We spent most of the day in Todi, a hilltop town in Umbria. We drove about 35 km, mostly along the Tiber River Valley. We took the funicular up the hill from the parking lot and set off to explore Todi. The city overlooks the Tiber River, with beautiful views in every direction.
“Historical Todi was founded by the ancient people of the Umbri, in the 8th-7th century BC. It was under Etruscan influence when conquered by the Romans in 217 BC. Christianity spread to Todi very early and it was part of the Duchy of Spoleto. Pope Boniface VIII started his career as a Canon in the Cathedral of Todi in 1260.”
In 1290, Todi had 40,000 residents. Today it has a population of 17,000. Todi is well maintained and a busy town. They are hosting a wine festival this weekend in Piazza del Popolo. Most of Todi’s medieval monuments front on Piazza del Popolo, which sits over ancient Roman cisterns, with more than 500 pits, which remained in use until 1925. The Todi Cathedral was erected over an ancient Roman building in the 11th century. The floor is an intricate pattern in marble and the back wall is filled by a giant fresco depicting the Universal Judgment. The Palazzo dei Popolo and Palazzo dei Priori were both completed in the 1200’s. Palazzo Vescovile or the Bishop’s Palace was built in 1593 by Cardinal Angelo Cesi just to the left of the Cathedral. The Piazza del Popolo has been used as a set location for several movies.
San Fortunato is a Paleo-Christian temple from the 7th century, of which two lion sculptures on the entrance portal remain. Construction of the new church began in 1292 and was halted during the plague of 1348. It was completed in the 15th century.
We stopped in the village of Baschi before heading home. Baschi sits on the Tiber River and also has Etruscan and Roman history. We visited the Renaissance church, Chiesa di San Nicola and walked about a bit. Then we headed home. We had a good day!
“Historical Todi was founded by the ancient people of the Umbri, in the 8th-7th century BC. It was under Etruscan influence when conquered by the Romans in 217 BC. Christianity spread to Todi very early and it was part of the Duchy of Spoleto. Pope Boniface VIII started his career as a Canon in the Cathedral of Todi in 1260.”
In 1290, Todi had 40,000 residents. Today it has a population of 17,000. Todi is well maintained and a busy town. They are hosting a wine festival this weekend in Piazza del Popolo. Most of Todi’s medieval monuments front on Piazza del Popolo, which sits over ancient Roman cisterns, with more than 500 pits, which remained in use until 1925. The Todi Cathedral was erected over an ancient Roman building in the 11th century. The floor is an intricate pattern in marble and the back wall is filled by a giant fresco depicting the Universal Judgment. The Palazzo dei Popolo and Palazzo dei Priori were both completed in the 1200’s. Palazzo Vescovile or the Bishop’s Palace was built in 1593 by Cardinal Angelo Cesi just to the left of the Cathedral. The Piazza del Popolo has been used as a set location for several movies.
