municipality

Acquasparta

Acquasparta is the first northest municipality of Terni’s province and it is in a hill surrounded by water’s springs that gave Ago it the name. It is one of the most beautiful village of Italy and ​​keeps that fortress that, over the years has become what we now know as Palazzo Cesi, once home to the oldest scientific academy in the world, the Accademia dei Lincei. It is one of the most beautiful place to visit in Italy, in Umbria.

 

since roman times
Acquasparta from romans to the Middle Ages

In this area, the Roman Censor Flaminio, in the II sec a.C, from Roma, met the springs of Furapane and Amerino and maybe for this reason, builted the ancient consular street, called this place, from this age, acquas partas – to  the scattered waters.

In one of the hills around the springs, was born the first agglomeration that started to come out on the firsts documentations around the X sec., when Conte Arnolfo, commissioned the Santa Barbara and San Nicolò abbeys, were born Acquasparta.

On 1002, the Terre Arnolfe, were go under the Church’s control and after one century, on 1115, the Acquasparta’s castle, became property of Farfa’s Abbey under the control of Bentivenga’s family. 

Mentioned from Dante in the XII Canto of his Paradise, the Cardinal Matteo Bentivenga of Acquasparta, in 1290, ordered di build the Convent of San Francesco, near of that spring that now we know as Parc of Amerino’s Thermae, where San Francesco blessed the waters when he came. Amerino Water is calcium bicarbonate type, medium mineral and alkaline earth and provides benefit for the gastrointestinal problems, for the biliary tract and for the urinary tract. In addition to being bottled and sold throughout Italy, you can enjoy it from the source, directly in the park.

since roman times
Acquasparta from romans to the Middle Ages

In this area, the Roman Censor Flaminio, in the II sec a.C, from Roma, met the springs of Furapane and Amerino and maybe for this reason, builted the ancient consular street, called this place, from this age, acquas partas – to  the scattered waters.

In one of the hills around the springs, was born the first agglomeration that started to come out on the firsts documentations around the X sec., when Conte Arnolfo, commissioned the Santa Barbara and San Nicolò abbeys, were born Acquasparta.

On 1002, the Terre Arnolfe, were go under the Church’s control and after one century, on 1115, the Acquasparta’s castle, became property of Farfa’s Abbey under the control of Bentivenga’s family. 

Mentioned from Dante in the XII Canto of his Paradise, the Cardinal Matteo Bentivenga of Acquasparta, in 1290, ordered di build the Convent of San Francesco, near of that spring that now we know as Parc of Amerino’s Thermae, where San Francesco blessed the waters when he came. Amerino Water is calcium bicarbonate type, medium mineral and alkaline earth and provides benefit for the gastrointestinal problems, for the biliary tract and for the urinary tract. In addition to being bottled and sold throughout Italy, you can enjoy it from the source, directly in the park.

acquasparta - palazzo cesi - giardino
Renaissance
Acquasparta cradle of the Renaissance

Between the end of ‘400 and the beginning of ‘500, the Acquasparta’s castle won the troubled years of the war between Guelfi and Ghibellini. 

In this period we remember the assault on the city by Altobello di Chiaravalle that, in turn, triggered the intervention through Lucrezia Borgia, regent of Spoleto, who sent a real army in support of the village, thanks to the support of his father Pope Alexander VI.

In 1538, the Papal State, decided to sell the feud of Acquasparta to Pierluigi Farnese that, in turn, in 1540 exchanged it with the property of Isabella d’Alviano, daughter of Bartolomeo d’Alviano and wife of Giangiacomo Cesi. 

