipedia