Pietralunga

Slow tourism and light-coloured forests. To walk between the impregnable ridges of the Apennine and hiking on marked trails. Land of ancient traditions and medieval villages from the characteristic settlement to "scattered houses". Pietralunga is a small pearl of Umbria, nestled in the valley of the Carpina river.

A curious find, the bone flute made from a human tibia, now kept at the archaeological museum of Perugia, attests to its prehistoric origins. Crossed by the Umbri and then by the Romans, it has retained the remains of ancient villas, aqueducts, coins, and streets. Its history is intertwined with the nearby Città di Castello, part of the Papal State and finally the Kingdom of Italy. A partisan city, also decorated with the bronze medal for military value for the sacrifices made by the population during World War II, it hosts the regional monument to the Umbrian partisans. During the Renaissance era it was called Pratalonga, and called Pratomagno by Leonardo da Vinci due to its extensive pastures.

The perimeter, marked by walls that are perfectly intact. The historic centre of the village maintains the urban fabric of a medieval design, collected around the remains of the ancient Pentagonal lombard fortress, built around the 8th century. The narrow "vigoli" and the delightful steps lead the visitor to the Church of St. Mary, the parish church of ancient origins, surmounted by the elegant romanic portal of 1279 damaged by a grenade during the Second World War. Inside there is a fresco depicting the martyrdom of St. Sebastian attributed to Raffaellino del Colle and the polyptych by Ottaviano Nelli.

Along the streets there are the typical stone houses with the “doors of the dead and the living” (so-called because the first ones only opened for the coffin to pass through, while the latter were used as usual entrances), such as Palazzo Fiorucci of 1612, historic buildings such as the Palace of the Captain of the People from the early 1400s or the Palazzo del Gonfaloniere, the ancient guard of Porta del Cassino, the only one of the three original entrances left.

Medieval atmospheres return to the valley once a year during the Palio della Mannaia festival in August.

Legends built over time through a mix of Christian and mythological elements frequently appear in the popular tradition of Pietralunga. As evidenced by the religious itineraries along the valley that embrace places of worship such as the Pieve di Saddi. The church has a chest with a bas-relief from the eighth century depicting San Crescenziano killing a dragon.

Wooden products find their celebration during the food and wine show dedicated to potatoes and truffles. An obligatory stop for tourists is the oasis of Candeleto with its Nature Museum.