Cerreto di Spoleto is a quite particular village with the characteristic physiognomy of a
village, that had to fight for its independence and for its survival for many
centuries. Situated on one of the summits which stand out and open onto one of
the many gorges of the
Valnerina, Cerreto di Spoleto owes its position
and its look to its important strategic role in the Middle Ages. The castle
rose at the confluence of the valleys of the rivers
Vigi and
Nera,
with its fortifications and enclosed by a double wall, as was fortified the
village below, too.
Today big parts of the walls of the whole defence system remain visible, one of
the six town gates and a high control tower, that ends in a belfry.
These are the instruments with which
Cerreto had to defence itself for a long time, one moment from
Spoleto,
next from the
Papal States and
Norcia, and its full
self-government was recognized only beginning from the unity of
Italy.
The town centre of Cerreto di Spoleto develops in a distinctly linear way, with
a single street crossing the ridge while the smaller streets which start in the
lower zones are directed towards the town centre.
The panorama one can enjoy from its terraces is definitely among the most
charming ones of the Valnerina and of whole
Umbria. From the street
which leads towards the town centre one can admire the mountains, that rise
above the Valnerina, in all their majesty, their luxuriant forests and the
successive valleys, offering to the eyes a really unforgettable view.
The most precious building of Cerreto di Spoleto is the church
Chiesa
dell'Annunziata, that has medieval origins and an aisleless nave with a
stone portal from the 16
th century.
Inside is a beautiful octagonal font in the form of a small temple, with relief
figures from 1546 and ''
Our Lady of the Rosary'' by
Felice Damiani,
painted in 1583.
Close to Cerreto di Spoleto is the
Santuario della Madonna della Stella (Sanctuary of the Madonna of the Star), an ancient hermitage which is deserted,
but nevertheless the aim of visitors who go to see the cells and the small
church, accessible by steps which were carved into the rock. Nearby the
hermitage a verdant meadow and a pure spring attract locals and tourists who
find a pleasant and relaxing place where they can spend the day in complete
harmony with nature.
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Cerreto di Spoleto: the festival of the quack -
''Cerretano, the man who traffics
on the squares in balsams or other medicines, takes out teeth and does sleights
of hand, . from Cerreto, village in U...
