Bevagna

Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club

At the foot of rolling green hills, the village ofBevagna is enclosed by walls and runs along the ancient Via Flaminia, today Corso Matteotti, which is accessed through Porta Foligno and Porta del Salvatore.

Very peculiar and evocative, as well as beautiful, is the Silvestri Square. This is a space devoid of symmetry and frontal alignments, with an original scenography being created that makes it one of the most interesting medieval urban realisations in the region. Prominent on the square are the Basilica of St Sylvester, a true jewel of Umbrian Romanesque architecture, the collegiate church of St Michael Archangel enriched by a beautiful portal and a spired bell tower, and the palazzo dei Consoli, which today houses the Francesco Torti Theatre.

In June, the village comes alive with the Gaite Market, a historical re-enactment that is very participative and heartfelt, attracting numerous tourists from the region and beyond. Performances, chivalric contests, storytelling and music from the Middle Ages follow one another over the days of the event, where old trades, such as paper production and processing, which is one of the typical handicraft products of the area.