Cascia
PROVINCE:
Perugia
WEB:
Per turist information:
Associazione dei Comuni della Valnerina
Via G. da Chiavano, 2
Tel: 0743.71401
info@lavalnerina.it
Cascia
ACQUASPARTA è ISCRITTA A:
discovering the village
When we talk about Cascia we immediately think of Santa Rita – the most illustrious citizen who is celebrated on May 22 – and all the spirituality and mysticism that concerns her. But this Umbrian city – which has the typical shape of a medieval hillside castle and lies on the hill of Sant’Agostino from where it controls the valley of the Corno river – has much more to offer to the visitor who decides to discover it.
The archaeological evidence tells of a presence since the pre-Roman age and the village, the ager Cassianus of medieval diplomas, could be the heir of a small rural settlement already frequented at the time. Conquered in 553 by the Byzantine Narses, it was then annexed to the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto and in the 10th century it became an independent republic with its own currency. After the dominion of the Lordship of the Trinci of Foligno, in 1228 it was occupied by Frederick II of Swabia; in 1300 an earthquake razed it to the ground, so it was rebuilt and fortified, but in 1516 it was conquered and destroyed again. In the 16th century it came under the control of the Papal States and remained there until 1860.
When we talk about Cascia we immediately think of Santa Rita – the most illustrious citizen who is celebrated on May 22 – and all the spirituality and mysticism that concerns it. But this Umbrian city – which has the typical shape of a medieval hillside castle and lies on the hill of Sant’Agostino from where it controls the valley of the Corno river – has much more to offer to the visitor who decides to discover it.
The archaeological evidence tells of a presence since the pre-Roman age and the village, the ager Cassianus of medieval diplomas, could be the heir of a small rural settlement already frequented at the time. Conquered in 553 by the Byzantine Narses, it was then annexed to the Lombard Duchy of Spoleto and in the 10th century it became an independent republic with its own currency. After the rule of the Lordship of the Trinci of Foligno, in 1228 it was occupied by Frederick II of Swabia; in 1300 an earthquake razed it to the ground, so it was rebuilt and fortified, but in 1516 it was conquered and destroyed again. In the 16th century it came under the control of the Papal State and remained there until 1860.
The tour to discover the city cannot fail to begin from the sumptuous statue dedicated to Santa Rita depicted with her symbols: bees, roses and the thorn. Commissioned by a Lebanese patron and created by the sculptor Nayef Alwan, it was blessed in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Francis and installed in Cascia in October 2015. Looking up to the top of the hill, we find the Rocca (commissioned by Pope Paul II in 1465) where the church of Sant’Agostino stands: built at the beginning of the fourteenth century on a hermit oratory dedicated to St. John the Baptist, it is one of the spiritual and cultural symbols of the city. Going down you arrive at the most important building: the Basilica of Santa Rita. Built to guard the body of the Saint, the structure dates back to the 1930s and was erected on the site of the ancient Augustinian church annexed to the monastery where Rita died in 1457. To reach it, you walk along a porticoed avenue that leads to the foot of the steps. Next to the Basilica is the Monastery where the Saint lived for forty years: here you can admire some relics and objects that tell her life; do not miss the Solemn Casket that contained her body for three centuries.
The center of Roccaporena, the birthplace of Santa Rita, is definitely worth a visit, full of memories linked to her life: the Casa Maritale, the garden of the miracle (a bronze group created by the sculptor Rodolfo Maleci), the rock (it rises 120 meters above the village) and the rose garden. In the surroundings of Cascia there is also the Roman temple (Villa San Silvestro) that extends into the area of the church of San Silvestro: the temple building, to be linked to the colonization of Sabina in 290 BC, is still being excavated.
However, Cascia does not only offer the sacred, but also the profane: you can in fact taste various local products such as saffron, spelt, legumes, truffles, roveja (a slow food presidium) and a refined processing of meats and cured meats. Added to this is a calendar full of events and demonstrations linked to history, culture and traditions: the feast of Sant’Antonio, the Pasquarelle, the Focone della Venuta and the Saffron Market Exhibition.