What is Bevagna known for?

Each June the four quarters of San Giorgio, San Giovanni, San Pietro and Santa Maria reconstruct the daily life of Bevagna between 1250 and 1350. Black and white frigidarium mosaic of the 2nd century AD, twelve by seven meters, the most intact Roman work in Umbria. Two Romanesque churches face each other across the medieval civic square, both signed by the builder Binello in the late 12th century.

Bevagna is a comune in the province of Perugia, Umbria region of Italy, about 34 kilometers from Perugia.

Umbria · Perugia

Bevagna

Roman Mevania on the Umbrian plain, four medieval quarters that compete every June in a reconstructed market of the 13th century.

34 km / 21 mi

Nearest hub (Perugia)

4,797

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Bevagna sits on the floor of the Umbrian valley, where the Clitunno meets the Timia. Ancient Mevania, the name means she who stands in the middle, was a Roman mansio on the Via Flaminia, listed in the Antonine Itinerary. A black-and-white mosaic of the 2nd century AD survives almost intact in the frigidarium of the Roman baths, twelve meters by seven, octopuses and dolphins in the center, tritons and sea-horses on the short sides. Piazza Silvestri at the heart of the centro storico holds two Romanesque churches that face each other at odd angles, San Michele Arcangelo and San Silvestro, built within years of each other in the late 12th century. The Mercato delle Gaite each June turns the town into the year 1300 for ten days, four quarters competing on medieval trades and tavern menus, no anachronisms allowed. The Sagrantino slopes of Montefalco are nine kilometers up the road.

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Gallery

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Known for

Piazza Silvestri
Twelfth-century civic square ringed by the Palazzo dei Consoli, the churches of San Silvestro and San Michele, and the fountain of 1896.
Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo
Romanesque collegiate church built by Binello and Rodolfo at the end of the 12th century, on the main square.
Chiesa di San Silvestro
Romanesque parish church across the piazza, signed and dated 1195 by Binello, the same builder as San Michele.
Mosaico Romano delle Terme
Black and white floor mosaic of the frigidarium, 2nd century AD, twelve by seven meters, marine creatures arranged symmetrically across the bath room.
Teatro Francesco Torti
Nineteenth-century neoclassical theater inside the Palazzo dei Consoli, 350 seats, in continuous use for prose and music seasons.
Roman temple ruins
Remains of a Roman temple and the cavea of the theater are still visible in the upper part of the centro storico, near the medieval walls.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September into October are the months for Bevagna. The valley fills with green, the Sagrantino vines run on the slopes above town, and the rose festival fills the gardens around the walls in May. The Mercato delle Gaite runs the second half of June and is the single most concentrated weekend on the Umbrian medieval calendar. July and August touch the mid-thirties on the valley floor; the piazza thins between two and six and reopens at aperitivo. November brings the new olive oil and the chestnut sagras of the surrounding hills. December through March is quiet, with shorter hours at the museums and the Roman mosaic visited mostly by school groups.