Todi is an Italian town of 16 296 inhabitants in the province of
Perugia. It stands on a 411 m high hill. (the seat of the
Municipality, however, is located at 400 m above sea leve)
overlooking the middle valley of the Tiber.
The municipal
territory, one of the largest in the Umbria region, is mostly hilly
and is made up of a myriad of small settlements. The main centers,
in addition to the city of Todi, are Pantalla and the Ponterio-Pian
di Porto area, which also includes the industrial area of the city.
Todi is
part of:
Mountain Community of Monte Peglia and Selva di Meana
Slow Food
Piazza del Popolo
The Piazza del Popolo is the central and
historic town square, one of the most important and interesting of
the Middle Ages in the region and in Italy, a true testimony of the
era of the Free Municipalities. Around it there are the most famous
monuments of Todi:
Duomo dell'Annunziata, built between the
12th and 14th centuries in Romanesque-Gothic style, is one of the
most important churches in Umbria. Inside, on the counter-façade, is
a fresco by Ferraù da Faenza, inspired by Michelangelo, from The
Last Judgment. In the crypt there is a museum.
the Palazzo
Vescovile, annexed to the Cathedral, was finished building in 1593
by order of the bishop Angelo Cesi, who had his coat of arms placed
above the door, a coat of arms attributed to Vignola. Beyond the
entrance you enter an internal courtyard, while on the first floor
there is a hall frescoed by Ferraù da Faenza, known as il Faenzone,
in 1594, and a gallery frescoed by Andrea Polinori, completed in
1629).
Palazzo dei Priori, a solid Gothic building that with its
trapezoidal tower dominates the side of the square opposite the
Duomo.
Palazzo del Capitano, also called Nuovo, was built in
1293, on the top floor it houses the Civic Museum of Todi.
Palazzo del Popolo, contiguous and connected to the previous one,
also houses the Civic Museum of Todi. Built in Lombard Romanesque
style, it is the oldest public building in the square, the historic
seat of the Municipality.
Church
of San Fortunato, large thirteenth-century Gothic building. In the
crypt of the church of San Fortunato there is a tomb of four saints
(including San Cassiano) and, on one wall of the wall, an oval with
the frescoed image of the blessed Jacopone da Todi.
Temple of
Santa Maria della Consolazione, located outside the city walls, is a
grandiose Renaissance church perhaps built on a project by Bramante.
Church of San Nicolò de Criptis, was built in 1093 on the cavea and
the stalls of the Roman amphitheater. The name "criptis" seems to
derive from "caves (crypts)" abundant in the soil of the area that
supported the amphitheater. The rose window, the baptismal font and
three doors relating to a nave remain from the original
construction. Now the church is bare of the frescoes, partly brought
to some municipal collections and partly destroyed in the postwar
period);
Oratorio della Nunziatina, a seventeenth-century
building that once belonged to city Confraternities and then fell
into disrepair, was renovated and richly decorated several times by
Andrea Polinori and other artists;
Church of San Filippo (built
from 1490 to 1507 by order of the Knights of San Giovanni in
Gerusalemme), in 1590 it was sold by the order of the Servants of
Mary, which later became the owners. Inside there is a virgin with
child, from the fourteenth century, the oldest image of the Madonna
delle Grazie, under the altar there are the bones of San Filippo
Benizi);
Church of Santi Filippo and Giacomo, the first news
dates back to 1276, while the crypt dates back to the 11th century
(used as a burial place). In 1600 it was annexed to the adjacent
Benedictine monastery. Once the crypt was closed, an ossuary was
used there. The apse was also closed to allow the opening of three
windows and the covering of two cross vaults and the construction of
the bell gable. During the period of deconsecration the church was
used as a carpentry. Recently, in a restoration, the more or less
original aspect has been restored with the frescoes and the
fifteenth-century ex-votos.
