Village - Le Terre dei Borghi Verdi

municipality

Guardea

Although the present-day centre of Guardea shows an urban layout of recent construction, its origins are to be found in the two hills that face each other and together control the slow passage of the Tiber from above the remains of ‘Guardegio’ or Guardea Vecchia and the elegant Castello di Poggio opposite it.

since the Palaeolithic period

Guardea a sentinel along the Tiber valley

On one side the Valtiberina and the Lake of Alviano on the other the colorful valley of Cocciano to the south the gullies and the castle of Alviano to the north the castle of Montecchio: the Guardea area has a variety of landscapes and a unique history worth telling.

The history of one of the most powerful castles in Valtiberina

The territory of Guardea has been inhabited since the Palaeolithic period. In addition to the remains of the castelliere (fortified borough) on Mount Civitelle and the polygonal barrages along the Fosso Marrutana, sporadic finds attest that the territory was inhabited before Romanisation, which certainly led to the construction of several rustic villas in the fertile territory after the 3rd century BC.

Guardea in the Middle Ages

We do not know much about the origins of the first settlement, but already from the name of Guardea – ‘wart’ in Lombard means ‘guardian’ – we can deduce the ancient origins of the castle, which may once have been a ‘lookout point’ on the very hill where we can now see the ruins of an early fortified settlement that we can assume was erected around the 9th century BC.

We also know of the existence of the very ancient parish church of San Cesareo, the remains of which are now southwest of the town centre near the polygonal walls and the remains of the Monastery of San Silvestro, whose parish title was transferred to the church on the hill and, therefore, predates it.

The area of the gullies, known as ‘del Marruto’, also tells of a castle that existed there and, with it, a whole series of monasteries – including San Salvatore, San Benedetto, San Giacomo and Monte Corvo – that enriched the surrounding hills.

The first written record of Guardea dates back to the year 1158 when Pope Adrian IV purchased ‘half of certain castles of Castiglione in Teverina, Carmignano, Canepina and Bulsignano’ from the daughter of a Raynaldo of Guardea who, before his death, was to extend his power beyond the Teverina area into the territory of Viterbo.

In 1232, a Raynaldo de Uffreduccio of Bonconte d’Alviano appears in Alviano and, at the end of the previous century, we know that the Castle of Poggio is also called the Ufreducci. Alviano who, shortly afterwards, would become ‘lords of Guardea’.

In the hands of the Alviano family, the Castle of Guardege, due to its position, became a bulwark of the defensive system of the Alviani Status first and then of Todi when Alviano entered its orbit.

since the Palaeolithic period

Guardea a sentinel along the Tiber valley

The history of one of the most powerful castles in Valtiberina

Guardea in the Middle Ages

In the early 14th century, on the hill overlooking today’s Frattuccia, Guardea’s only hamlet, Santa Maria in Castella was founded, of which little remains today because the plague forced the inhabitants to move lower down to create the new fortified settlement that had so much to do with the disputes between the Atti and Chiaravalle.

In the 15th century, in the Hermitage of Sant’Illuminata, founded by tradition in the year 1007 by St. Romualdo, the founder of the Camaldolese order, but after about 200 years it was handed over to the Franciscans, the work of Blessed Pascuccio, Co-Patron of Guardea, stood out.

The condottiere Bartolomeo d’Alviano, as for other castles in the territory, was a pre-eminent figure also for that of Guardea, which at his death passed to his daughter Porzia, who married Paolo Pietro Monaldeschi della Cervara. His daughter Caterina, in a second marriage, married Ludovico di Marsciano on 21 January 1581.

Around the end of the 17th century, the abandonment of Guardea Vecchia began in favour of the new settlement down in the valley: it is assumed that the final abandonment took place between 1706, when the Papal State gave permission to transfer the Blessed Sacrament from the high church to the Church of Sant’Egidio, and 1726, when the new Church of Saints Peter and Caesar was completed, in the place called Piano Antico (Old Floor), and the first mass was celebrated there.

From 1817, Guardea was the seat of a governorate with Alviano, Frattuccia and Poggio di Guardea as appointees.

In 1860 it became a municipality of the new Kingdom in the Province of Umbria, and from 1927 it became part of the Province of Terni.

punti di interesse

Cosa vedere a Guardea e nel suo territorio

The historic centre in the valley, then the two castles on the hill, the splendid valley of Cocciano and then Frattuccia near the lands of the municipalities of Amelia and Montecastrilli. The territory of Guardea is rich in points of interest to be discovered and ancient roads on which hikers of the Cammino dei Borghi Silenti walk and cycle today.

A tour of Guardea’s historic centre

The walk to discover the historical centre of Guardea of about a kim, can only start from the central Piazza Panfili, which directly connects the Palazzo Comunale and the Church of Saints Peter and Caesar in front of it.

