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BEVAGNA |
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Connected to Foligno (8km) by a regular bus service, the serene
attractive backwater of BEVAGNA is quieter and less visited than Spello,
with a windswept central square of stark perfection. Flanked by two of
Umbria's finest Romanesque churches (both untouched and creaking with
age), the Piazza Silvestri dates from around the thirteenth century. The
only exception is the fountain which, while blending perfectly, was
installed in 1889. Look out particularly for the surreal and demented
gargoyles over the doorway of the larger church, San Michele. And if
it's open, check out the Palazzo Comunale, which was converted in the
nineteenth century into one of Umbria's prettiest provincial theatres.
Also worth seeking out is the impressive Roman mosaic (north side of Via
Porta Guelfa; free) once part of a bath complex. This fine work shows
octopus, lobsters, sea-centaurs and other creatures.
There's not a lot else to the town, other than the quaint attractiveness
of the streets, but Bevagna does boast three charming hotels . The most
central is Il Chiostro di Bevagna , Corso Matteotti (tel 0742.361.987,
fax 0742.369.231, chiostro.bevagna @katamail.com;
L90,000-120,000/¬46.48-61.98) just off Piazza S. Silvestro, in an
atmospheric renovated Dominican convent, with an original cloister. Down
the same street, the Palazzo Brunamonti , Corso Matteotti 79 (tel
0742.361.932, fax 0742.361.948, www.brunamonti.com ;
L120,000-150,000/¬61.98-77.47) is a sumptuous place with a period
setting and trompe l'oeil decorations. L'Orto degli Angeli (tel
0742.360.130, fax 0742.361.756, www.ortoangeli.it ;
L200,000-250,000/¬103.29-129.11) is the most luxurious and historic of
them all; the mansion, with porticoes, gardens and a gourmet restaurant,
has been in the same family since 1788. If you book in advance, it is
possible to stay in the Santa Maria del Monte convent (tel 0742.360.133;
L60,000-90,000/¬30.99-46.48) courtesy of the Benedictine nuns at Corso
Matteotti 15.There are also a couple of good restaurants in town: the
Ottavius , Via del Gonfalone 4 (closed Mon), immediately south of Piazza
Silvestri in the square in which the buses from Foligno and Montefalco
stop; and the Osteria del Podestà , Corso Matteotti 67, which offers
unusual regional specialities (closed Tues).
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