Castel Ritaldi – Castle Walls, Church Art and Wine

Castel Ritaldi combines a historic centre with church art, winegrowing and routes through a hilly landscape. The town lies on the hill of Scigliano at the foot of the Monti Martani; the area around Castel Ritaldi includes forests, gentle hills, olive groves and vineyards.

Historic Centre and Church Art

The historic centre of Castel Ritaldi is surrounded by the walls of a 13th-century castle. The Castello di Castel Ritaldi dates from 1360 and has towers and walls. A local legend about the ghost of Count Leonello Ritaldi is associated with the Castello di Castel Ritaldi.

The Chiesa di Santa Marina was built between the 14th and 15th centuries. It houses the Madonna del Soccorso, attributed to Lattanzio di Nicolò di Liberatore (l’Alunno); it also contains a fresco by Tiberio d’Assisi. The Chiesa di San Nicola has frescoes attributed to Spagna and Melanzio.

In the vicinity of Castel Ritaldi, the Pieve di San Gregorio in Nido has a façade made of alternating horizontal layers of white and red stone. The main altar of the Santuario Madonna Bruna is decorated with a large fresco of the Madonna della Bruna, attributed to Tiberio di Diotallevi; the apse frescoes are by Pier Matteo Piergili.

Hiking and Cycling

The network of routes around Castel Ritaldi is suitable for hiking, horse riding and cycling. On the Ciclovia Assisi-Spoleto-Marmore, the first 23 kilometres between Assisi and Bevagna run mostly along minor roads with little traffic; the subsequent section to Spoleto runs on a cycle path separated from motor traffic. The Anello del Trebbiano – Medio is 75 kilometres long and has an elevation difference of plus or minus 1,400 metres.

Olive Oil and Wine

Castel Ritaldi lies within the protected designation of origin area of the DOP Colli Martani olive oil; the area belongs to the DOCG growing region of Sagrantino. Trebbiano Spoletino is grown on the gentle slopes and small plains of Castel Ritaldi. Trebbiano Spoletino can be sampled along the Strada del Sagrantino; the grape variety is grown almost exclusively in the extensive area between Spoleto, Foligno and Montefalco. Oleificio Colle del Marchese describes its olive oil production as processing hand-picked olives by cold pressing.

Events and Family Connection

The Palio del Fantasma has been documented since 1984 as a summer event featuring medieval costumes, historical re-enactments, competitions between the town districts and themed performances. At Paese delle Fiabe, events, games, music and tastings take place on the third weekend of September. The Municipality of Castel Ritaldi organises the literary competition for unpublished fairy tales, “Mario Tabarrini - Castel Ritaldi Paese delle Fiabe”. The Biblioteca comunale “Corrado Spaziani” in Castel Ritaldi was awarded the distinction “Umbria Culture for Family”.

Your Trip Planning

If you are travelling with different interests, you can explore Castel Ritaldi by theme: historic townscapes and church art are complemented by routes, cycling tours and regional products. The different route lengths provide a clear distinction for planning.

Further destinations:Preci, Pitigliano, Villa, Vitellino, Scopoli, Magione, Monte Santa Maria Tiberina, Gubbio

For the higher-level travel overview: Perugia.