Under the Cesi, the village lived it maximum moment of importance and splendor, especially when the prince Federico II Cesi, after founded the Lincei’s Academy, decided to transfer from Roma to Palazzo Cesi of Acquasparta, who became the cradle of italian renaissance and saw Galileo Galilei as his guest. Palazzo Cesi now is become one of the best things to see in Umbria.

points of interest

What see in Acquasparta: Palazzo Cesi, Churches and the tomb of Federico Cesi

Close to its Ducal Palace – that hosts a splendid experiential museum , that tells the story of the genius Federico Cesi and the firsts Lincei, such as the holland Giovanni Heckius, Francesco Stelluti from Marche and Anastasio de Filiis from Umbria, and from 1611 even Galileo Galilei – Acquasparta is the summary of a village that was built during the years from the romans, through the Middle Age to the Renaissance. 

The Via Flaminia and San Giovanni De Butris

If you come from Carsulae, along the Flaminia, before to arrive in Acquasparta, is possible to see a structure with the Church of San Giovanni in Budes, builted in to a roman bridge.

Parc of Amerino’s Thermae

Next to the sports facilities, in a park where, probably, San Francesco liked to go for pray, borns the Amerino’s spring and the structure of Parc of Amerino’s Thermae, one of the best place to visit in Italy.

Church of San Francesco in Acquasparta

​​On top of the Parc of Amerino’s Thermae there is the San Francesco’s Church, a structure where you can enjoy the cloister and other space that now are became  the Casa della Cultura of of Matteo, in honour of the person that decided to built it in XIII sec., in honour of San Francesco from Assisi, Umbria.

Santa Cecilia and the tomb of Federico Cesi

In the center of Acquasparta, there is the the Church of Santa Cecilia with its renaissance bell tower and preserve inside, in addition to magnificent artworks, the remains of Federico II Cesi, the Linceo, the most important find that you can see in Umbria.

Hermitage of San Michele Arcangelo

Placed halfway up to Monti Amerini, looking into Acquasparta, it is possible to see the Hermitage of San Michele Arcangelo, a structure that is possible to reach through a panoramic route that overlooks the valley.

acquasparta - palazzo cesi - dettaglio
points of interest

What see in Acquasparta: Palazzo Cesi, Churches and the tomb of Federico Cesi

Close to its Ducal Palace – that hosts a splendid experiential museum , that tells the story of the genius Federico Cesi and the firsts Lincei, such as the holland Giovanni Heckius, Francesco Stelluti from Marche and Anastasio de Filiis from Umbria, and from 1611 even Galileo Galilei – Acquasparta is the summary of a village that was built during the years from the romans, through the Middle Age to the Renaissance. 

The Via Flaminia and San Giovanni De Butris

If you come from Carsulae, along the Flaminia, before to arrive in Acquasparta, is possible to see a structure with the Church of San Giovanni in Budes, builted in to a roman bridge.

Parc of Amerino’s Thermae

Next to the sports facilities, in a park where, probably, San Francesco liked to go for pray, borns the Amerino’s spring and the structure of Parc of Amerino’s Thermae, one of the best place to visit in Italy.

Church of San Francesco in Acquasparta

​​On top of the Parc of Amerino’s Thermae there is the San Francesco’s Church, a structure where you can enjoy the cloister and other space that now are became  the Casa della Cultura of of Matteo, in honour of the person that decided to built it in XIII sec., in honour of San Francesco from Assisi, Umbria.

Santa Cecilia and the tomb of Federico Cesi

In the center of Acquasparta, there is the the Church of Santa Cecilia with its renaissance bell tower and preserve inside, in addition to magnificent artworks, the remains of Federico II Cesi, the Linceo, the most important find that you can see in Umbria.

Hermitage of San Michele Arcangelo

Placed halfway up to Monti Amerini, looking into Acquasparta, it is possible to see the Hermitage of San Michele Arcangelo, a structure that is possible to reach through a panoramic route that overlooks the valley.

The Terre Arnolfe
Castles and villages in to the Acquasparta’s area

At the end of the Roman Empire, the Umbria and Acquasparta area were not spared from the disputes that characterized this period throughout Italy.

