Gualdo Tadino

Ceramics with gold and ruby ​​tones. City of equestrian tournaments of ancient origins, nights of fire and reenactments. Land of skilled artisans and archaic rites, in which the pagan rituals mix with Christianity.

The town extends along the border between Umbria and the Marche, at the foot of the central Apennines. Its double place name sums up its tormented history : the city has been conquered and abandoned over the centuries, destroyed by man and violent earthquakes, then moved and rebuilt. The first inhabited nucleus developed on the hill, but in Roman times the population moved down to the plain, along the Consular Via Flaminia, giving rise to the town hall of Tadinum. After the death of the king of the Goths Totila, the commander of the Byzantine army, Gualdo gathered near the abbey of St. Benedict, along the creek, and later to the springs in Val di Gorgo. The foundation of the present city dates back to April 30, 1237, on the hill dedicated to Sant'Angelo.

Universally known as the city of ceramics, it owes its fortune to the artistic quality of its majolica and generations of craftsmen who have gradually transformed the village from a small artisan village to a modern industry.

The profile of Gualdo Tadino since the Middle Ages has been dominated by the fortress Rocca Flea, a symbol of the city. The structure in the typical light colour, was rebuilt by Frederick II in the mid 1200's and restored by Biordo Michelotti in the 14th century, it now houses the Pinacotheca and the Ceramic Museum.

Of the imposing walls with seventeen towers and ditches which once stood there are only a few remains. In the historical centre there is a Civic Tower from the thirteenth century and the Palazzo della Podestà, which houses the Regional Museum of Emigration "Pietro Conti", the cathedral of San Benedetto (XIII century) has a three-door façade, Romanesque rosary and a sixteenth-century fountain attributed to Sangallo the Elder.

Not far away is the monumental church of St. Francis, consecrated by the Franciscans in 1315 and restored several times, with frescoes from 1300 such as the Madonna with Child by Matteo da Gualdo. The peasant culture survives today in popular festivals such as the barrel race, San Giovanni’s night of fire or the famous Palio de la Porte that four teams from the city compete in on the last weekend of September and brings us the atmosphere of the Middle Ages.

In the enchanting mountain valley there are open landscapes full of small churches embedded in the natural environment. Like the convent of Santissima Annunziata and the sanctuary of the Madonna of Divine Love, both at the foot of Monte Serrasanta, while on the top of the solitary hill is the hermitage of the Holy Trinity.

Also worth mentioning is the church of San Facondino with the medieval tower and the church of San Pellegrino. The ancient presence of the hermit monks is marked by structures immersed in the peace and silence of uncontaminated nature, such as the hermitage of Santo Marzio and Angelico. From the beautiful valley of Valsorda, known for the absence of an echo, it is possible to reach the surrounding peaks through trails that can also be done on mountain bikes and on horseback.