What is Cascia known for?

Augustinian nun who died in Cascia in 1457, canonized in 1900, patron of impossible causes and the town's central economy. Black truffle of the upper Valnerina, harvested in the woods above town, the secular half of Cascia's annual calendar. August 2016 sequence damaged the basilica and centro storico, part of an active seismic corner that has shaken the town for centuries.

Cascia is a comune in the province of Perugia, Umbria region of Italy, about 68 kilometers from Terni.

Umbria · Perugia

Cascia

Santa Rita's town at 653 meters in the upper Valnerina, in the seismic corner of Umbria that the 2016 earthquake reopened.

653m

Elevation

68 km / 42 mi

Nearest hub (Terni)

2,957

Population

May–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Cascia sits at 653 meters in the mountainous southeastern corner of Umbria, a remote pocket of the upper Valnerina near the Marche and Lazio borders. The commune carries the highest seismic activity in the region together with Norcia twelve kilometers away, and a long history of destructive earthquakes that culminated in the August 2016 sequence. The town is built around Rita Lotti, who died in the Augustinian monastery here in 1457 and was canonized as Santa Rita in 1900. The Basilica di Santa Rita, built 1937-1947 in white Tivoli travertine on the site of the older church, draws pilgrims year-round and turns Cascia into a town that runs on faith and on truffle. The Cammino di San Benedetto passes through, linking Norcia to Subiaco and Montecassino. Visitors not pilgrims tend to come for the black truffle, the lentils of nearby Castelluccio, and the silence of the high pastures above town.

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Gallery

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Known for

Basilica di Santa Rita
Built 1937-1947 in white Tivoli travertine, Greek-cross plan, frescoes by Montanarini, Filocamo, Consadori, Ceracchini and Vicenzi.
Monastero di Santa Rita
Augustinian monastery where Rita Lotti lived and died in 1457, attached to the basilica and still active as a religious community.
Chiesa di San Francesco
Medieval Franciscan church in the lower centro storico, fourteenth and fifteenth-century frescoes inside.
Centro storico medievale
Compact upper town around the basilica, partially restored after the 1979 and 2016 quakes, remains of medieval fortifications.
Cammino di San Benedetto
Pilgrim route from Norcia toward Subiaco and Montecassino, with Cascia as the main Umbrian stage.

When to visit

Best months · May–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

May through October is the open season at 653 meters. The basilica is busiest around the May 22 feast of Santa Rita, when pilgrims fill the upper town and accommodation books out months ahead. June through September brings mild days and cool nights, the high pastures green, the truffle hunters working the woods above town. The Cammino di San Benedetto draws walkers from spring through autumn. November through April is hard. Snow and seismic anxiety both linger, several restaurants close, and the basilica becomes quiet between services. The light on the basilica's white travertine in winter, against a dark Valnerina ridge, is the local image.