• Events
  • Museum path
  • Cities
  • Museums
  • Itineraries
  • Education
  • Visit the museums
  • Network projects
  • Diy Museum
  • Bookshop
  • Umbria Digital Edition
  • Social Wall
  • Contacts
ITA/ENG
  • Amelia
  • Bettona
  • Bevagna
  • Cannara
  • Cascia
  • Deruta
  • Marsciano
  • Montefalco
  • Umbertide
Powered by
FOLLOW US ON:
Umbria Terre Musei Umbria Terre Musei
  • ITA
  • ENG
Menu
  1. Home
  2. Cities
  3. Cannara

Cannara and the ancient Urvinum Hortense

The tiny town of Cannara lies on the left bank of the River Topino, in the heart of the Valle Umbra, between Mount Subasio and the hills flanking the Martani Mountains.
Cannara boasts ancient origins: the first we hear of it indicates it was probably founded sometime around the 1st century BC with the Roman encampment “Castrum Canarii”. Important archaeological remains link its origins to Urvinum Hortense, an ancient settlement which already existed in the 1st century BC.
Urvinum Hortense occupied an imposing position on a plateau. A short distance away were the towns of Vettona (Bettona) and Perusia (Perugia); opposite, on the slopes of Mount Subasio Asisium (Assisi) and Hispellum (Spello); lower down Mevania (Bevagna) and Fulginium (Foligno). Urvinum became a municipium after the Social War (90-87 BC): from then on its inhabitants became Roman citizens. Inscriptions, coins, ceramic and architectural remains reveal a considerably lively town for the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. A little further away, the mediaeval village of Collismanci (now called Collemancio) is recorded in documents from 1224 onwards.
Local tradition connects Cannara to the Guelf Count, Valerio Ranieri, who in 1162, when Barbarossa descended into Italy for the third time, was said to have left Perugia to hide in these marshes. In fact, the very name of Cannara evokes an area of abundant water, featuring wells and marshland in which reeds grew naturally. Its strategic position made Cannara an interesting outpost for territorial conquests. During the 13th century, walls and crenellated towers were built around the town, giving it a distinctive appearance. Fiercely contended by the Guelfs and the Ghibellines from the end of the 13th century to the mid 14th century, it was first incorporated into the Duchy of Spoleto and then it passed to the Papal States.

Do not miss

  • Church of San Matteo
  • Romanesque Church of San Biagio
  • The altar piece by Nicolò Alunno and his son Lattanzio in the Church of San Giovanni Battista
  • Church of la Buona Morte
  • The Sacred Hovel in Palazzo Majolica Landrini, where St Francis lived during his visits to Cannara
  • Piandarca, the place where St Francis delivered his “Sermon to the birds”
  • The ancient Roman municipium Urvinum Hortense, from where the thermal mosaic comes
  • The colourful magic of the Infiorate [Flower Festival] of Corpus Christi
  • The unique flavour of a dish made with local onions.
     
WHERE

Museo Città di Cannara

EVENTS IN THE CITY

Cannara_ ' Who am I ' Photo exhibition by Valeria Pierini

  • from 4 october 2020 to 6 january 2021

2019 Onion Festival Winter Edition. Events at the Museum City of Cannara

  • from 6 december 2019 to 15 december 2019

The Family Day at Museum. All the activities by Umbria Lands and Museums Circuit

  • 13 october 2019

Scopri tutti gli eventi

Photogallery

Umbria Digital Edition

Download Cannara - UMBRIA DIGITAL EDITION on App Store and Google Play

“Umbria Museums Digital Edition” è is a Region of Umbria project that provides the contents for the promotion of the region and the Museum System on innovative and, above all, portable media.

Bevagna

Elenco

Cascia
Terre & Musei dell'Umbria

Twelve towns, a single treasure.
A journey through time amidst the masterpieces of Umbria

Terre & Musei dell'Umbria Sistema Museo Umbria
FOLLOW US ON:
Copyrights © 2018 Terre & Musei dell'Umbria - All Rights Reserved.
Privacy policy/Cookie Policy/My consents/Credits

This site uses cookies to improve navigation: if you continue without changing your browser settings, you will accept to receive cookies from the site and from third parties. Cookie policy

I understand and accept