Church of Santo Stefano, located near
Porta Fratta, housed, according to the Todi tradition, the remains
of the saints Felicissimo, Eraclio and Paolino. Only in 1584, with a
municipal ordinance, did the search for sacred remains begin, an
undertaking that seems to succeed centuries later, in 1766, when as
many as 23 bodies were found. The church is arranged in such a way
as to gather the first light of the morning through the entrance
door, an ecclesiastical symbol of divine light;
Church of San
Carlo and Sant'Ilario, the first news of the church dates back to
1112, in a list that the Tudertine Count Guazza gave to the Abbey of
Farfa. In 1623 it belonged to the company of San Carlo. The façade
is in Umbrian Romanesque style, as is the façade of the cathedral in
Piazza del Popolo, with five horizontal crown-like serrations. The
rose window, with eight radial columns that unite in a ring
perfectly located in the center of the rose window itself, creating
8 cones with the cut off point, is central, placed in the 12th
century on the facade; in the lunette above the entrance you can
admire the remains of a fresco depicting St. Charles, through a step
you enter the interior divided between space for the faithful and
space for priests. Another 4 steps lead to the presbytery, with a
central altar with a main slab of travertine; to the left of the
altar there is a fresco probably made by Spain;
Church of Santa
Prassede (14th century), with a white and red stone facade;
Church of San Giorgio, according to historians was built in 1107,
inside there are various frescoes, including one on the Madonna
asking an angel to save the Souls of Purgatory from the flames and a
recently restored piece of fresco);
Convent of Montesanto;
Monastero delle Lucrezie, in the Nidola district, named in honor of
the noblewoman of Ancona who lived there in the early 15th century,
Lucrezia della Genga, together with 12 other sisters. In her will,
Lucrezia left the building to the female Tertiary Order (in 1425);
later, due to the impoverishment of the building due to the collapse
of the ground below, the nuns were forced to abandon the building in
1897. During the First World War some rooms were used as a warehouse
while others were rented to the famous handicraft workshop of the
Crispolti Institute. In the nineties of the twentieth century, the
complex underwent consolidation and restoration works that brought
to light an ancient torcularium and a seventeenth-century cycle of
frescoes in the apse of the Church of San Giovanni, today the
Lapidary Museum. Currently, in addition to the Lapidary Museum of
the city of Todi, the Lucrezie complex houses the Nido dell'Aquila
theater, named in memory of the legendary foundation of the city.
Santa Maria in Cammuccia;
Church of the Santissimo Crocifisso;
The Civic Museum, located on the top floor of the
Palazzi del Popolo and del Capitano, was restored in 1997. It has a
collection of numismatics, archeology, textiles, ceramics, as well
as an art gallery.
The Lapidary Museum of the city of Todi,
inaugurated in 2009, at the Polo Museale delle Lucrezie, where a
collection, among the oldest in Umbria, of stone materials from the
Roman, medieval and modern ages is preserved.
Parco della Rocca, which with its 411 m above sea level. it is the
highest point in the city. The fortress was built by order of Pope
Gregory After several years, in 1503, it was demolished by order of
Ludovico degli Atti. Now all that remains of the fortress are a round
tower, the keep, the remains of the fortification and the prison of San
Cassiano.
Roman Nicchioni (located in the old market square, so
called because of the market that was held in this square from 1819), a
Roman construction with a base of 48 m x 11 m; according to some
hypotheses, it would be a temple dedicated to Mars);
Cisterns and
tunnels;
Fonte Scannabecco, dating back to 1241;
Triple circle of
defensive walls:
The third circle of walls, as local history attests,
was completed in 1244; it has reached the present day almost intact
thanks to various restoration interventions and for defensive needs. The
third circle of walls is approximately 4 km long and is equipped with
gates equipped with buttresses and bastions. The ports are named after
the cities of destination:
Porta Perugina;
Roman Gate;
Porta
Amerina;
Porta Fratta;
Porta Santa Margherita or della
Consolazione, near the relevant Temple, demolished;
Porta Orvietana
collapsed, but some remains remain;
Porta Cupa, collapsed.
Other ports:
Free Door;
Golden Gate;
Porta Catena or
Sant'Antonio, so called due to the protective chains blocking the
access.
The first circle of walls dates back to the Umbrian-Roman
period; remains remain mainly near the Porta Marzia, it underwent
modifications in the 17th century.
Another series of walls can be
admired near the Lower Valley (also called the Lucrezie), locally called
the Etruscan wall (incorrectly, because it was actually built in Roman
times - this work is one of the most impressive Roman works in Todi).