The parallel street inside Via Roma, heading north, leads to the discovery of the Church of Santa Lucia and, subsequently, to the splendid park that holds a work of absolute value: that Arch of Planetary Consciousness, the result of the collaboration between the Municipality of Guardea and the Club of Budapest – which has its headquarters in the Castle of Poggio – and which is built with stones from the most important symbolic places in the world (from Nagasaki to Moscow, from the Berlin Wall to Nazareth).

Walking backwards along Via Roma, one arrives at the Church of Sant’Egidio dedicated to Guardea’s patron saint and built, in all probability, over an ancient aedicule dedicated to the saint prior to the abandonment of the old town upstream.

Guardea Vecchia, il Poggio, Parco l’Aiuola, the WWF Oasis and the administrative island of Frattuccia

Following the history of Guardea, as mentioned, means climbing the two hills that dominate the present-day town. Not to be missed is the ascent to Guardea Vecchia, the actual town before the descent to the valley in the 17th century, which, in addition to the evocative remains of the castle and its imposing keep, provides a splendid panoramic view of the modern town.

Passing through the Aiuola Park and its facilities for outdoor activities, one can reach, past the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Castello di Poggio, renovated by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, now a private residence.

Of absolute naturalistic interest is the WWF Oasis of Lake Alviano, which has its entrance from the municipality of Guardea in the locality of Madonna del Porto.

Among the most striking Franciscan sites is the Hermitage and Convent of Santa Illuminata and the grotto where the saint used to retire in prayer.

The valley of Cocciano and its paths are, on the other hand, one of the most photographed places in the area because of its lively nature that explodes in spring with its colours and fruits, including the local Cocciano apple.

A separate discourse can be made regarding the castle of Frattuccia, a hamlet completely detached from the municipal territory and located on a cliff 493 metres above sea level, rich in woods and divided from Guardea by the Aiola, Castellari and Pianicel Grande mountains.

punti di interesse

Cosa vedere a Guardea e nel suo territorio

A tour of Guardea’s historic centre

Guardea Vecchia, il Poggio, Parco l’Aiuola, the WWF Oasis and the administrative island of Frattuccia

Of absolute naturalistic interest is the WWF Oasis of Lake Alviano, which has its entrance from the municipality of Guardea in the locality of Madonna del Porto.

Among the most striking Franciscan sites is the Hermitage and Convent of Santa Illuminata and the grotto where the saint used to retire in prayer.

the territory

Routes, walks and outdoor experiences

The Guardea territory contemplates various places and itineraries for experiences amidst the greenery, including first and foremost the possibility of visiting, with its nature trails, the WWF Oasis of Lake Alviano. But in addition to this, there are several CAI (Italian Alpine Club) paths that cross it and, in addition, the Cocciano valley is one of the places of passage of the very popular Cammino dei Borghi Silenti (Silent Villages Walk).

The most beautiful paths of the CAI

There are many CAI (Italian Alpine Club) paths traced within the territory, among the most interesting we suggest those that start from or pass through Guardea:

Path 705 Anello Alviano – Guardea a splendid 16.4 km ring, of hiking difficulty with a climb of 591 m, which can be covered in 7 hours, starting from Alviano and via asphalt and dirt road to Guardea, admiring Lake Alviano and the fabulous panorama of the valley. It passes through Cocciano and then visits Guardea Vecchia. Continuing along uphill paths and downhill mule tracks, we then return to the starting point.

Path 706 Anello Alviano – Madonna del Porto is a 24.4 km ring, of excursionist difficulty with a climb of 536 metres, that starts out from Alviano and via asphalt and dirt road reaches Guardea. From Cocciano, it continues on to Castello di Poggio and descends to the WWF Oasis Lago di Alviano and from there to Madonna del Porto, then by means of a cart track from which it is possible to admire the calanchi (gullies), it climbs back up to Alviano.
Sentiero 707 Montecchio percorso A is an 11.4 km hiking trail (+384/-222) that starts in the locality of I Poggi and reaches the remains of the Monastery of Sant’Andrea, passing through the Necropolis of the Vallone di San Lorenzo, Tenaglie, between the territories of Baschi, Guardea and Montecchio.
Trail 711 Posta del Prete Monte Pianicel Grande is a short, 2.1 km hiking trail that starts at Posta del Prete and ends at Monte Pianicel Grande.
Trail 712 Monte Pianicel Grande is a very scenic link road, about 3 km long, designed to connect Monte Pianicel Grande to trail 705 Anello Alviano – Guardea.
Footpath 713 Cocciano loc. Le Case – Grotta Porcina – Piani Puosi is a very scenic, approx. 4 km long, linking footpath 705 Anello Alviano – Guardea to several other CAI paths starting from Cocciano (loc. Le Case) and going up to Pian Puosi, passing through Grotta Porcina.
Trail 743 Lugnano – Piani Peloni is a 9 km hiking trail that starts from Lugnano in Teverina in loc. Parco degli Ulivi and, via Valle Nera, skirts the territory of the municipality of Alviano, intercepting trail 705 and then reaches Campo Croci or Piani Peloni, where it intercepts trail 746 Alta Via dei Monti Amerini.
Path 746 Alta Via dei Monti Amerini is one of the most scenic paths of our territory: it starts from the territory of Montecchio passing through those of Avigliano Umbro and Guardea touching the most significant peaks of the Amerini Paths: mount Melezzole (994 mt.), Mount Croce di Serra (997 m.), Pian Puosi (906 m.) and Mount Rotondo (918 m.), Mount Pianicel Grande (898 m.), Campo Croci or Piani Peloni for a total of 7.1 km.

