Morra between Signorelli’s Art and Village History

The Village Centre and the Pieve di Santa Maria

Morra combines a historically shaped village centre with a clear connection to the art of Luca Signorelli. The village centre developed around the Romanesque Pieve di Santa Maria. The Pieve is mentioned in a papal bull from 1126 and in a treaty between Perugia and Città di Castello. The Romanesque church building forms part of the town’s historic centre. The Pieve remains the village centre’s sacred focal point, while the later Signorelli frescoes in the Oratorio form a distinct artistic focus.

Oratorio di San Crescentino: Building and Frescoes

The Oratorio di San Crescentino in Morra was built in 1420 and enlarged in 1507. Its sacristy preserves Late Gothic frescoes from the original construction phase. The walls of the Oratorio di San Crescentino bear frescoes by Luca Signorelli’s workshop. The frescoes date from the original construction phase; the 1507 enlargement belongs to a later stage in the building’s history. The years 1420 and 1507 thus distinguish the construction from the later alteration of the Oratorio. The sacristy therefore preserves part of the older furnishings, while the walls bear the workshop’s paintings.

Luca Signorelli himself painted only the scenes of the Flagellation and the Crucifixion in the Oratorio di San Crescentino. There is also a fresco of the Madonna della Misericordia with a distinctly Pierfrancescan character. This limitation of the works painted by Signorelli himself distinguishes the master’s contribution from the workshop’s work and from the Pierfrancescan character of the Madonna fresco.

Signorelli and the Upper Tiber Valley

Morra is an important stop on the Signorelli itinerary in the Upper Tiber Valley. In the Upper Tiber Valley, Morra connects the Oratorio as a specific artistic site with the regional Signorelli itinerary.

Natural Environment and Festivals

In addition to its cultural focus, Morra has a distinct connection with nature: Boschi di Morra - Marzana is a Natura 2000 site under the EU Habitats Directive, with the site code IT5210006. Its protected status adds a separate emphasis and stands as an independent theme alongside Morra’s art history and village history.

The festivals also give Morra a seasonal character. Morra a Tutta Birra is a regularly held summer festival. Beer and food stalls are just as much part of the programme as music and dancing. The Sagra della Castagna in Morra takes place in the second ten-day period of October. The two festivals occur at different times of year and provide two distinct occasions for a stay in Morra. For planning a trip around a specific occasion, the relevant period therefore ranges from the summer festival to the second ten-day period of October. Anyone wishing to plan their stay around a festival can use either the summer or the second ten-day period of October as a guide.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations here: Bruna, Strettura, Santʼanatolia Di Narco, Ripa, Chiugiana-La Commenda, Piedicolle, Pierantonio, Torricella.

For the main travel overview: Perugia.