|
|
 |
|
Citerna is a small village that lays upon a hill at
420 m. high above sea level. There you can enjoy a fairy sight as
you were on a balcony facing over the High Tevere Valley.
From Sansepolcro (Arezzo province) to Città di
Castello (Perugia province) the land, as it’s furrowed by Tevere
river and by the roads going up through the valley and surrounded by
Appennini chain that goes from the Verna to Catria tops, show its
beauty off.
The name seems to come from CISTERNA (TANK) as per
the conformation of land and the richness in waters and subterranean
water layers that make it as particularly fertile.
In the ancient writings the letter "S" was
written as extended and having a cut on its half (more or less "f
"); thus you are allowed to think that the name inherited by one eve
to the other has lost that letter and it has given the name to
posterity as you actually know it.
Plinio the
Young used to describe the land in a
letter to Apollinare where the former sang about the beauty of the
landscape and the sanity of those lands that permitted to its
inhabitants of an amazing longevity.
The land of Citerna, as having
Etruscan origins
was densely populated even in
Roman eve as it is certified by findings of coins and finds occurred
between S.Fista and Pistrino. In the Middle Age it was hardly
contended by the Ghibellin Arezzo against the Guelph Città di
Castello. |
| |
 |
Up to 1200 it
was a feud of the powerful family of the Marquises Del
Colle and followingly it submitted itself to Città di
Castello. In 1310 it was submitted to the powerful family of
Tarlati di Pietramala and there stood
until 1340 when, along with Città di Castello it demanded the
protection by Perugia people. Then it was ruled again by
Pietramalas and then by Malatesta as long as it
passed under the Papal State in
1463. At the beginning of 1500 Citerna was
consigned as a vicariate to the Vitelli family from Città di
Castello who alternately and after enriching it in monuments and
artworks they held it until the end of the century.
After the Vitelli’s had left the Government of
Citerna, that was absorbed by the monotone life of many other small
villages in the Papal State. In 1619 and in 1630 Citerna suffered
two great Plagues that made several victims and reduced the land to
profound misery. | |
|
In 1849
Citerna received Garibaldi
while he was retiring to Ravenna and in 1860, before all
the Umbrian towns it was part of the Italy Reign.
Though the disappearance of
both access doors to Castle, the Eastern called
"Porta Romana" (Roman door) and the Western
"Porta Fiorentina " (Florentine door), while you enter that town
you feel like going back to old ages.
While going along the central
way the actual Corso Garibaldi, near the church of
San Francesco, you can find the Municipal Palace,
an old Saint Frances’ Convent
with a beautiful
cloister in which you can find a large tank (well).
|
 | |
 |
Near the Municipal residence
you can find the house that once was owned by
Prosperi family in which you can enjoy a wonderful
fireplace dated of 16th century an so-called of
"Lovers
".
A little further a small arch
let you enter the rounds route of the interesting medieval walks
that wind through a large part of the walled perimeter of Citerna.
The church of San
Francis was
built probably on a pre-existent building during the 16th century. The
actual face of the church is the result of various handlings
occurred during the ages and still easily findable. | |
|
The same Latin-Cross-shaped
plan of it has a rather irregular gait. It is provided with 9
altars, seven of which are almost identical and adorned with
relieves and wood samples rich in gold, it looks like a kind of
church-museum above all for the precious artworks preserved inside.
As you go further along Corso
Garibaldi on you left you can observe the simple and linear façade
of S. Michele Arcangelo
church. On the eastern part of that
ancient centre of Citerna, as it is dominated by the beautiful
square- basis bell tower of the church of San Francesco, you can
find the small square of the small but elegant Buontempelli
Theatre ,
that Vitelli family had it built and now it is rightly recovered and
back to full activity.
|
| |
 |
The fortress or the
Rock has longobard
origins (7th century) and re-built in 14th century, constituted the
main centre of the medieval village and it was the ancient house of
the local Lords. Above that was built the tower that was really used
as an observation point and placed on the top of the hill just as it
was. The main sites within the
commune of Citerna are: Pistrino and Fighille . Pistrino is an
important agricultural and handicraft centre that lays in the plain
of the High Tevere Valley, on the eastern side of Citerna, and
nowadays it is still known for the quality of the salami that are
produced there. The paintings placed in the church walls are 17,
among those entirely preserved and those whose only few fragments
are left; they represent a document of primary importance concerning
the popular Umbrian Art that belong to various pictorial schools
between the end of 1400 and the beginning of 1500.
| |
|
On the northern side of
Citerna you can find Fighille, the other part of the jurisdiction
whose subsoil is rich in a precious quality of clay used for the
production of ceramics.