They have two tunnels (lower and upper), built for hydraulic purposes
and still functioning.
Municipal theatre, established by municipal
resolution in 1868, was built to a design by the Arezzo architect Carlo
Gatteschi. To build it it was necessary to demolish some surrounding
houses; the works ended in 1872, but the inauguration took place only in
1876. Annibale Brugnoli painted the theater curtain with a scene
depicting the arrival of Ludovico Ariosto in Todi in 1531;
Palazzo
Landi Corradi, or "Palazzo del Vignola" (on the façade is the travertine
portal attributed to Vignola), was the seat of a seminary and was
restored in 1954 on the initiative of bishop Alfonso Maria De Santis).
On April 25, 1982, it was the scene of a tragic fire that claimed the
lives of 35 visitors.
Todi Festival: Annual festival of prose and lyric theatre, dance,
cultured and ethnic music, visual arts and literary meetings which
usually takes place between the end of August and the beginning of
September. From its foundation until 1997 it was directed by Silvano
Spada, while from 1997 to 2007 the artistic direction was entrusted to
the actress Simona Marchini, changing its name to TodiArteFestival, then
passing to Maurizio Costanzo in 2008, to Stefano Porri in 2010 and from
2011 to Emiliano Leonardi and Giulio Castrica. Since the 2013 edition
(23 August - 1 September) the direction of the Festival has returned to
Silvano Spada and has resumed the name of Todi Festival
Italian
Antiques Exhibition: one of the oldest and most prestigious antiques
market exhibitions in the world, it traditionally takes place starting
from Holy Thursday and ending on the Sunday following Easter.
Antiques market: takes place in the main square of the city every second
Sunday of the month.
Feast of Santa Maria della Consolazione: it is
the traditional festival of Todi. It takes place on September 8th in
honor of the Madonna della Consolazione, in front of the
sixteenth-century temple inspired by Bramante. The closing, by
centuries-old tradition, is entrusted to fantastic fireworks.
Hot Air
Balloon Grand Prix: International gathering of hot air balloons from all
over the world, which brighten up the Tuder skies in the second week of
July.
San Martino Fair, 11 November: the streets of the historic
center are filled with stalls transforming the entire city into a large
market.
In 2007, celebrations took place for the seventh centenary of
the death of Jacopone da Todi (1306-2006).
By plane
Florence "Amerigo Vespucci" airport
"Leonardo Da
Vinci" Fiumicino Rome International Airport
By car
A1
motorway: Valdichiana exit; continue towards Perugia-Terni, then Todi
A1 motorway: Orvieto exit; continue towards Todi
A1 motorway: Orte
exit, continue towards Terni-Perugia-Cesena, then Todi
A14 motorway:
Fano exit; continue on the Flaminia towards Gubbio-Todi
On the
train
Todi station, served by the Umbrian Central Railway
By
bus
From Perugia with APM
From Terni with ATC
Average prices
Villa Luisa, Via A. Cortesi, 147, ☎ +39 075
8948571. 3-star hotel, 1500 m from the centre.
Hotel Tuder, Via
Maesta' dei Lombardi, 13, ☎ +39 075 8942184. Quite close to the city
centre, with a nice view.
High prices
Hotel Tenuta di
Canonica, Voc. Casalzetta 75 Località Canonica, ☎ +39 075 8947545. On a
hill overlooking Todi. Eleven rooms built in a structure that dates back
to Roman times.
Legendary and Pre-Roman Origins (Umbrian-Etruscan Period, ca.
8th–3rd centuries BC)
According to local tradition, Todi was
founded as early as 2707 BC by a Veii-Umbrian tribe. Legend holds
that while the men camped on the Tiber’s banks and began building
downstream, an eagle snatched their tablecloth and dropped it atop
the hill. Interpreting this as a divine sign, they relocated the
settlement there; the eagle became (and remains) the town’s emblem,
often depicted with outstretched wings clutching cloth.
Archaeologists confirm a core village of farmers and shepherds
dating to the 8th–6th centuries BC on the hill, with continuous
occupation possibly tracing back to Neolithic times when the Tiber
valley was marshy or lake-filled.
