Perched on a hill overlooking the middle Tiber Valley, Todi (from Tutere, meaning border) encloses, within its walls, ancient treasures and beauties. Legend has it that it was founded (in the 8th-7th century BC) by the Veii Umbrians and an eagle: the Umbrians wanted to build the city at the foot of the hill, on the left bank of the Tiber, but the tablecloth they were having breakfast with was stolen by an eagle, which carried it away and dropped it on the hilltop. This was interpreted as a divine sign; thus, the founders decided to build Todi atop the hill. The connection with the bird of prey has endured over time: it is still present in the city’s coat of arms today.

History, however, holds that Todi was founded by the Etruscans between the 3rd and 1st centuries BC, who built the city’s first circle of walls. In the 1st century BC, Todi became a Roman Municipio, and some relics from this period remain, such as the imposing cisterns (second half of the century) located directly beneath Piazza del Popolo. With the fall of the Roman Empire, Todi faced the barbarian invasions and the Gothic War, after which it was annexed by the Byzantine Empire. After the year 1000, it prospered and expanded, becoming a free Commune and then a Signoria under the Atti family, before being absorbed into the Papal States.

It was during this historical period (in 1236) that the city gave birth to its most famous citizen: Jacopone De Benedetti (better known as Jacopone da Todi), a poet and cleric who went down in history for his nearly one hundred lauds in the vernacular and for being a bitter enemy of Pope Boniface VIII.

In the 14th century, Todi began a period of slow decline, but thanks to Bishop Angelo Cesi, the city experienced a new lease of life and flourished again. Under his guidance, important urban and architectural projects were undertaken, such as the construction of the Fontana della Rua or Cesia, the Church of the Crucifix, and the Temple of Santa Maria della Consolazione, completed after his death. The latter is located outside the city walls and is one of the symbols of Renaissance architecture: construction, begun in 1508, was completed only a century later, and its architecture contrasts with the medieval-style historic center.

Walking through the acropolis, you come across the Temple of San Fortunato, a Gothic building begun in the late 12th century and completed in 1465. In the church’s crypt are the tombs of four saints (including San Cassiano) and, on one wall, an oval fresco depicting the Blessed Jacopone da Todi. Of particular interest is the central doorway decorated with bas-reliefs, many of which were created by the architect Giovanni da Santuccio di Fiorenzola and his nephew Bartolo.

The most important church is undoubtedly the Duomo, dedicated to Maria SS. Annunziata: a Lombard-style Latin-cross building constructed in the 12th century on the site of a pre-existing Roman structure. The façade has undergone numerous restorations and renovations over the centuries following a fire in 1190, an earthquake in 1246, and finally the collapse of the roof in 1322. Inside, Ferraù da Faenza’s “The Last Judgement,” inspired by Michelangelo, is preserved. The crypt houses a museum.

The historic center winds through narrow streets and large squares: the main ones are Piazza Garibaldi—where the statue of the condottiere stands—and Piazza Vittorio Emanuele—known as Piazza del Popolo. The latter has undoubtedly been the heart of the city since Roman times. Its foundations rest on large Roman cisterns, still well-preserved and open to visitors. They were not only a huge water reserve, but also served multiple functions, including substructure, drainage, and water containment. The square is surrounded by Todi’s most notable monuments, testaments to the era of the free communes (the Palazzo del Capitano, which houses the Civic Museum; the Palazzo del Popolo, the seat of the Municipality; and the Palazzo dei Priori).

It’s also impossible not to notice the three rings of walls that encircle Todi and define its urban expansion: the first Etruscan ring (3rd century BC) is followed by the Roman one, and then the medieval one. Along these perimeters, the access gates still stand: Porta Perugina, Porta Romana, Porta Fratta (formerly Amerina), and Porta Orvietana (of which few remains), whose names refer to the main road connections. Other gates include Porta Libera, Porta Aurea, Porta Catena, or Porta Sant’Antonio.

For a panoramic view of Todi and the Umbrian Valley, you can climb to the Parco della Rocca (411 m above sea level), the highest point in the city. The fortress, built by Pope Gregory XI in 1373, was demolished and rebuilt in 1395.

Also not to be missed are the Roman travertine niches (in the Piazzale del Mercato Vecchio): according to some theories, they are the remains of a temple dedicated to

dedicated to Mars; Santa Maria in Camuccia, a two-story church founded in the 7th-8th centuries and subject to renovations and alterations in the 13th century; the Scannabecco Fountains (1241): water basins surmounted by an elegant portico supported by seven columns; and the Lapidary Museum, inaugurated in 2009 at the Polo Museale delle Lucrezie, which houses one of the oldest collections in Umbria of Roman, medieval, and modern stone materials.

Finally, a visit to the Todi Municipal Theatre, located in the center, is a must, a testament to the importance of the place for 19th-century Todi society. In 1894, it hosted its first cinema, with a film entitled “Un bagno di ragazzi.” After a period of decline, the theater and its premises were restored starting in 1982 and reopened to the public in 1992, with a capacity of 499 spectators.

Todi, flew from the Tiber to the hill

the Eagle at your birthplace and red Mars

visited you, if the Martian iron now parts

with the strength of oxen the steep clods.

Drunken by the skies, Jacopone, the madman

of Christ, urges in his hymns; apart

from his Sorrowful Mother, the art

of Bramante raises the Temple serenely.

But pass, shadow of love on your brow

that darkens the ages, the daughter of Almonte,

the flower of the Acts, Barbara the Beautiful.

And the hymn of the Minor is renewed;

Love, love, my heart breaks so!

Love, love, draws me to your beauty!

Gabriele D’Annunzio