The pearl of the Upper Tiber Valley
Città di Castello extends along the Upper Tiber Valley on the border with nearby Tuscany and a short distance from the Marche region. Today it is one of the most important tourist destinations in the Upper Tiber Valley.
Even today virtually the entire village is surrounded by the imposing defence wall. The historic centre is a popular tourist destination thanks to the beauty of its medieval and Renaissance monuments and the works of art conserved there.
Originally it was a Roman Municipality known by the name Tifernum Tiberinum. In the sixth century, Città di Castello, already a Christian settlement and Episcopal centre, was attacked and destroyed by the Goths on the orders of Totila. It was rebuilt by Bishop Florido, the city’s patron, and first took the name of Castrum Felicitatis and later, that of Civitas Castelli. It was an extremely powerful Guelph Free Commune, and two splendid buildings, Palazzo dei Priori and Palazzo del Podestà, stand as witness. In the late fifteenth century, various families fought to gain rule over the city but the Vitelli family emerged as victors, infusing it with art, embellishing the churches, palaces and monuments, and commissioning artists of great fame such as Signorelli and Raphael. Examples include Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera, with its beautiful graffiti facade that also serves as home to the Municipal Art Gallery; the Cathedral of San Florido, which preserves the frescos of Pomarancio; the Palazzo Bourbon del Monte, home of the Tela Umbra Museum and Laboratory founded in 1908; and Palazzo Vitelli in S.Egidio, with marvellous frescoes adorning its interiors and sprawling garden.
Alberto Burri, an interpreter of “informal art” and one of the greatest European artists from the post WWII period, was born in Città di Castello. Burri’s works, which the artist donated to his native city, are housed in Palazzo Albizzini and in the former Tobacco Drying Sheds.
Not far from the historic centre are the Fontecchio Thermal Baths, dating all the way back to the year A.D. 80 and which today offer a wide range of opportunities for those searching for specialized or natural cures, or a place to relax, practice fitness and restore their mental and physical health.