The Umbri, an Indo-European
people whose language related to Latin, established the town as
Tutere (or Tular in Etruscan), meaning “border.” It sat precisely on
the frontier between Umbrian lands (left bank of the Tiber) and
Etruscan dominions (right bank), leading to strong Etruscan cultural
influence despite Umbrian roots. Pre-Roman coins bear the name
Tutere using Etruscan weights. Evidence includes necropolises (e.g.,
San Raffaele and Le Logge) with graves from the 7th century BC and a
bronze statue of Mars (5th–4th century BC) found at nearby
Montesanto, likely from a religious site. The earliest walls (large
travertine blocks, some visible today along Via delle Mura Etrusche)
date to around the 6th–5th or 3rd–1st centuries BC and are often
attributed to Etruscan builders.
Roman Era (3rd century
BC–5th century AD)
Rome conquered Umbria around 340 BC (or the
3rd century BC), incorporating Todi as a key ally. It became a
municipium in 89 BC and, under Augustus, Colonia Julia Fida Tuder
(or Splendidissima Colonia Tuder), receiving colonists from the 41st
Legion. The gens Ulpia, family of Emperor Trajan, originated here.
Todi flourished along the Via Amerina, minting coins and developing
urban infrastructure centered on the ancient Forum (today’s Piazza
del Popolo). Key remains include extensive underground cisterns and
tunnels beneath the square (over 30 for water storage and
stability), the Nicchioni (massive Roman retaining walls with
niches, possibly a nymphaeum, supporting the hill), a theater,
amphitheater (traces incorporated into later churches like San
Nicolò), baths with mosaics, temples (including to Mars, whose cult
Silius Italicus noted), and a second ring of walls. Road names still
recall gates like Porta Aurea, Porta Libera, Porta Catena, and Porta
Marzia.
Todi contributed troops (e.g., against Hannibal at
Trasimene in 218 BC) but was sacked by Crassus during Sulla’s civil
war (83 BC). It endured as a prosperous imperial center, spared
major destruction during late antiquity due to its hilltop defenses.
Late Antiquity, Early Christianity, and Early Middle Ages
(4th–11th centuries)
Christianity took root early; a catacomb at
nearby Villa San Faustino dates to the 2nd century, and Todi became
a diocese in the 4th century (absorbing the nearby diocese of
Civitas Martana in the 8th). Legendary early bishops include St.
Terentian (martyred under Hadrian) and St. Fortunatus (6th century),
Todi’s patron, credited with protecting the city from Gothic
destruction during Totila’s era (mid-6th century). Alaric the
Visigoth likely damaged nearby sites in 410 AD, and the city
featured in Gothic-Byzantine wars (e.g., Narses’ victory nearby in
552; Totila’s siege and death).
Under the Lombards (late 6th
century onward), Todi initially fell in the Duchy of Spoleto but was
contested in the Byzantine corridor between Rome and Ravenna. It
passed to the Papacy via Pepin’s donation (8th century) and
Carolingian confirmations. Saracen raids hit in the 9th century, but
powerful local families (Arnolfi, Montemarte, Atti) emerged. A synod
under Otto III and Pope Sylvester II occurred here in 1001. By the
11th–12th centuries, Todi transitioned to a free commune with
consuls, amid Guelph-Ghibelline factionalism (e.g., Atti vs.
Chiaravalle families).
High and Late Middle Ages: The
Commune’s Golden Age (12th–14th centuries)
Todi’s peak prosperity
came in the 12th–13th centuries as an independent commune. It
expanded territory (tributaries included Amelia, Terni, and parts of
the Nera Valley), allied variably with Perugia (often
Ghibelline-leaning), and clashed with Orvieto, Spoleto, and others.
A third ring of walls (mid-13th century) enclosed the growing town,
with monumental gates (Porta Orvietana, Porta Perugina, Porta
Romana, Porta Amerina). Major civic buildings rose around Piazza del
Popolo: Palazzo del Popolo (1213–33, with arcades and battlements),
Palazzo del Capitano, and Palazzo dei Priori (featuring the bronze
eagle emblem since 1339).
The era produced cultural icons, most
notably Jacopone da Todi (ca. 1230–1306), a noble-born lawyer turned
Franciscan mystic and poet after his wife’s tragic death. He
authored over 100 laude (vernacular hymns, including possibly the
Stabat Mater), championed strict poverty as a Spiritual Franciscan,
opposed Pope Boniface VIII (leading to excommunication and
imprisonment), and is buried in San Fortunato church. The
Gothic-Romanesque Cathedral (12th–14th centuries, with rose window
and crypt), San Fortunato (begun 1292, with 15th-century façade),
and other churches were built or enhanced.
Popes (Innocent III,
Boniface VIII) intervened frequently; Cardinal Albornoz brought it
under firmer papal control in the 14th century. Conflicts with
Perugia, internal strife, and rule by condottieri (e.g., Malatesta
of Rimini, Braccio Fortebracci, Francesco Sforza) marked the late
Middle Ages, alongside plagues and factional violence.
Renaissance, Early Modern Decline, and Modern Era (15th–21st
centuries)
The 15th–16th centuries saw shifting papal and secular
control, with the fortress of Gregory IX destroyed in 1503. A
devastating plague in 1523 killed over half (or two-thirds) the
population, but Bishop Angelo Cesi (1566–1606) spurred renewal: the
Cesia Fountain, Crucifix Church, and completion of Santa Maria della
Consolazione (1508–1607, a Renaissance masterpiece in Greek-cross
plan often attributed to Bramante or his circle). Later plagues
(e.g., 1630) and economic woes caused decline in the 17th century.
Todi remained under Papal States rule, with minor Napoleonic
interruption (Trasimeno Department, 1809). Garibaldi passed through
in 1849 during the Risorgimento. It joined the Kingdom of Italy in
1860, playing a modest role in unification. The 19th–20th centuries
brought population stabilization (around 14,000–17,000) and modest
industry (e.g., wrought iron, later televisions), but Todi preserved
its medieval fabric. In modern times, it has become a tourism and
cultural hub, celebrated for its “slow town” ethos, intact historic
center, and views over the Umbrian countryside.
Topography and Hill Setting
Todi perches dramatically on a
tall, two-crested hill (often described as a "double-crested" or
isolated rock formation) at an elevation of 410–447 m (1,350–1,467
ft) above sea level. The town proper sits at roughly 400–447 m,
while the broader municipal area shows significant relief: average
elevation around 343 m (1,125 ft), with a minimum of about 130 m
(430 ft) in the Tiber valley floor and a maximum reaching up to 880
m (2,890 ft) on surrounding ridges.
The hill rises steeply from
the surrounding plain, offering panoramic views in every direction.
Within just a couple of miles of the town center, elevation changes
exceed 900 ft (274 m), creating a rugged local topography of slopes,
gullies, and terraces. The base of the hill has gentler slopes
(around 10–15%), while the upper sections are steeper (up to
40–45%), which historically aided defense and shaped the town's
concentric walls.
Geologically, the Hill of Todi consists of
Plio-Pleistocene clastic sediments deposited in the ancient Lake
Tiberino (a large lacustrine basin that once filled the Tiber
Valley). These form layered continental facies: impermeable basal
clays dominate the lower slopes (northwest, west, and southwest),
overlain by more permeable sandy-clayey and conglomeratic deposits
higher up. This heterogeneity creates complex hydrogeology—clays
promote water saturation and occasional landslides, while upper
layers allow better drainage. Ancient engineers (Etruscan, Roman)
and later interventions addressed this with drainage tunnels,
retaining walls, and gullies (e.g., the Lucrezie gully on the
northwest slope).
The town occupies the hilltop between two small
streams—the Rivo and Naia—which flow into the Tiber and irrigate the
plains below. These watercourses carve minor valleys and contribute
to the hill's isolation.
Hydrology and Regional Context
Todi lies on the left (eastern) bank of the Tiber River, Umbria's
primary waterway, which flows southward through the valley below the
town. The Tiber Valley here forms part of the broader Upper/Middle
Tiber basin, flanked by low hills that rise eastward toward the
Umbrian-Marchigian Apennines. The river and its tributaries
(including the Naia and Rivo) have shaped fertile alluvial plains
ideal for agriculture, while the hill's position commands the valley
and ancient trade routes like the Via Amerina.
The surrounding
Umbrian landscape is predominantly hilly and mountainous (Umbria is
Italy's only landlocked region), with wide basins of lacustrine or
fluvial origin. Todi sits in a transitional zone: to the east, the
terrain gradually ascends toward higher Apennine peaks (e.g., Monte
Subasio or farther ridges exceeding 1,000–1,600 m); westward and
southward are gentler hills and the Tiber floodplain. The
municipality encompasses numerous frazioni (hamlets) scattered
across these hills and valleys, including Pantalla, Ponterio-Pian di
Porto, and others, reflecting dispersed rural settlement.
Climate
Todi has a Mediterranean climate with hot summers
(Köppen: Csa)—warm and temperate overall, influenced by its inland,
mid-elevation position. Elevation and topography moderate extremes
compared to coastal areas, producing significant diurnal and
seasonal temperature swings.
Temperatures: Annual average
around 13–14°C (55–57°F). Summers (June–August) are hot and dry,
with daytime highs of 26–31°C (79–88°F) (peaks near 35°C/95°F
possible) and lows around 14–17°C (57–63°F). Winters
(December–February) are mild and cooler, with highs of 8–13°C
(46–55°F) and lows near 0–3°C (32–37°F), occasionally dipping to
freezing but rarely below –3°C (27°F). July/August are the hottest
months; January the coldest.
Precipitation: Roughly 870–902 mm
(34–36 inches) annually, with a clear seasonal pattern—wetter in
fall and winter (November often the wettest, ~100–130 mm), drier in
summer (July the driest, ~25–65 mm). Rain falls on about 150–160
days per year, mostly as showers rather than extremes.
Other
factors: Sunshine is abundant in summer; humidity moderate. Winds
are typically light to moderate, with some influence from northerly
flows. The hilltop position can enhance breezes and views but also
exposes the area to occasional fog in the valley or thunderstorms in
transitional seasons.
This climate supports diverse
agriculture: grains and sunflowers in the valley, olives and
vineyards on the hills.
Landscape and Land Use
The
countryside around Todi exemplifies Umbria's "green heart"
reputation: soft, wooded hills interspersed with olive groves,
vineyards, farmland, and patches of woodland. The Tiber Valley floor
features intensive cultivation (cereals, sunflowers), while slopes
support olives, vines (notably Grechetto di Todi wine), and
pastures. Cypress trees and scattered farmhouses dot the scene,
creating a patchwork of greens and golds that changes dramatically
with the seasons.
The broader Umbrian context places Todi amid
the Apennine foothills, with the Tiber providing a natural corridor.
Historically, this strategic hill-valley geography—defensible yet
near fertile lands and routes—fostered early settlement by the Umbri
(near the Etruscan border) and later prosperity. The triple circuit
of walls (Etruscan, Roman, medieval) follows the hill's contours,
underscoring how topography shaped urban form.
Basketball
The city's basketball team is Todi Basket, which plays
in the Umbrian regional championship. A youth club, Minibasket Todi, is
also present in the same field.
Soccer
The main football team
in the city is ASD Todi Calcio, which plays in the Promotion
championship. Born in 1951, she achieved her greatest sporting
achievement by winning the 2000-2001 Serie D Italian Cup.
Annual
5-a-side football tournament
Every year, in the month of June, the
5-a-side football tournament of the hamlets and various areas of Todi
takes place in the centre. The tournament is played with the formula of
3 groups, each comprising 4 teams. After the group stage, there is the
final stage, to which the first and second teams of each group and the 2
best third parties of each group advance. The current holder of the
tournament is Pian di Porto. In the 2016 edition Pantalla won. In 2017
it was Pian di Porto's turn, while in 2018 the Torresquadrata
neighborhood triumphed. In 2019 Ilci established itself. Following the
interruption of the event in 2020 and 2021, in 2022 the village of Pian
di Porto returned to win the district tournament, the only team to
always be a finalist in the event and the only one to repeat the
triumph.