Trevi is an Italian town of 8 371 inhabitants in the province of
Perugia. Trevi is dominated by two quite high mountains of the
Umbrian-Marche Apennines: Monte Brunette (1422 m) and Monte Serano
(1429 m). Geologically they consist of sedimentary rocks mostly
calcareous of marine origin; the oldest date back to 180 million
years ago, lithostratigraphic unit of the "Corniola". The "Rosso
Ammonitico" was studied in the field of paleontology; this unit is
well known in the Umbria-Marche area; it crops out widely near the
inhabited area of Pettino up to the northern slopes of M.
Brunette. He gave the type specimen of Praerycites. Among the many
examples of ammonites occasionally found along road cuts and small
streams, a large example of Rarenodia planulata is noteworthy. Its
diameter is over 40cm and was featured in this entry.
The
territory of the municipality extends from the valley floor (210 m
above sea level) to the aforementioned mountains, and can be equally
divided into three distinct areas of plains, hills and mountains,
covered with equally varied vegetation. In the plain, the land
irrigated by numerous watercourses, formerly mostly occupied by the
"lacus Clitorius", are suitable for the sowing of annual species.
The hill, of "loose" alkaline limestone and therefore draining, is
ideal for intensive olive cultivation. Finally, the mountain is
covered with woods, mostly coppices, and meadows.
Rivers and
canals, all of modest flow, flow in a south-north direction and flow
into a single collector near Bevagna. Their course is the result of
centuries-old reclamation works, documented as early as the time of
King Theodoric (6th century) and lasted up to the present day, when
the dam was built to regulate the meteoric waters of the Marroggia
stream, which was subject to frequent and disastrous floods.
The largest of the waterways with regular flow is the Clitunno, to
whose waters were attributed miraculous properties, so much so that
it was deified in Roman times and sung by numerous poets, from the
Latin classics to Byron and Carducci.
Climate classification:
zone E, 2208 GR / G
Seismic classification: zone 1 (high
seismicity)
Trevi is part of the City of Oil, Slow Food and the
most beautiful villages in Italy
Cathedral of
Sant'Emiliano
Church of San Francesco
Museum complex of San
Francesco
Church and convent of San Martino
Sanctuary of the
Madonna delle Lacrime with adjoining house for the disabled (work of
Blessed Bonilli) managed by the Sisters of the Holy Family. Inside
the church there is a fresco by Perugino representing the adoration
of the Magi and a fresco by Giovanni di Pietro, known as Lo Spagna,
depicting the transport of Christ to the tomb.
Benedictine abbey
and church of San Pietro in Bovara. Nearby is the olive tree of
Sant'Emiliano which is over 1700 years old.
Romanesque church of
Santa Maria di Pietrarossa
Sanctuary of the Blessed Pietro
Bonilli in Cannaiola, dedicated to the former parish priest of
Cannaiola who founded the Sisters of the Holy Family. Initially it
was dedicated to San Marice, whose statue is inside the church.
Church of Santo Stefano in Picciche, on whose interior apse there is
a fresco called "The Eternal"
Palazzo
Lucarini, seat of the Museum of Contemporary Art, opposite the
cathedral, from the 12th and 19th centuries.
Villa Fabbri dei
Boemi, 17th century. On the main floor there is a rich fresco
decoration from the early seventeenth century
No less interesting are the history and traditions linked to
religious culture. Very ancient documents attest that Saint Emiliano,
the first bishop of the city, martyred under Diocletian, was tied to a
young olive tree to be beheaded. The thousand-year-old olive tree, the
oldest in Umbria, can still be admired, still alive, three hundred
meters from the glorious Benedictine abbey of Bovara. The devotion
towards Sant'Emiliano has influenced the culture and history of Trevi.
Along a route that has remained unchanged for centuries, on the evening
of January 27th, the eve of the saint's feast, the extraordinary
nocturnal procession called the Illuminata, which is one of the oldest
events in the region, still takes place.
Throughout the
centuries, many Trevans have distinguished themselves in the highest
ranks of the ecclesiastical hierarchy and various others have acquired a
reputation for sanctity for their works. Among the various religious
houses, the Benedictines of the Bovara Abbey have acquired particular
merit, as they gave a strong impulse to agriculture, reclaiming vast
areas of the valley and developing the cultivation of olive trees in the
hills, which with varying success is cultivated in these areas since
ancient times and provides one of the most appreciated oils.
Borgo Trevi
It constitutes the most modern part of the
municipality. It is located at the base of the hill where Trevi stands.
It consists of many commercial, industrial and agricultural activities,
especially in the Pietrarossa area. The latter constituted the
historical nucleus of Trevi from prehistory until the Roman era, when
the majority of the population moved to the hills due to the
unhealthiness of the plain, which was becoming a swamp. Important from a
historical-cultural point of view is the Romanesque church of Santa
Maria di Pietrarossa, under restoration after the 1997 earthquake.
Warbler
This hamlet represents the agricultural part of the
municipality. Immersed in the plain, it looks like a town surrounded by
fields. Agricultural production is significant, especially wheat and
celery. In fact, in July the Historical Reenactment of the Threshing
takes place right in Cannaiola. Noteworthy is the work of the blessed
Don Pietro Bonilli, former parish priest of the town and founder of the
congregation of the nuns of the Holy Family for the assistance of blind
and deaf-mute girls, to whom the sanctuary located in Cannaiola is
dedicated. The institute, directed by Bonilli himself, was founded on 7
May 1893; on 5 December 1898 it was transferred to Spoleto, in via
Quinto Settano 13, and was called the Nazzareno Institute for the blind
and deaf-mute Spoleto.
Bovara
The hamlet consists of several
residential centres, located between the hilly area and the plain area.
Important is the Church of San Pietro, formerly a Benedictine abbey,
from the 12th century, in Romanesque style. It is said that, during his
journey to Rome, Saint Francis stopped there to pray. According to a
popular tradition, a friar who accompanied Francis had a vision of Hell
and Paradise while he was praying before a Crucifix. Inside the church,
a baroque-style chapel houses a life-size Crucifix to which the
population attributes several miracles, including that of making it rain
after more than a year of drought. In memory of this, every 5 years, in
the month of May, the crucified Christ is lowered from the cross, placed
in a sort of cot and carried in procession. Every 25 years a long
journey is made with the statue of Christ, up to the municipal capital.
A stele with an inscription in ancient Umbrian was found in the
hamlet. It is possible to admire the thousand-year-old olive tree
(approximately 1700 years old) to which Saint Emiliano, patron saint of
the city and the municipality of Trevi, was linked to be martyred by the
Romans. This olive tree, the oldest in Umbria, is the only one that
survived the galavernas, or frosts, which occurred over the years (the
last one in the 1950s) and which killed all the olive trees in the area.
Matigge
Often referred to by the name of Torre Matigge (from the
characteristic Tower, in fact), the hamlet extends from the plain area
up to halfway up the coast, where it gives way to the municipal hamlet
of Santa Maria in Valle-Collecchio. It is crossed by the S.S. Flaminia,
along which many artisan and commercial activities have developed (such
as the Piazza Umbra Shopping Centre). Of notable historical importance
is the tower that stands out along the Via Flaminia: it seems to have
been built in medieval times when Trevi was allied with Foligno. The
tower was a defensive bastion on the edge of the then extensive
municipal territory of Trevia, which included some current hamlets of
Montefalco and the current municipality of Sellano. In case of danger,
the tower guardian rang a bell. The tower is similar to the one found in
Piazza del Comune or Piazza Mazzini in the center of Trevi, also with a
quadrangular plan and equipped with a bell.
Coasts
Mountain
hamlet made up of two residential centres: Coste and Coste San Paolo.
The inhabitants who remain all year round are few due to the
inconvenience caused by the snow in the winter, but in the summer many
inhabitants of the plain and of the city retreat to the villas of the
hamlet. Its position gives the traveler a pleasant view of the entire
valley. There are many mountain paths (some of which are signposted)
that enter the woods. Along one of them is the ruins of an ancient
abbey, where Blessed Ventura seems to have retreated for some time. You
can also see the cave where the Trevi dialect poet nicknamed Marchittu
lived, who lived on food given to him by the population in exchange for
poems in the Trevi dialect.
Manciano
Mountain hamlet which a
few years ago incorporated the old hamlet of Ponze into itself. A
favorite place for tourists for its enchanting position, it is also home
to a quarry. Note the Romanesque abbey of Santo Stefano.
La Pigge
Also called simply Pigge, its name derives from the Latin pons lapideus
in reference to the stone bridge built by the Romans along the course of
the Clitunno river. In Roman times, the Pigge represented the border
between the pagan area and the sacred area of the Clitunno springs,
which can be admired from the coast. Not far away, in the municipality
of Campello, there is the Tempietto del Clitunno sung among others by
the English romantic poet George Byron. In the hamlet stands, in the
"Chiesa tonda" area, a small church with an octagonal base dedicated to
Santa Maria del Ponte. The hilly area is home to olive cultivation, one
of Trevia's typical products. The Church of San Michele Arcangelo is
noteworthy, immersed in the greenery of the mountain woods, the
destination of a procession of the population of the entire municipality
on the day of Pentecost. Among the olive trees is the Church of San
Bernardino da Siena, in pure Umbrian Romanesque style.
Alvanischio
Here there are many centuries-old olive trees in a very
significant olive growing system. In Fondaccio di Bovara (near the town)
there is an old oil mill from the 18th century.
Little ones
It
is a lowland hamlet, located between Castel San Giovanni and Cannaiola.
It is important for the Church of Santo Stefano, inside which, in the
apse, we find the fresco of the Eternal and saints.
Ancient Origins (Prehistoric to Umbrian Period)
Trevi’s roots
reach back to prehistoric civilizations, with evidence of early
settlements in the territory. Historians traditionally date its
foundation as an Umbrian city to the mid-4th century BC (though some
sources suggest earlier origins). The Umbrians called settlements
trebeit (or similar), from which the name Trebia or Treba likely
derives; a rare archaic Umbrian inscription on the stele di Bovara
confirms this linguistic tie. Legend also links the name to Diana
Trivia, the goddess of crossroads and hunting, with a supposed temple
dedicated to her on the hill where the Duomo now stands.
The town
originally occupied a site in the plain near the Clitunno River
(anciently celebrated for its sacred, deified waters), between Fulginium
(Foligno) and the river’s sources. It served as a strategic fortress or
castle on the western Apennine slopes.
Roman Period (Late 3rd/2nd
Century BC to Late Antiquity)
Rome conquered Trevi around the late
2nd century BC (some sources cite 284 BC). Pliny the Elder listed it
among Umbria’s municipalities, referring to its inhabitants as the
Trebiates. Inscriptions confirm its status, and it appears as Trevis in
the Itinerarium Hierosolymitanum.
The oldest surviving walls in the
upper town date to the 1st century BC and are of Roman origin,
indicating a fortified hilltop settlement. Under the Empire, Emperor
Hadrian restored the Via Flaminia—the major Roman road linking Rome to
the Adriatic—which spurred growth. A suburb (civitas) developed in the
plain at Pietrarossa, featuring monumental buildings, including Roman
baths that remained in use into the early Middle Ages (St. Francis
reportedly visited and recommended bathing there). Trevi controlled much
of the surrounding valley to the Monti Martani. The Clitunno River was
navigable then, enhancing trade.
Early Christianity and
Transition to the Middle Ages (3rd–11th Centuries)
Christianity
arrived early. St. Emilianus (Sant’Emiliano), an Armenian missionary,
became Trevi’s first bishop around 296 AD (consecrated by Pope
Marcellinus). Under Emperor Diocletian’s persecutions, he was martyred
on 28 January 304 AD (or possibly 302). Legend says he survived lions in
a local amphitheater (records are fragmentary), only to be beheaded
while tied to a young olive tree. That tree—now one of Umbria’s oldest,
estimated at over 1,600–1,800 years—is still alive near the Benedictine
abbey of Bovara, about 300 meters away. It symbolizes resilience against
local frosts (galaverne). His relics were later moved to Spoleto but
partially returned; he remains Trevi’s patron saint, with his feast
involving a nighttime procession.
Trevi became an episcopal see in
the 3rd century, lasting (with interruptions) until the 9th–11th
centuries, when Spoleto absorbed the diocese. After Rome’s fall, the
plain settlement declined due to barbarian invasions, earthquakes, and
marshy conditions. Inhabitants relocated to the safer hilltop. The town
passed to the Goths, then the Lombards as part of the Duchy of Spoleto.