From Fighille starts the road
that leads to the ancient church of Santa Maria di Petriolo dated
back to about 1200. As it has been deteriorated during the ages,
where once it was built, nowadays there is the Sanctuary of
Santa Maria di Petriolo that was sacred in
1913
.
Recently a terracotta has been
discovered in the church of San Francesco in Citerna, showing a
Madonna with a child. The work has been owned to
Donatello
, one of the great Masters of
the Renaissance eve..
|
 | |
|
|
"Tasting" the Land
The Salami from
Pistrino previously mentioned represent a gastronomic layer
of relevant importance in the land of the Commune of Citerna.
Besides the Salami even the river
fishes
(from Tevere river and its tributaries) rightly find their place on
the table of private houses and restaurants.
But the undiscussed king of
products that you pick up from wood lands throughout the whole
tevere valley (Tuscan and Umbrian), is still the White
Truffle .
| |
|
The Vinsanto
between Umbria and Toscana
The production of Vinsanto
works in that area as well. Hereby you
use to taste it as medium sweet "as nature gives it to us" according
to centurial traditions that the Tuscan-Umbrian custom
has
transmitted.
That product is pale yellow or amber coloured.
Thanks to the drying of grapes over the "cappie" (that are small and
long dry canes layers) and the aging lasting three years in small
barrels (caratelli) inherited from one generation to the next one,
the Vinsanto gives its whole, sweet and fruity taste.It is produced
by grapes species like: Malvasia, Canaiolo bianco,Grechetto and, if
you wish, Vernaccia.
The resulting "nectare" is to be drunk in special
occasions. As per tradition the gift of a "small glass" of vinsanto
is equal to trust, gentleness, hospitality and generosity towards a
host.
Since you are on the border
between two regions the local vinsanto matches well with the
home-made biscuits called tozzetti umbri (that look like the tuscan
cantucci) or with the half-seasoned or herbed cheeses, or even with
the classical Umbrian cake named: Torcolo, that usually is baked
during the traditional feasts.
| |
|
|
-
Autumn
Fair: Parade of Typical Products and
Truffle (in Citerna on the 2nd week end of October). Grape Fair
(in Pistrino – Citerna – the third week end of September). A Show
Fair of the DOC wines of the High Tevere Valley and other Italian
Regions is linked to the fair of the grape. During that event a
parade of historical chariots is used to be
set.
-
Fair of the "Ciaccia
fritta" (Fried Pasta) (in Fighille - Citerna – the first
week end of October). The ciaccia fritta is kind of pizza, made up
of water, salt, flour and brewers’ yeast; you make a dough with
all ingredients and form several small round pizzas that are fried
in hot Olive Oil.
-
That can be rightly considered a Street Food that
can be found even in other places in Italy under various different
names (Donzelle in Siena, Pizza fritta in Napoli…). You can taste
it well as filled in with local Salami (i.e. Pistrino) and along
with a good young red
wine. | |
|
CULTURAL EVENTS
-
Rassegna
Nazionale di Teatro Comico e Dialettale "Il Torrione"
(Comic and slang theatre) (in Citerna - Bontempelli Theatre since
April to June).
-
Master Class of
Music (Citerna – month of July). Course for perfectioning
musical studies in bow instruments and Piano that, under the
artistic Direction of Elvira Bekova and Bekova Trio, invites
students and famous musicians from all over the world. During the
course the students perform in public concerts that attract
passionate or simple lovers of that musical genre.
-
Fighille for
Art (in Fighille Citerna – the 1st weekend of October).
National Prize and show of Paintings.
SPORT
EVENTS
-
National
contest of Bowls ""Bambagiotti Memorial" two by two (in
Pistrino, Citerna – at the Bowling rink on the Sunday before
Christmas). |
| |
|
|
FAIRS AND SHOWS
-
Flowers and Agriculture
fair (in Pistrino, Citerna – the first weekend of May) It
is a market fair of flowers nursery, garden tools and engines for
general agriculture.
-
Festa della Scartocciatura e
Battitura mais (Fair of the Maize unwrapping and
Threshing) by performance of ancient tools (first week of
September).
POPULAR – RELIGIOUS
FAIRS
-
Processione del Cristo
Morto (Dead Christ March) (in Citerna, historical centre
– Holy Friday at 8,30 p.m.). The performance occurs along the ways
of the town where the main scenes of Passion are represented
according to scenarios and costumes carefully set up.
| |
|
|
|
where to eat
where to buy
Ciboviaggiando suggests: