Porano
Welcome to Porano!
Hello everyone! Today, I'll be talking about Porano, an Italian municipality in the province of Terni in Umbria, which has about 1,897 inhabitants.
Let's discover the physical geography of Porano
First of all, it's important to note that Porano falls under the Climatic Classification zone E, 2173 GR/G. Additionally, the municipality is part of the Comunità Montana Monte Peglia e Selva di Meana, an important association of various Umbrian mountain communities aimed at promoting the area's tourism and cultural development.
A brief overview of Porano's history
The town of Porano is surrounded by medieval walls and contains a parish church with valuable artistic frescoes, including an Annunciation from the 15th century and a marble font from the early 1600s. In the historic center of the city, several significant residential buildings were constructed in the early modern age (16th century).
In particular, I would like to highlight Villa del Corgnolo (or Cornaro/Corniolo), immersed in one of Umbria's most notable historic parks. This villa, originally a medieval monastery, was transformed by the noble Orvieto family of Gualterio into a summer vacation spot for prelates in 1706. For this reason, the villa was known as the villa of the seven cardinals, and it still retains an outdoor space called "rotonda dei cardinali."
A plaque on the rear facade attests that the Gualterios hosted Giacomo Francesco Edoardo Stuart in June 1723 at the villa due to the close ties Cardinal Filippo Antonio Gualterio maintained with the Stuarts. Later, in the 19th century, the princess of Casa Savoia was a guest as well. This, along with what can be deduced from the long inventories of the furnishings drawn up in 1741, which detected the presence of rich furniture, statues, and libraries, suggests the great splendor this elegant place of relaxation must have experienced.
In 1874, Senator Filippo Antonio Gualterio, a descendant of the same cardinal (as well as minister of the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1946), sold the property due to the significant expenses incurred for political purposes. After being purchased by the Viti Mariani family, the villa was renamed Villa del Corgnolo after the new owner, Paolina Viti. Today, the villa is the seat of the National Research Council.
Furthermore, Porano is famous because writer Susanna Tamaro has been living here for several years.
The society of Porano
In terms of Porano's demographic evolution, it's worth noting that the number of inhabitants has remained relatively stable over the past few decades.
Regarding the administration of Porano, it's a small municipality that is part of the province of Terni.
Lastly, Porano has two twinning agreements with other Italian and European cities.
In conclusion
All in all, Porano is a small Italian municipality rich in history and natural and architectural beauty. If you have the chance to visit Umbria, I recommend stopping here to appreciate its beauty and discover its hidden treasures!
