Bettona is an ancient town and comune

Comune

In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...

 of Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, in the province of Perugia

Province of Perugia

The Province of Perugia is the larger of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising two-thirds of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Perugia...

 in central Umbria

Umbria

Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...

 at the northern edge of the Colli Martani range. It is 5 km (3 mi) E of Torgiano

Torgiano

Torgiano is a comune in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 10 km southeast of Perugia.Torgiano borders the following municipalities: Bastia Umbra, Bettona, Deruta, Perugia.- History :...

 and 12 km (7 mi) SW of Assisi

Assisi

- Churches :* The Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi is a World Heritage Site. The Franciscan monastery, il Sacro Convento, and the lower and upper church of St Francis were begun immediately after his canonization in 1228, and completed in 1253...

.

Passaggio

Passaggio (Bettona)

Passaggio is a frazione of the comune of Bettona in the Province of Perugia, Umbria, central Italy. It stands at an elevation of 202 metres above sea level. At the time of the Istat census of 2001 it had 896 inhabitants....

, Colle and Cerreto are frazioni of the comune.

History

The town is of Etruscan origin; its people are first referred to in Pliny, NH III.114 (Vettonenses), then in other ancient authors and inscriptions.

Main sights

Bettona still retains a complete circuit of medieval walls incorporating substantial portions of the original Etruscan walls.

The Pinacoteca Comunale in the Palazzetto del Podestà (1371) has a painting by Pietro Perugino

Pietro Perugino

Pietro Perugino , born Pietro Vannucci, was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Umbrian school, who developed some of the qualities that found classic expression in the High Renaissance...

, the Madonna of Mercy, as well as other works by Iacopo Siculo, Dono Doni

Dono Doni

Dono Doni, also known as Adone Doni or Dono dei Doni, who was born at Assisi, early in the 16th century, is said to have been a disciple of Pietro Perugino. His style retained but little of the Gothic manner of that master, and in his later years he abandoned the style of the school of Raphael, and...

, Fiorenzo di Lorenzo

Fiorenzo di Lorenzo

Fiorenzo di Lorenzo was an Italian painter, of the Umbrian school. He lived and worked at Perugia, where most of his authentic works are still preserved in the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria....

 and Della Robbia

Della Robbia

Della Robbia may refer to:*Luca della Robbia , Italian sculptor*Andrea della Robbia , Italian sculptor, nephew of Luca*Giovanni della Robbia , son of Andrea*Girolamo della Robbia , son of Andrea...

.

Santa Maria Maggiore church, situated in the historical centre, is the main church of the region of Bettona. The Gothic chapel, dedicated to Saint Rita, is the only remaining part of the Roman church. The main altar is in the shape of domed temple, by Cruciano Egiduzio. The apse was frescoed in 1939 by the futurist painter Gerardo Dottori

Gerardo Dottori

Gerardo Dottori was an Italian Futurist painter. He signed the Futurist Manifesto of Aeropainting in 1929...

.

The church of San Crispolto

Crispoldus

Saint Crispoldus is venerated as a 1st century Christian martyr. He is the patron saint of Bettona, in Umbria, and said to have been the first bishop of that city, although the dioceses of Nocera and Foligno also include his name in episcopal lists.According to a legendary Passio of the 12th...

 was erected by monks to preserve the body of the patron saint

Patron saint

A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...

 (8th century). The current façade is by Antonio Stefanucci.

In the “Oratorio of St. Andrea” is a series of paintings from the school of Giotto, dated 1394, which show the Passion of Christ.

The town is also locally noted for its walled gardens.

External links

• Bettona official site, also in English
• Bill Thayer's site

(Based on the page in Bill Thayer's Gazetteer of Umbria, by permission.)