Fossato di Vico: Between the Apennine Landscape and Medieval History

Fossato di Vico combines landscape, Roman heritage and medieval architectural history with local festival and wine traditions. The town lies within the Monte Cucco Regional Park.

Landscape between the Via Flaminia and the Apennines

The municipal area is almost divided into two parts by the S.S. Flaminia. To the west lie plains and hills, bordered along one section by the Chiascio River. The Chiascio is a tributary of the Tiber. To the east stretches the Apennine range, with its highest elevations, Cima Mutali and Cima Filetta, both reaching 1,120 m. The alternation of plains, hills, river and peaks gives the municipal area several landscape reference points.

Hiking with a clear starting point

The Anello della Cima Mutali is a circular hiking trail that starts and ends at Fossato di Vico railway station on the Rome–Ancona line. For planning a day trip, the trail’s identical starting and ending point provides a specific reference point.

Roman traces and medieval buildings

The Ponte di San Giovanni was the crossing where the Via Flaminia crossed the Rigo stream in Roman Fossato di Vico, which was then called Helvillum. The Antiquarium preserves archaeological finds from Roman Helvillum as well as parchment fragments from Dante’s Divine Comedy. At the Antiquarium, the parchment fragments from Dante’s Divine Comedy complement the archaeological finds with a literary connection.

The original castle of Fossato di Vico is now a ruin known as Roccaccio. The Torre e Palazzo Comunale was one of the 14 towers that surrounded the old castle. Le Rughe is a rare example of medieval castle architecture. Along the inner western ring wall, this area combines access and defence. The old castle complex thus includes the Roccaccio ruins, the Torre e Palazzo Comunale as one of its 14 towers, and Le Rughe along the inner western ring wall as distinct elements.

Church art and local collections

The Chiesa di San Cristoforo dates from the 13th century and preserves substantial sections of frescoes by the Umbrian–Marchigian school from the 14th and 15th centuries. La Piaggiola preserves a fresco cycle by Ottaviano Nelli of Gubbio, his school and the Maestro di Fossato, dated to 1405–1406. The Church of San Pietro is the oldest church in Fossato di Vico and was originally built as a Camaldolese monastery. At San Cristoforo, a 13th-century building meets a collection of frescoes from the 14th and 15th centuries.

The Centro museale della Civiltà Contadina comprises around 1,600 objects arranged across three floors.

Festival calendar and wine tradition

The Festa degli Statuti takes place every year on the second weekend of May as a medieval festival and is based on life in 1386. Le Cantine di San Martino is a seasonal local tradition centred on new and matured wine.

Discover more places

If you would like to add more places to your trip, discover Moiano, Popoli, Pian di San Martino, Castel Ritaldi, Rosceto, Uncinano, San Giovanni Del Pantano and San Giustino.

For the higher-level travel overview: Perugia.