Piegaro: Glass Art, Local History and Hilly Landscapes

Piegaro amid Glass Art and Hilly Landscapes

Piegaro is a higher-lying town set among oak and chestnut forests, with views of Monte Amiata and the nearby Tuscan valleys.

Glassmaking History in the Town Centre

At the heart of the historic town centre is the Museo del Vetro, housed in a former glassworks. The museum is an example of industrial archaeology and presents glass processing at its former production site. The former glassworks gives the subject a clear connection to the location.

In the glassworks of Piegaro, glass panes and mosaic tiles were produced in the 13th and 14th centuries for the windows and mosaics of Orvieto Cathedral. The visitor route at the Museo del Vetro follows the former production cycle: it extends from mixing the materials to storing the finished products. The entrance to the Museo del Vetro is also accessible to people with disabilities.

Churches, Fountains and Fortified Town Centre

The oldest fortified town centre of Piegaro is located at the highest and most strategically advantageous point of the hill. The Chiesa S. Silvestro in Piegaro can be dated approximately to the year 1000. The Chiesa Madonna della Crocetta is a 14th-century church; from 1486 onwards, it was the seat of the glassmakers’ brotherhood. If you would like to compare historical layers, you will find different periods represented here in tangible buildings.

The medieval fountain of Piegaro dates approximately from the 13th century and formerly served to supply water to the entire town. Palazzo Misciattelli-Pallavicini is a significant 18th-century building. The Pallavicini family, Roman princes and lords of the surrounding area, used it as a country residence. The fountain and palazzo broaden the perspective from glass processing to the town’s former everyday and ownership history.

Panoramas, Garden and Cycling Route

On Monte Arale, there is a park at an altitude of 853 metres above sea level, with panoramic views across the Nestore Valley as far as Perugia and Lake Trasimeno. Parco Rocolo is a public garden next to Piazza Verneuil en Halatte in Piegaro. Thus, the landscape connections range from a broad view over valleys and towns to a garden on a piazza within the town. For planning your day, you can distinguish between a panoramic viewpoint and a public garden.

For cyclists, a route leads along comfortable unpaved paths through forests of downy oaks, Turkey oaks and heather to the historic town centre of Piegaro. The Museo del Vetro can be visited there.

Historical Traces at Castello di Cibottola

At the ancient settlement site of Castello di Cibottola, the entrance gate with the drawbridge’s barrier and an approximately 20-metre-high heptagonal tower have been preserved. The two surviving structures make the site particularly interesting for you if you would like to explore historic fortifications and individual architectural remains.

Further destinations: Gubbio, San Martino In Colle, San Sisto, Pilonico Materno, Cascia, Torri, Chioano and Agello.

To the higher-level travel overview: Perugia.