During this tour you will follow the footsteps of monks who settled in this captivating area of Umbria and changed its very aspect by building important monasteries and abbeys, such as the abbeys of San Eutizio and San Pietro in the valley near Ferentillo.
Norcia Birthplace of S. Benedict and of his twin sister Santa Scolastica, the founders of western monasticism. Our walking tour will let you discover unexpected artistic treasures as well to taste local products such as the fantastically tasty black truffle and the delicious salami and hams of Norcia, many of them made with wild boar caught in nearby hills.
The abbey of Sant’Eutizio Founded by some Syriac monks who, because of its many protective caves, chose the Valnerina to settle in, the abbey of Sant’Eutizio became the most important and prosperous one in Norcia and the surrounding area. The church dates from the 12th century. In front of it, there is a courtyard surrounded by the ancient buildings once used by monks, but which, today, are used to display an exhibition about the history of the surgical school of Preci.
The church of S. Felice di Narco The church of San Felice, a magnificent example of Romanesque style in the area of Spoleto, is part of an old Benedectine monastery. It is located at the entrance to the Valnerina at the feet of Sant’Anatolia, a good starting point for exploring the natural charms of this Umbrian area, characterized by old fortified villages and castles that were built to defend the road which goes through the narrow valley.
The abbey of San Pietro in Valle Founded in the 8th century by the Lombardian, Faroaldo II, Duke of Spoleto, this abbey is an important exemplar about medieval painting and sculpture in the Early Middle Ages. The church, with its single nave, is decorated with a significant cycle of frescoes and has a main altar that serves as a rare example of Lombardian sculpture. For its location and its artistic importance it is a “must see”.
