Citerna
Citerna: a treasure of the province of Perugia
Hello everyone! Today I want to talk about Citerna, a municipality in the beautiful region of Umbria, in the province of Perugia. With its 3380 inhabitants, Citerna has been included among the most beautiful villages in Italy!
Physical geography
Citerna is located in an area classified as E, with 2277 GR / G of rainfall per year. This area is characterized by cold winters and hot summers, with rare summer rainfall.
History
Known as Civitas Sobariae during the Roman era, Citerna suffered various looting during the barbarian invasions. Later, it was contested between the Ghibelline Arezzo and the Guelf City of Castello, until it submitted to the latter in 1199. In the fourteenth century, Citerna passed from the Tarlati of Pietramala to the Malatesta, and was then incorporated into the State of the Church in 1463.
In the sixteenth century, the Pope granted the vicariate of Citerna to the Vitelli, who ruled the city until the end of the seventeenth century. During this period, the city had its most prosperous phase, thanks to the numerous works of art commissioned by the family.
Citerna hosted Giuseppe Garibaldi and his column of volunteers in 1849, after the siege of Rome. In 1860, it became part of the Kingdom of Italy. During the First World War, it suffered a disastrous earthquake in 1917 and, during the Second World War, the famous fortress was destroyed by Nazi troops.
Monuments and places of interest
Despite the damages suffered, Citerna still presents its ancient appearance today. Thanks to the presence of the Vitelli, the city preserves numerous works of art in its two main churches:
The Parish Church of San Michele Arcangelo, with an eighteenth-century appearance, preserves the Crucifixion by Niccolò Circignani (1570) and a terracotta statue of a Madonna with Child attributed to Luca d'Andrea della Robbia.
The church of San Francesco, instead, houses numerous works of art, including the terracotta Madonna with Child by Donatello, the Madonna with Child and Saints by Luca Signorelli and the Christ in glory by Raffaellino del Colle.
Society
Citerna, with its 3380 inhabitants, also hosts a small community of foreigners, composed of 329 people, according to ISTAT data from 2010.
I hope you enjoyed this little tour of Citerna! If you are looking for a small, peaceful village rich in history, you cannot miss Citerna!