Raids by Saracens (840, 881 AD) and Hungarians (915, 924 AD) further
shaped its defensive character.
Medieval Commune and Conflicts
(11th–14th Centuries)
By the 11th–early 13th centuries, Trevi emerged
as a free Guelph commune (comune), politically centered lower on the
hill (away from the religious core at Sant’Emiliano). Hemmed between
powerful neighbors Spoleto and Foligno, it frequently allied with
Perugia for protection. It suffered repeated sacks: notably in 1214,
when Duke Diepold of Spoleto (acting for Emperor Otto IV) nearly
destroyed it; Foligno later rebuilt the town and fortress under Pope
Innocent III’s grant. This trauma is commemorated annually in October’s
Palio dei Terzieri, a medieval-style cart race and historical pageant.
A second circuit of walls was built around 1264 to accommodate
population growth. Trevi changed hands amid Guelph-Ghibelline strife,
brief Trinci rule from Foligno, and occupations by figures like Biordo
Michelotti and Niccolò Piccinino. In 1310, Perugians restored Guelph
control; in 1312, it served as a base against Spoleto’s Ghibellines.
Medieval gates (e.g., Porta del Bruscito, Porta San Fabiano, Arco del
Mostaccio) and the Civic Tower in Piazza Mazzini survive as symbols of
this era.
Renaissance Prosperity and Early Modern Era (15th–18th
Centuries)
Trevi reached its economic peak in the 15th century as a
“dry port” (porto secco), thriving on olive oil trade, agriculture, and
commerce along historic routes. In 1470, it became only the fourth town
in Italy (with Foligno) to have a printing press, run by one of the
earliest known printing companies—evidence of its cultural and economic
vitality. Wealth funded Renaissance palaces, a Mount of Piety (1469),
and mendicant orders’ institutions. Jewish bankers were invited,
creating a quarter visible today in structures like Palazzo Natalucci.
It passed definitively under Papal States temporal rule around 1438 as
part of the Perugia legation, though it faced further threats (e.g., a
1517 Spoleto siege averted by allies). In 1784, Pope Pius VI granted it
city status. The 15th–18th centuries saw governance by cardinal legates,
with olive groves dominating the hills and vegetable cultivation in the
irrigated plain.
Modern History (19th Century to Present)
Napoleonic disruptions followed: Trevi was part of the Roman Republic
(1798–99), French Empire (1809–14), then restored Papal rule. In 1816,
Pope Pius VII reorganized it administratively under Spoleto. Umbria
voted for annexation to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860; Trevi joined on 17
December after Piedmontese forces arrived.
The 19th–20th centuries
emphasized agriculture (olive oil exports) amid depopulation of higher
settlements. Post-WWII growth occurred in lower areas like Borgo Trevi
and Pietrarossa (industrial/commercial). Today, Trevi preserves its
medieval-Renaissance character: narrow streets, about 20 churches
(including the 12th-century Romanesque Duomo of Sant’Emiliano with later
Baroque elements), the Madonna delle Lacrime sanctuary (with Perugino
frescoes), and museums like the Museo della Civiltà dell’Olio.
Location and Regional Context
Trevi lies approximately 10 km (6
mi) south-southeast of Foligno and 20 km (12 mi) north of Spoleto, near
the historic Via Flaminia Roman road. Its coordinates are roughly
42°52′39″N 12°44′52″E (town center elevation around 412 m / 1,352 ft,
with minor variations in sources citing 400–424 m). The comune covers
71.2 km² (27.5 sq mi) and borders Campello sul Clitunno, Castel Ritaldi,
Foligno, Montefalco, Sellano, and Spoleto.
The town commands some of
Umbria’s most expansive views—often 50 km (30 mi) or more westward
across the valley, occasionally reaching Perugia to the north or even
Monte Amiata in Tuscany on clear days. From below, Trevi rises
dramatically like an amphitheater or “snail” (due to its spiraling
layout), with medieval walls, towers, and the Duomo crowning the
hilltop.
