Badiola
Discovering Badiola
Welcome to Badiola, a beautiful hamlet in the municipality of Marsciano, located in the Province of Perugia. With a population of 2560 people, the town is located at the extreme northeast of the Marscianese territory, bordering the municipality of Perugia. Nearby are Sant'Enea, Villanova, San Biagio della Valle, and Pila. Badiola offers landscapes of the Umbrian mid-hill, and is an orderly and tranquil town. Today, we will take you on a journey to discover the history of this splendid town.
History
The first records of Badiola date back to the year 1045, when it was a small Benedictine abbey occupied by a few monks with meager income. It was an ancient right of the Monastery of S. Pietro di Perugia, to which the rector paid an annual "corba" of wheat. The current name is the result of centuries of variations starting from the original "S. Benedetto di Pietro Valliola." In the imperial diplomas of Federico Barbarossa (1163) and Arrigo VI (1196), it is named "San Benedetto dell'Abbazia." In 1331 in the records of Ugolino da Monte Vibiano, abbot of S. Pietro, it is explicitly called "Ecclesia Santi Benedicti di Abbadiola Vallis Uberti." A contract signed on Friday, January 8, 1496, stipulates that Tommaso di Marco Silvestro, of Perugia Porta Eburnea, grants Anselmo di Angelo, of Castello di Badiola, a working farm with a house located in the vicinity of Pila, in the locality of Santa Maria del Cerreto. On September 23, 1497, it was united in a single parish with the nearby Castel del Piano (Perugia), as both were unable to pay fees to the Monastery of S. Pietro. In 1508, the church was visited by Abbot Don Ignazio Manfredi, who, seeing it narrow, proposed to the people to rebuild it, as it actually happened, with the monastery taxed for 8 florins and the people for 30. Shortly after, however, the two parishes were separated again, but it is not known with certainty in which year. In 1570, an apostolic observer on a visit ordered the construction of the residence of the Parish Priest, but the Monastery of San Pietro opposed the decision.
The Castle of Badiola
Inside the castle of Badiola, adjacent to the Bruschi Family House, there is information about the existence of a hospital, which around 1620 fell into decay. From a census of May 3, 1649, whose documents are kept at the bishop's curia, it appears that there were 95 souls, 22 deaths from 1639 onwards, and 5 marriages. It also reads "that there are no blasphemers, people of ill repute or scandalous; since Easter, all have communicated": the parish priest was one Don Costantino. Around 1760, there were reports of the existence of the Confraternity of the Holy Sacrament and of Suffrage, whose confreres wore a white robe with black sleeves, which they used for functions and processions. Even today, these same robes are used for solemn processions. In 1763, the parish priest was Don Domenico Ricci, of the same castle of Badiola.
Conclusions
In conclusion, Badiola is a place rich in history and culture. Its ancient Benedictine abbey, numerous churches, and the beauty of the Umbrian mid-hill are just some of the things that make this town so fascinating and interesting to visit. If you are looking for a quiet place to relax and enjoy nature, Badiola is definitely the right choice.
