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Trevi

WINE TASTING
A carriage ride in the vineyards

A fantastic tour through the vineyards on a horse-drawn carriage, with a final tasting

60€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Along the river Clitunno

From Trevi towards the river deemed sacred by the Romans

from 90€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED ROADBIKE TOUR
Between Trevi and Spoleto on the Valle Umbra cycle path

A quiet cycle ride, protected by the hills of the Umbria valley

from 65€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED ROADBIKE TOUR
Bevagna, Spello and Santa Maria degli Angeli

The shortest version of its twin tour, but with the same exhilaration guaranteed

from 90€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Biking on the Plains of Bevagna

Biking around Bevagna, on the Umbrian countryside, immense beauty and very little effort

from 90€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Cross Country – Discover Montefalco by MTB

Come and discover Montefalco, biking off the beaten track

from 90€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Cross Country – from Bevagna to Gualdo Cattaneo

Spectacular landscapes only for the best cycle-trained legs

from 90€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Cross Country – Mountain bike in Umbria

Mountain bike in Umbria. Get ready to pedal hard and keep your eyes on the peaks, without ever lowering the head

100€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Cross Country – The landscapes of Valle Umbra

A tour through countryside and vineyards, with gentle plains and rugged climbs

from 100€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Cross Country – The Sagrantino Grand Tour

A tour through the landscapes and vineyards of Sagrantino, where fatigue gives way to wonder and astonishment

from 100€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Cross Country – the Sassovivo woods by MTB

In these magnificent woods you’ll need maximum peddle power

from 90€ Per person
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PRIVATE GUIDED MTB TOUR
Cross Country – Wild and rugged Trevi by MTB

A route through the unexpectedly rugged countryside around Trevi, up into the olive groves and unspoilt nature

from 90€ Per person
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Discover Trevi

Discover Trevi with us 

The beauty of Trevi will take you by surprise even before you enter the ancient Roman and medieval walls of the village; you will already notice it, in fact, from the road you take to get there. You’ll immediately be entranced by this enchanting little village that climbs the hill below Monte Serano like a snail. The latter stands behind the village along with Monte Brunette, both covered with expanses of woods and meadows. The real spectacle, however, is the vast silvery mantle that surrounds the village: hectares of olive groves, Trevi’s real treasure trove. At the foot of the village, the valley extends outwards and is crossed by the river Clitunno, which played an important role in all the history of the city, even becoming a divinity and thus sacred in Roman times.

Trevi was in fact conquered by the Romans in 284 a. C., but its origins go back much further in time: prehistoric civilizations established themselves in its territory and later it was a city of the Umbri people, as evidenced by the archaic inscription on the recently-discovered stele di Bovara. Indeed, the name of the city dates back the language of this ancient population: to indicate urban agglomerations, they used the word ‘trebeit’. Legend links the etymology of Trevi to Diana Trivia, goddess of hunting, to whom the inhabitants of the city were very devoted; a temple dedicated to her is said to have stood on the top of the hill where the Duomo is now situated. In the imperial age, ‘Trebiae’ expanded and a real ‘civitas’ (settlement of citizens) arose in the plain, in the locality of Pietrarossa, giving rise to numerous monumental buildings. This development was made possible by the presence of the important Via Flaminia, which led to Rome, as well as the river Clitunno, which was navigable at that time.

The first bishop of the city was Emiliano, who is now the city’s patron saint, martyred under Diocletian: according to the Passio Sancti Miliani, he was tied to a young olive tree and beheaded; the olive tree, which is thousands of years old, still exists and is located three hundred metres from the Benedictine abbey of Bovara. It is the oldest olive tree in Umbria and has resisted the innumerable ‘galaverne’, or ‘frosts’, that plague the territory.

With the decline of Roman power, the citizens of Trevi decided to move from the plain to the hill, to be safer from the constant, intense earthquakes, and to defend themselves from barbarian invasions they built walls with three tiers of escarpment and no loopholes.

The village succumbed to the Lombard conquest and passed under the Duchy of Spoleto, until it became a free, Guelph, Commune in the 12th century; the Civic Tower, still visible today in Piazza Mazzini in the city centre is the symbol of the free municipality. In 1214 Trevi was razed to the ground by the Duke of Spoleto and subsequently allied to Perugia. According to ancient Franciscan literature, during this time St. Francis went to Trevi and performed a miracle. Following this event, construction began of the convent that currently houses the Museo di San Francesco and the Museo della Civiltà dell’Olio.

