Oro
Oro: a historic village on the hills of Umbria
Oro is a small historic village located on the hills of Umbria, in the province of Perugia. The village is situated on the slope of a hill 305 meters high and has only 184 inhabitants. Oro has historically been linked to the nearby castle of Castiglion Fosco, and is a place full of history and charm.
History of Oro
The origins of the village date back to the twelfth century, when many villas and castles were built in the Perugia area. The name of the village first appears in 1260 as "villa Auri", but later the name is forgotten and the village is called "castrum Auri". The village was not actually a castle, but seemed more like a compact settlement, surrounded by small walls and equipped with a gate. It is currently part of the territory of Castiglion Fosco and its church of S. Felicissima appears in the archives of the Benedictines of S. Pietro in Perugia.
In the seventeenth century, the company named after Jesus was founded in Oro and was a lay congregation that regularly met in the village church. In 1819, the bishop visited the village and discovered that the inhabitants numbered 272.
Monuments and Artistic Places
Oro has many historic monuments to visit, such as the ruins of the castle, the church of Santa Felicissima (14th century) and the church of S. Lucia, within the walls, currently being restored and sold to private individuals. The building of Santa Felicissima has undergone several renovations over the years and is characterized by a facade with a circular window. The interiors, with a single nave, were frescoed by the local painter Cesare Graziani. The church houses paintings and a statue of the saint, while the sacristy contains an eighteenth-century parlor. In the past, the church of S. Lucia contained a large oil painting from the eighteenth century depicting Santa Lucia and Santa Mustiola, recently restored and transferred to the parish church of S. Felicissima.
Image gallery
The beauty of Oro is even more evident through images of the tower, the main gate of the village, and the churches of Santa Felicissima and S. Lucia.
Bibliography and External Links
To learn more about the history of Oro, you can consult the book by Senofonte and Gianluca Pistelli, "Memorie di una terra: Piegaro e i suoi castelli". In addition, on dedicated Oro websites, it is possible to find many news and images that enrich the knowledge of this splendid historic village.
