Piazza del Mercato and the Reggia Park

In ancient times, the space between the Rocca and the Reggia stream (or Regghia), was called Foro Boario as it was the seat of an important cattle market (as highlighted in a beautiful oil painting by Ernesto Freguglia - property of the Umbertide Municipality) . In that period (half of the 1800s) the embankments along the river had not yet been built and the base of the Rocca and the city walls was very low. Then, from 1880 until 1888, the two walls were built and the floor of the square around the Rocca was raised.

Until the mid-60s, along the Reggia were cultivated gardens that were accessed by a series of steps on the ground that started from the lawn of the platform. Then, abandoned the gardens, the space had become impassable and full of waste. It was decided then, in the mid-'70s, to proceed to its concrete paving to restore cleanliness to the area.

Thirty years after that intervention, the municipal administration has launched an international architecture competition called "Umbertidea" as part of a redevelopment project for the areas adjacent to the historic center.

The intervention that was carried out and concluded in 2011, based on the winning project of the "Bike under the Bridge" competition, led to the definition of the new Market Square and the new Park along the Reggia, which partly restored the conditions originating in the area.

Today, starting from the Market Square, you can enter the Park of the Reggia that laps the homonymous torrent and along which a bicycle and pedestrian path has been created that runs along the ancient city walls. A pleasant journey then to discover the ancient Fratta that reaches the Tiber where, either on the right passing under the bridge, or on the left crossing the bridge made recently, you can take the nature trails along the Tiber also used for sport-fishing.