In the 1400s, the advent of mendicant orders gave rise to the ‘Monte di Pietà’ (institutional pawnbroker run as a charity) and various ‘grain mountains’ called ‘Monti frumentari’ to help poorer farmers, as well as numerous confraternities, such as the one that administered the city Hospice, which is located in a narrow alley on the left of Palazzo Comunale, and still preserves traces of 14th and 15th-century frescoes.

The periods of greatest splendour in Trevi were the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, characterized by flourishing trade, with oil playing a major role; the city became so important that it was called the ‘dry harbour’. The splendid noble palaces that we can still admire today were built in this period, and dynamic cultural activity developed. To encourage the circulation of money, Jewish bankers were called, leading to the creation of the Jewish quarter, whose distinctive features can be observed in the style of Palazzo Natalucci, a few metres from the square. A very important event was the founding of the fourth Italian printing works in Trevi and the leading printing press in the world, in 1470. In 1784 it was reinstated to the rank of city by Pope Pius VI.

One of the problems faced by Trevi over the centuries was access to a water supply. The problem was solved in 1928 thanks to the construction of the famous aqueduct, which carried water from the river Clitunno to the city. Before this important operation, the population of Trevi was served  by communal city cisterns, while the richer families equipped their palazzi with personal cisterns: you can see one in the entrance hall of Palazzo Valenti, in Via San Francesco.

 

Trevi is one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, as well as a Bio (Organic) and Slow Food centre. It has been awarded the Orange Flag (quality Seal) by the Touring Club as well as Emas (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) certification. Its most prestigious awards, however, is its qualification as a Città dell’Olio: Trevi has as many as 200,000 olive trees and is part of the DOP ‘Umbria’ Colli Assisi-Spoleto (protected designation of origin for its olive oil). The extra virgin olive oil produced here has an exquisite fruity, bitter and spicy flavour, is of the highest quality and boasts numerous beneficial properties. It is produced according to traditional methods and is used to accompany simple but delicious, tradition Umbrian dishes. Another local product is the Sedano Nero (literally ‘Black Celery’), which is typical of Trevi and is grown in the valley, where the soil is particularly fertile and where there was a lake several centuries ago. This Celery is protected and promoted by the ‘Slow Food’ movement and its cultivation is very ancient, with records dating it back to the 5th century BC. You can buy it in October, at the Mostra Mercato del Sedano Nero e della Salsiccia, or at the Mercato Contadino (Farmers Market) every fourth Sunday of the month, along with tasty chestnuts from Manciano, a hamlet of Trevi.

The city offers many opportunities for leisure and fun activities throughout the year: in addition to the Markets, you can taste Trevi’s famous oil, visit its oil mills, go trekking or attend open-air concerts during Festivol, held in November. At the end of April, there is a two-day festival called ‘Pic&Nic a Trevi’, involving art, music and snacks amongst the olive groves. Certainly the most important time for village life is Ottobre Trevano: for the whole month of October, Trevi comes alive, with taverns and inns opening in all the neighbourhoods, historical processions and scenes of medieval life, and above all the ‘Palio of the Terzieri’, an exciting competition between neighbourhoods. Another important occasion for the village is the highly evocative procession of the Illuminata, which has been taking place for eight centuries in honour of the patron Saint Emiliano. It’s also worth having a look at what shows are on at the Teatro Clitunno.

Discover What to see in Trevi 

While you walk along Trevi’s narrow, winding alleys you’ll be filled with the relaxing spirit of the village, where you can experience total peace of mind. The sun peeps through between the rooftops, the voices and sounds of everyday life intertwine with the song of the swallows in spring, and then the extraordinary beauty of the historic centre reveals its most surprising treasure troves: noble Renaissance palazzi such as Palazzo Manenti, Urighi or Valenti, next to 15th-century houses and medieval workshops, such as those in Via Ombrosa.

