Discover What to see in Corciano
Walk along the steep, narrow alleys of this perfectly-preserved medieval village to experience a unique series of breathless twists and turns. Against the backdrop of a still-perfectly-preserved triple-walled enclosure (13th – 14th century), you can walk its entire length for more than a kilometre while taking in views of nativity scenes both outside the village walls – against the spectacular scenery of Monte Malbe – and inside, with the dainty houses and medieval buildings made of finely-carved blocks of limestone and travertine. The village will seem shrouded in silence, as if in a centuries-long slumber, with the slowness of rural life and the simplicity of its forms making for just the right atmosphere in which to explore its hidden nooks and crannies or its most famous buildings.
You can choose to access the old village from one of two monumental city gates: the San Francesco gate to the north, not far from the church and former convent of the same name which tradition has it were erected in 1223 after a visit to the village by St Francis, and the Santa Maria gate to the south, whose majestic Torrione (tower) has become the very symbol and emblem of Corciano. While you’re looking up and admiring its grandeur, take a moment to notice the very special suspended cage, which was used for the village’s death-row inmates. Once over the threshold, the village will appear proudly right in front of you. Walking along the main street, Corso Cardinale Rotelli, you’ll wind up in front of the Palazzo Municipale (Town Hall) built in 1500 by Alessi and Vignola as a stately home for the della Corgna dukes. The Sala del Consiglio still has a beautifully-decorated wooden ceiling, the work of the Zuccari school. Carrying on along the same road, you’ll come across two other important buildings representing municipal power, both dating back to the 15th century: the Palazzo dei Priori e della Mercanzia, which was the site of the village market and square for public assemblies and the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo made with stone and bricks in the Renaissance style. At this point you’ll be in the centre of Piazza Coragino, the main square which takes its name from the legendary founder of the village and which sports a beautiful circular well bearing Corciano’s coat of arms. The Torre Comunale stands proudly on the village’s highest point and has marked its centre since the 13th century, being the main hub of all the communication ‘spokes’ that radiate out from it. Once you’ve seen all the civil buildings, the first suggested stop on a tour of the churches and religious buildings should be the Church of S. Maria Assunta, a few metres from Piazza Coragino, which houses stunning works such as the Pala dell’Assunzione (Altarpiece of the Assumption) created by Perugino in 1513, the Gonfalone della Peste (Banner of the Plague) painted by Benedetto Bonfigli in 1472 and the statue of the Madonna del Rosario. The church was built in the Gothic style in the 13th century and then transformed into the neoclassical style at the end of the 19th century.
Other churches worth visiting are the Church of S. Cristoforo, erected in 1537 and home to the Museo della Pievania, the church of S. Maria del Serraglio (16th century) with its highly-treasured 14th-century fresco of Madonna and Child and the Church and Convent of S. Agostino (14th century), just outside the city walls.