What is Città della Pieve known for?

Pietro Vannucci was born here around 1448; the Oratorio dei Bianchi and the Duomo together hold three of his major works. The centro storico is built almost entirely of local terracotta brick, fired in the area since the Middle Ages. Petal-carpet tradition for Corpus Domini, recognized by Infioritalia, transforms the streets every June into a temporary mosaic.

Where is Città della Pieve?

Città della Pieve is a comune in the province of Perugia, Umbria region of Italy, about 46 kilometers from Perugia.

Umbria · Perugia

Città della Pieve

A red-brick hill town at 508 meters above the Valdichiana, the birthplace of Perugino and the home of Italy's narrowest alley.

508m

Elevation

46 km / 29 mi

Nearest hub (Perugia)

7,466

Population

Apr–Oct

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Città della Pieve sits on a hill at 508 meters between Umbria and Tuscany, about 260 meters above the Valdichiana and within sight of Lake Trasimeno. The town is built almost entirely of the local red brick that has been fired here since the Middle Ages, which gives the centro storico a uniform terracotta color. Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino, was born here around 1448 and returned in 1504 to fresco the Adoration of the Magi inside the Oratorio di Santa Maria dei Bianchi, one of the largest works he ever painted. The Cathedral of San Gervasio holds two more Perugino panels from 1510 and 1514. Pope Clement VIII elevated the town from Castel della Pieve in 1600, restoring its episcopal seat. Vicolo Baciadonne, eighty centimeters wide, threads between two brick walls and is regularly cited as the narrowest alley in Italy.

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Gallery

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Known for

Cattedrale dei Santi Gervasio e Protasio
Cathedral on the main piazza with two Perugino panels, the Madonna and Child with Saints of 1514 and the Baptism of Christ of 1510.
Oratorio di Santa Maria dei Bianchi
Confraternity oratory holding Perugino's Adoration of the Magi, frescoed in 1504 and considered one of his largest single works.
Torre del Pubblico
Twelfth-century civic tower in Lombard Romanesque style, thirty-nine meters tall, set next to the cathedral on Piazza Plebiscito.
Rocca
Triangular fortress raised in 1326 by the rulers of Perugia, with five towers originally, of which the Torre del Castellano and remains of the Torre del Frontone survive.
Palazzo della Corgna
Sixteenth-century palace by Galeazzo Alessi, frescoed inside by Salvio Salvini and Pomarancio with mythological and sacred scenes.
Vicolo Baciadonne
Eighty-centimeter gap between two brick walls, regularly cited as the narrowest alley in Italy and walked single file.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Oct

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September into October are the months locals prefer. The Valdichiana below stays green or gold depending on the half, and the brick of the centro storico holds the late light well. The Infiorata in June covers the main streets in petal carpets for Corpus Domini, drawing the year's largest crowd. July and August push temperatures into the mid thirties; the centro storico empties between two and six in the afternoon. November through March is quiet. Many restaurants close. The view from the Rocca toward Lake Trasimeno in winter haze, with the brick walls bare against gray sky, is the photograph that keeps people coming back.