We recommend you start your tour from Porta del Lago. From there, you’ll walk in the opposite direction the road walked by those who were condemned to death. From the square, they passed in front of the church of San Giovanni, and went through the door to go to the ‘Montarone delle forche’ (gallows), where the village hospital now stands. Pressing on, you will arrive in Piazza Mazzini, the hub of the village, where the most important events take place, such as Ottobre Trevano. Here you’ll see the Torre Civica, the Palazzo Comunale and the Palazzo del Governatore, formerly of the ‘Podestà’. Once you are in the square you can take any of the streets branching off and go and discover, step by step, all sorts of sights and monuments. Walking along Via San Francesco, you will come across the splendid 14th-century church of San Francesco, which houses the oldest organ in Umbria, and the convent, now hosting the Museo della Civiltà dell’Ulivo and an Art Gallery of works from the area, like those by Giovanni di Pietro and Pinturicchio. When you leave the convent, stop for a few minutes to admire the stunning Umbrian valley from a panoramic viewpoint over the city walls: in front of you, among the trees, you will also see the convent of San Martino, which is well worth a visit, all the better at sunset.

On the top of the hill you’ll see the church of Sant’Emiliano (Duomo) and, on the same piazza, Palazzo Lucarini, a Centre for Contemporary Art. A place you should not miss is Villa Fabri, and in particular the Cappella dei Boemi in the basement, the second example in Italy of the Beuron school.

At this point, you’ll have discovered more or less every nook and cranny of the centre of Trevi, so at this point you should head down the hill and visit the sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lagrime, a treasure chest of masterpieces by Pietro Perugino and Giovanni di Pietro (aka Spagna).

The complex of San Francesco, consisting of the church and the adjacent former convent, stands on the site where, according to legend, St. Francis preached, speaking to a braying donkey and managing to pacify him. The church was built over an ancient building dating back to 1268 and dedicated to the Madonna; it was enlarged in the 14th century and restored a century later. The architecture is simple and undecorated, in line with the style of mendicant orders. It has a single nave with a wooden truss roof, a pentagonal central apse and two rectangular-shaped chapels on the sides. Inside there are 15th-16th-century frescoes and a beautiful cross from the first half of the 14th century. Still preserved inside the church is an organ of great value made by the Montefalco-born Paolo Pietro di Paolo in 1504. It is the oldest example in Umbria, and one of the oldest in Europe, a survivor of the type defined as a ‘Wall organ’ during the Renaissance.

The convent was founded by the Friars Minor Conventual, who became a fundamental order for the community of Trevi. In fact, they were entrusted with the custody of the three keys to the city’s invaluable historical archive, the so-called ‘Archivio delle Tre Chiavi’ (Archive of the Three Keys). The convent develops around the beautiful cloister formed by the portico, whose lunettes are frescoed with episodes from the life of St. Francis by Bernardino Gagliardi from Città di Castello, who painted them around 1645. In the 17th century the building was rebuilt from its very foundations, while in 1833 it was restructured by the famous architect Giuseppe Valadier, who made it suitable to host the collegio Lucarini, a prestigious institution founded two centuries earlier by Virgilio Lucarini, exponent of a wealthy family from Trevi.

Today the museum complex of San Francesco has been set up inside the former convent, inaugurated in 1996 after reconstruction and restoration works. Originally the Museo della Città e del Territorio and the Pinacoteca were set up established there, while three years later it gave way to the Museo della Civiltà dell’Ulivo. Finally, in 2006, the complex was completed with the addition of the Antiquarium. Inside the Pinacoteca (Gallery) are artworks of exceptional calibre from the medieval and renaissance periods, such as l’Incoronazione della Vergine by Giovanni di Pietro, a Madonna con il Bambino by Pinturicchio and l’Assunzione della Vergine, an altar-piece created in 1640 da Alessandro Turchi. The archaeological museum instead contains excavated materials found in the locality of Pietrarossa, where ancient Roman Trebiae once stood.

Trevi’s Cathedral or ‘Duomo’ is named after St Emiliano, the first bishop, martyr and patron of the city, whose stories are told in the Passio Sancti Miliani. An Armenian, he was sent to administer the local church but was persecuted and killed in 303, under Diocletian, on the olive tree now called precisely ‘di Sant’Emiliano’. The people of Trevi have always been very devoted to their patron saint, to the extent that in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the saint’s name was used to refer to Trevi itself or its inhabitants. The Patron’s Day Feast is held on 27th January and a moving and deeply-felt procession of the ‘Illuminata’ takes place the night before. The church towers over the city from the top of the hill where, according to legend, the temple of Diana Trivia stood; the oldest remains of the church date back to the 12th century and are represented by the three elegant apses and the statuette of the saint, placed above the 15th-century portal which is now walled up. In the 15th century, in fact, the church was enlarged by Lombard craftsmen: the main portal and the tympanum above it belong to this phase, depicting St Emiliano between two lions. The first is surrounded by a frame, made using a Roman tombstone, while the second was originally positioned on top of an altar in the town square, since the new priests stepped up onto it when they celebrated their first mass. The most important intervention was by the Roman architect Luca Carimini, who gave the church its present appearance in the second half of the 19th century.