The Way of the Silent Villages

Within the municipality’s territory passes a stage of one of Italy’s most famous walks: the Cammino dei Borghi Silenti, which in its first stage, from Tenaglie to Melezzole, 23.5 km, passes through the Castello di Poggio and the Valle di Cocciano.

the territory

Routes, walks and outdoor experiences

The most beautiful paths of the CAI

There are many CAI (Italian Alpine Club) paths traced within the territory, among the most interesting we suggest those that start from or pass through Guardea:

Path 705 Anello Alviano – Guardea a splendid 16.4 km ring, of hiking difficulty with a climb of 591 m, which can be covered in 7 hours, starting from Alviano and via asphalt and dirt road to Guardea, admiring Lake Alviano and the fabulous panorama of the valley. It passes through Cocciano and then visits Guardea Vecchia. Continuing along uphill paths and downhill mule tracks, we then return to the starting point.

Path 706 Anello Alviano – Madonna del Porto is a 24.4 km ring, of excursionist difficulty with a climb of 536 metres, that starts out from Alviano and via asphalt and dirt road reaches Guardea. From Cocciano, it continues on to Castello di Poggio and descends to the WWF Oasis Lago di Alviano and from there to Madonna del Porto, then by means of a cart track from which it is possible to admire the calanchi (gullies), it climbs back up to Alviano.
Sentiero 707 Montecchio percorso A is an 11.4 km hiking trail (+384/-222) that starts in the locality of I Poggi and reaches the remains of the Monastery of Sant’Andrea, passing through the Necropolis of the Vallone di San Lorenzo, Tenaglie, between the territories of Baschi, Guardea and Montecchio.
Trail 711 Posta del Prete Monte Pianicel Grande is a short, 2.1 km hiking trail that starts at Posta del Prete and ends at Monte Pianicel Grande.
Trail 712 Monte Pianicel Grande is a very scenic link road, about 3 km long, designed to connect Monte Pianicel Grande to trail 705 Anello Alviano – Guardea.
Footpath 713 Cocciano loc. Le Case – Grotta Porcina – Piani Puosi is a very scenic, approx. 4 km long, linking footpath 705 Anello Alviano – Guardea to several other CAI paths starting from Cocciano (loc. Le Case) and going up to Pian Puosi, passing through Grotta Porcina.
Trail 743 Lugnano – Piani Peloni is a 9 km hiking trail that starts from Lugnano in Teverina in loc. Parco degli Ulivi and, via Valle Nera, skirts the territory of the municipality of Alviano, intercepting trail 705 and then reaches Campo Croci or Piani Peloni, where it intercepts trail 746 Alta Via dei Monti Amerini.
Path 746 Alta Via dei Monti Amerini is one of the most scenic paths of our territory: it starts from the territory of Montecchio passing through those of Avigliano Umbro and Guardea touching the most significant peaks of the Amerini Paths: mount Melezzole (994 mt.), Mount Croce di Serra (997 m.), Pian Puosi (906 m.) and Mount Rotondo (918 m.), Mount Pianicel Grande (898 m.), Campo Croci or Piani Peloni for a total of 7.1 km.

The Way of the Silent Villages

experience the village

Events and traditions in Guardea

The very active local associations, including the Pro Loco and the Comitato Festeggiamenti, organise events throughout the year that tie in with local traditions.

Important and heartfelt are:

the festivities for the Blessed Pascuccio are celebrated on the third Sunday in June with events and shows taking place throughout the weekend;
and those for Sant’Egidio starting on 1 September and involving the following days until the weekend.

If you are in the area during the first two weeks of August, you cannot miss the legendary Sagra degli Gnocchi in Piazza Pietro Panfili with handmade gnocchi and absolutely zero-kilometre ingredients.

Where to stay

Discover the accommodation facilities of the municipality.