A period of peace was from the end of X sec. , when Ottone I of Sassonia, gave to the Conte Arnolfo of Carinzia a land – where now there are the municipalities of Acquasparta, Avigliano Umbro, Montecastrilli, San Gemini and the area of Monti Martani above Terni, Cesi being the capital – that now we can call like Terre Arnolfe.

A territory of a unique extension and wealth that was then ceded to the Church by Henry II except that the descendants of Arnolfo became vassals of the Papal States, from which to obtain protection from Spoleto, Terni, Narni and Amelia.

From this period, with the phenomenon of the fortification, it was seen to form castles and villages that now characterize our beautiful green area.

The Castle of Casigliano

During a road trip in Italy, when you arrive in Umbria, in the direction of Todi, you can find the Castle of Casigliano, one of the most beautiful things to see in Umbria. This is one of the best suggestive postcards from Meridional Umbria and here, rich of suggestions, is the Atti’s Tomb, preserved into the San Biagio’s church in the Casigliano village.

Castel del Monte

On the road toward Spoleto, to dominate the valley from the height above  to 600 mt, there is Castel del Monte, that for many years was subdued to Todi, like report the emblems of the Eagle on the tower’s door.

The village of Configni

Border land, like the name suggests, Configni, is a village that was enriched in the Middle Age of two little fortresses, one of Configni and one of Montalbano where it controls the valley towards Todi.

The ghost village of Scoppio

Perched on the Fosso della Matassa, Lo Scoppio is an ancient and evocative ghost village that rises on the mountains looking towards Spoleto.

The Terre Arnolfe
Castles and villages in to the Acquasparta’s area

At the end of the Roman Empire, the Umbria and Acquasparta area were not spared from the disputes that characterized this period throughout Italy.

A period of peace was from the end of X sec. , when Ottone I of Sassonia, gave to the Conte Arnolfo of Carinzia a land – where now there are the municipalities of Acquasparta, Avigliano Umbro, Montecastrilli, San Gemini and the area of Monti Martani above Terni, Cesi being the capital – that now we can call like Terre Arnolfe.

A territory of a unique extension and wealth that was then ceded to the Church by Henry II except that the descendants of Arnolfo became vassals of the Papal States, from which to obtain protection from Spoleto, Terni, Narni and Amelia.

From this period, with the phenomenon of the fortification, it was seen to form castles and villages that now characterize our beautiful green area.

The Castle of Casigliano

During a road trip in Italy, when you arrive in Umbria, in the direction of Todi, you can find the Castle of Casigliano, one of the most beautiful things to see in Umbria. This is one of the best suggestive postcards from Meridional Umbria and here, rich of suggestions, is the Atti’s Tomb, preserved into the San Biagio’s church in the Casigliano village.

Castel del Monte

On the road toward Spoleto, to dominate the valley from the height above  to 600 mt, there is Castel del Monte, that for many years was subdued to Todi, like report the emblems of the Eagle on the tower’s door.

The village of Configni

Border land, like the name suggests, Configni, is a village that was enriched in the Middle Age of two little fortresses, one of Configni and one of Montalbano where it controls the valley towards Todi.

The ghost village of Scoppio

Perched on the Fosso della Matassa, Lo Scoppio is an ancient and evocative ghost village that rises on the mountains looking towards Spoleto.

experience the territory
Acquasparta: events and tradition
The Festival of the Renaissance in Acquasparta

The Festival of the Renaissance in Acquasparta is the most event in Umbria that, between June and July (except the cases imposed by Covid) enriched the culture and the enogastronomy of the Umbria’s summer and it enriched the Italy tourism. The challenges between the districts, the renaissance’s theatre, the parade in costumes reminiscent of that period and the taverns in the village that bring us to the period of Federico Cesi and his court.

The Ancient Lincei Christmas Fair

During Christmas not every event is the same, and the event that lives in Acquasparta commemorates the Ancient Lincei Fair: special events, shows and a fair that involves merchants from all of Italy. Come to visit Umbria so you don’t miss this magical fair.

Where to stay

Where to stay

Discover the accommodation facilities of the municipality.