The inside of the building is neoclassical in style and the cippus is kept there, in which the remains of St Emiliano were found; it also exhibits frescos from the 16th century: one in particular comes from a column in the Renaissance temple and is therefore called Madonna della Colonna and is attributed to Francesco Melanzio da Montefalco. There are two splendid altars: the Sacramento by Rocco da Vicenza (1521) and the Trinità (1585).

The Civic Tower, which stands tall in the south-east corner of Piazza Mazzini, was probably built together with Palazzo Comunale in the 13th century. Over the centuries it was restored several times due to damage caused by earthquakes, war events or other calamities. In particular, in 1420, the Lord of Foligno Corrado Trinci took possession of Trevi and ordered that the tower be lowered. Once his dominion ceased, however, the local authorities had it raised again because from a distance the sound of bells could not be heard. Now silent, these bells were once used to convene city meetings and for other functions, all indicated on an inscription (in the form of a couplet) on the Maggiore bell: “Convoco arma, signo dies, known horas, debello nubila, concino laeta, ploro rogos”, which translates: “I summon the troops, I count the days, I ring out the hours, I expel storms, I celebrate holidays, I weep for the dead”. The Torre is the symbol of the Municipality.

The church of the Madonna delle Lagrime was erected following a prodigious event: in 1485 a fresco of a rural house depicting a Madonna with Child, today inside the sanctuary, wept tears of blood and so the community of Trevi decided to start work for the construction of the building. These were entrusted to Antonio di Giorgio Marchisi and began in 1487 and ended in 1522. The church we can admire today is an enchanting Umbrian model of a Latin cross Renaissance church. Inside the imposing and luminous building, which has a single nave with cross vaults, there are works of admirable quality, among them the burial monuments of the Valenti family are of particular distinction. Some of the works from the Sanctuary are now preserved in the Raccolta d’Arte (Art Collection) at the Museo di San Francesco a Trevi

The most famous chapels are the Adorazione dei Magi and the San Francesco, both richly decorated by two illustrious artists. In the first, you will find the fresco of the Adorazione by Pietro (aka Perugino), who created it in his more mature phase, in 1522. Inside the second chapel there is instead the Trasporto di Christo by Giovanni di Pietro, painted between 1518 and 1520. Other works by the famous artist are kept in the Museum and in the convent of San Martino. The church consists of four other chapels and an altar.

Outside you will find the monumental portal, built in ‘alba stone’ at the end of the 15th century by Giovanni di Giampietro da Venezia.

Villa Fabri is a captivating place that combines art, history and nature, and from its garden you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Spoleto valley. It is or was called by different names, depending on the families that have owned it over time.

It was built at the beginning of the 17th century by Girolamo Fabri “for the relief of his old age, to the delight of posterity and the country”. It subsequently passed into the hands of the Venturini, then the Onori-Roncalli from Foligno, and again to the Carrara family from Terni to then pass into the ownership of the counts della Porta from Roma. In 1891 Monsignor Hais purchased it and expanded it to establish the Collegio Boemo (Bohemian Collage), while from the 1940s to the 1980s it housed the Collegio Etiopico (Ethiopian College)and was this renamed ‘Villa dei Moretti’. Today the Villa is owned by the Municipality and is the seat of the Municipal Tourist Office, of the Fondazione Villa Fabri and of the Regional Association promoting the Strada dell’Olio extravergine di Oliva Dop Umbria.

The facade of the Villa bears monochrome graffiti of Prague and five other Bohemian cities, while the numerous interior rooms are decorated with magnificent frescoes by artists from Rome and Siena from the first half of the 17th century, including Salimbeni and Pomarancio. Allegories, zodiac signs, scenes from the Old Testament and the lives of the saints are depicted, and in the first room, a fake door is painted bearing a curious character in the act of appearing.