Topography and Terrain Zones
The comune divides
neatly into three roughly equal elevation zones, each with distinct
character:
Plain (valley floor, ~210 m / 690 ft): A wide, flat
alluvial plain formed from the ancient Lacus Clitorius (a former lake
system). Highly fertile and well-irrigated, it supports intensive
vegetable crops and annual agriculture. Historically lacustrine, it has
been heavily modified by centuries of drainage and canalization.
Hills (mid-slopes): The dominant landscape around the town itself
features loose, alkaline limestone soils with excellent drainage—ideal
for olive cultivation. Thousands (often cited as 200,000–300,000) of
silver-green olive trees blanket the hillsides, creating the iconic
Umbrian vista. The town proper clings to a steep spur branching from
Monte Petino, with most of its densely built medieval fabric on sharply
sloping terrain (only the central piazza is relatively level).
Mountains (up to 1,429 m): Higher elevations include Monte Serano and
Monte Brunette (1,422 m / 4,665 ft). These feature meadows and deciduous
forests. The geology belongs to the Umbria-Marche Apennine
fold-and-thrust belt, with visible Jurassic micrite limestone (Majolica
Formation) at the peaks.
The natural environment remains largely
unspoiled despite millennia of settlement, though mountain hamlets have
depopulated in favor of lower areas since the mid-20th century.
Hydrology
The Clitunno River (ancient Clitumnus) is the most
important year-round watercourse. It rises from clear, spring-fed
sources (famous in antiquity for their “miraculous” properties and
praised by Pliny the Younger, Byron, and others) and flows northwest
through the plain below Trevi. Numerous smaller rivers, streams, and
artificial canals drain south-to-north, converging near Bevagna; many
trace to ancient lake remnants and have been managed since Roman and
Gothic times (e.g., dams and channels to control the torrential
Marroggia). Irrigation relies heavily on these waters, supporting both
crops and the famous olive groves.
Climate
Trevi experiences a
warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa), typical of inland Umbria
but moderated by elevation. Winters are cool and wetter; summers are
warm and drier.
Yearly average temperature: 12.9 °C (55.3 °F).
Monthly averages (approximate): January 3.6 °C → August 23.4 °C (daily
highs can reach ~29 °C in peak summer).
Annual precipitation: ~801 mm
(31.5 in), with peaks in November (100 mm) and April; July is driest
(~33 mm).
Variation reflects altitude: cooler and fresher in the
mountains, milder in the valley.
The west-facing slopes and
limestone drainage create a microclimate particularly suited to
high-quality olive oil production.
Vegetation, Land Use, and
Human–Environment Interaction
Olive groves dominate the visual and
economic geography of the hills—Trevi is widely called Umbria’s “capital
of olive oil.” The plain grows vegetables (historically including prized
black celery) and grains. Mountains support forests and pastures.
Mid-19th-century woodlands were mostly coppice; today the area balances
agriculture with preserved natural landscapes. Nature trails wind
through olive groves, past farmhouses and small churches, while a famous
800 m tree-lined Passeggiata along the town walls offers sweeping valley
panoramas.
In the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance it had its best period,
characterized by extraordinary trade which favored its economic
prosperity (it was called "the dry port"), still testified today by the
numerous buildings in the historic center, worthy of appearing in much
larger cities, and economic growth was accompanied by very lively
cultural and social activity. Already in 1469, to encourage the
circulation of money, a Jewish banker was called, among the few
professions to which those men were authorized, and despite this he was
persecuted and subsequently one of the very first Monti di Pietà was
erected, then followed by Monte Frumentario and various other charitable
and welfare institutions. The attention paid to cultural elevation had
its maximum expression with the establishment of the Lucarini College,
active until the advent of the Single Middle School. But the most
qualifying event for the cultural history of Trevi was the establishment
of a prototographia already in 1470. It was the first in Umbria and the
fourth in Italy, and due to the particular contract with which it was
established, it can be classified as the first printing company ever
recorded.
Another typical product of local agriculture, which
deserves a special mention, is Trevi black celery, a particular crop
that grows on a very fertile patch of land, occupied until a few
centuries ago by the waters of Lake Clitorius.
In Trevi there is
the only paper mill in the Umbria region. Cartiere di Trevi SpA has been
producing recycled waste-based paper since 1960, i.e. paper coming from
separate waste collection.