Certainly the most important work in the Villa is the Cappella dei Boemi, built between 1912 and 1914, by Pantaleone Mayor, famous exponent of the Beuron school, an artistic movement that started in Sweden on the initiative of the Benedictine monk Peter Lenz in the second half of the 19th century. And it is precisely this chapel in Villa Fabri that represents the second most important work of this school of art in Italy, after the crypt of Montecassino.

Completely immersed in olive groves and perched on a rock behind Trevi, the now former church of Santa Caterina was the centre of religious life for the people of Trevi for many years. Only a large fresco on the back wall remains of the church, depicting a dramatic Crucifixion, with life-size figures of the various Marys, St. Francis, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Catherine of Alexandria. The fresco dates back to the 14th century and has been attributed to the ‘Primo maestro di Santa Chiara da Montefalco’ (First Master of Santa Chiara from Montefalco). The canvas depicting the Martyrdom of Saint Catherine, currently preserved in the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lagrime, came originally from this church.

The building was probably abandoned due to its largely inaccessible position and the nearby presence of the Capuchin convent, where the Cemetery is now, which was larger and more active. There have always been many devotees of Santa Caterina amongst the population of Trevi and is connected to Trevi’s flagship: on 25th November, in fact, the feast day of the saint, once the Mass had ended, the olive harvest began. At the end of the 19th century, the building was defaced in order to retrieve stone for the construction of Trevi’s hospital and since then its condition only worsened, until its restoration in 2011, which has now made it possible to see and visit this gem again, thanks to the path created by the mountain community.

Palazzo Lucarini was built in the second half of the 15th century, absorbing a small medieval district of Trevi. The Lucarini family was one of the most illustrious in the city and Virgilio Lucarini was undoubtedly the most important person: he left his fortune in Trevi and Rome to be used to build a college for young people who wanted to set their sights on studying law and medicine. The college was housed in the palazzo until 1832, after which it was transferred to Palazzo Valenti and then finally to the convent of San Francesco.

The building has a 16th-century portal – arched and with architraves – which bears the coats of arms of the Lucarini and Valenti families; there is another from the 17th century, together with several windows dating back to the same period. Today Palazzo Lucarini belongs to the Municipality of Trevi and is used in part for residential purposes and in part as the headquarters of the Centre for Contemporary Art of the non-profit Cultural Association ‘Palazzo Lucarini Contemporary’.

Palazzo Valenti is probably the most beautiful noble residence in all of Trevi. Owned by the Counts Valenti di Riosecco, one of the many branches into which the Trevi family tree splits off, the Palazzo dates to the Renaissance period. The building is not open to the public but you can still admire the exterior, with its magnificent arched portal with architraves with the heads of men in the segments, and the windows with the family crests.

Inside, you can only visit the entrance hall, where you will see a large cistern for rainwater. Before the aqueduct was constructed in 1928, access to a reliable water supply was a serious problem for Trevi: the citizens could only have public cisterns, now located under the city streets, while the wealthier families, like the Valenti, equipped the own residences with private cisterns, such as the one in the entrance of this building.

Discover what to do in Trevi 

Trevi is a perfect example of harmonious interplay between village and the surrounding environment, and between history, art and new technologies and thanks to Exploring Umbria, you’ll find a whole range of activities you can try out. If you want to immerse yourself in nature, there are numerous nature trails in the meadows of the Serano and Brunette mountains; Trevi is part of the Monti Martani, Serano and Subasio Mountain Community. Exploring Umbria offers excursions both in the mountains, on the hills and in the plains along the river Clitunno, where it’s not uncommon to see wild boars, hares, weasels, or magpies, barn owls and other wild animals as you walk and, if you like to combine nature and art, you can walk along trekking paths that will take you past rural churches and shrines. Trevi is also a milestone on the ‘Sentiero degli Ulivi’ route, which will lead you to historic oil mills, olive groves and the best producers of Trevi’s ‘green gold’.

Thanks to Exploring Umbria, you can have riding lessons and go horseback riding at the Centro Equestre Trevi, and you can also tear by in a Go Kart at the track in the hamlet of San Lorenzo. If, on the other hand, you are tempted by the experience of flying in an ultralight aircraft, Exploring Umbria can help make your dream come true!

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