Bettona

Antiquity

Bettona originated as a settlement in the 8th–7th century BC. It was conquered by the Romans in the 4th century BC and became a municipium.^[5]

Vettona was mentioned by Pliny among the Umbrian cities and recorded in the Itinerarium Peutingerianum along the route from Amelia to Perugia via Todi. It is also referenced by the Ravennate geographer. In antiquity its territory included that of present-day Collazzone (ancient Urvinum Hortense). Vettona belonged to the Clustumina tribe, while Urvinum was assigned to the Stellatina.^[4]

An inscription dated to 123 AD, dedicated by the inhabitants of Urvinum Hortense to Magnia Urbica Augusta, is noted among the archaeological finds of the area.^[4]

Bettona had an episcopal seat from an early period. According to tradition, its first bishop was Saint Crispoldus, placed either in the 1st century or around the 4th century, when he is also said to have suffered martyrdom. He was buried in a church later dedicated to him and became the patron saint of the town.^[4] The only historically-documented bishop was named Gaudentius, who took part in a synod at Rome called by Pope Hilarius in 465.^[6][7]

Middle Ages

The town declined in the early Middle Ages during the barbarian invasions and suffered damage in 548 at the hands of Totila. It subsequently came under Byzantine control, before later becoming part of the Duchy of Spoleto under Lombard rule.^[5]

By the late 12th century Bettona had developed into a self-governing municipality. In 1198 it came under Papal authority while remaining within the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the diocese of Assisi. This led to prolonged conflict with Assisi lasting about thirty years, culminating in Bettona's forced submission in 1223. During this period it allied with Foligno and the Emperor against Assisi and Perugia.^[5]

In 1352 Bettona was besieged by Perugia, captured, and burned. The city was demolished, and its stone was reused in the construction of the Palazzo dei Priori in Perugia. Reconstruction was ordered in 1367 by Cardinal Albornoz, and the town was rebuilt with smaller but stronger fortifications.^[5]

From 1389 to 1425 Bettona was under the rule of the Trinci family of Foligno. In 1425 it was granted to the Baglioni family, a change that met with local resistance and led to its conquest in 1439 by Malatesta Baglioni.^[5]

Modern era

In 1648 Bettona passed under direct Papal rule, which continued until Italian unification. In 1827 it became a podesteria under the Delegation of Perugia. This system remained in place until unification.^[5]

In 1860 a plebiscite was held, in which the population voted overwhelmingly to join the Kingdom of italy.^[5]

In the mid-19th century Bettona had a population of 2,650 inhabitants. Of these, about 650 lived within the town and 2,000 in the surrounding countryside.^[8]

Subdivisions

The municipality includes the localities of Bettona, Cerreto, Colle, I Barbini, La Palazzetta, Malandruge, Passaggio, Prigionieri, Taglioni, Torte.^[9]

In 2021, 1,909 people lived in rural dispersed dwellings not assigned to any named locality.^[9]

At the time, most of the population lived in Passaggio (1,133), and Bettona proper (551).^[9]

Sant'Antonio

The church of Sant’Antonio contains several works of art. In a chapel to the left of the entrance there was a tempera painting of Saint Anthony Abbot bearing the signature of Perugino, later transferred to the municipal picture gallery. Opposite is a tempera panel depicting the Virgin with angels in adoration, Saint Manno and Saint Jerome, attributed to Perugino. At the high altar is an oil painting of the Virgin with various saints attributed to Dono Doni (1510). The church also preserves a 16th-century terracotta statue of Saint Anthony of Padua.^[4]

San Crispolto

The church of San Crispolto houses, in the center of the apse, a large panel attributed to Dono Doni representing the Adoration of the Shepherds, with scenes from the life of Saint Crispolto in the predella. In the old sacristy there is a late 15th-century fresco of Saint Michael the Archangel. The eastern side of the adjoining convent is built upon remains of an Umbrian-Etruscan structure.^[4]

The church formerly belonged to the Benedictines and transferred to the Conventual Franciscans in 1266. The relics of Saint Crispolto are venerated in a chapel.^[8]

Santa Maria Maggiore

The principal church of Bettona is Santa Maria Maggiore, located on the main square. An earlier Gothic church on the site was consecrated in 1226, while the present building was constructed in the early 19th century. The church is spacious and contains seven altars, including those in two large chapels forming a Greek cross. Notable works include a tabernacle in marble dated 1590 and paintings preserved in the sacristy, including an Assumption and a Saint Anne attributed to Lo Spagna.^[8]

The church preserves a marble ciborium sculpted by Cruciano Egiduccio of Bettona in 1590. In the sacristy there is a tempera painting by Tiberio d'Assisi depicting the Virgin, Saint Anne, Saint Crispolto and Saint Anthony. In the archpriest's hall is a tempera panel from the school of the Gaddi, as well as a painted banner attributed to Antonio da Foligno.^[4]

A Gothic chapel located near the nave entrance and dedicated to Saint Rita, is the only remaining part of the original church. The main altar is in the shape of domed temple, by Cruciano Egiduzio. The apse was frescoed in 1939 by the futurist painter Gerardo Dottori.

The church formerly held cathedral status.^[8] Under the Latin name Bettonium the bishopric is listed by the Catholic Church as a titular see.^[10]

Other religious buildings

In the oratory of Sant'Andrea is a series of paintings from the school of Giotto, dated 1394, which show the Passion of Christ. The paintings were rediscovered during a 1980s restoration. A beautiful carved wooden ceiling and baroque altar also are features of the church.

Located about one-third of a mile from the town, the convent of San Onofrio was inhabited by Capuchins. The church preserves fragments of 15th-century frescoes.^[8]

Outside Porta Sant'Antonio stands the convent of the Observant Franciscans, with a small library and a church containing paintings attributed to Pietro Perugino and Dono Doni, as well as a glazed terracotta statue of Saint Anthony.^[8]

Fortifications

The town preserves a circuit of walls originating in the Etruscan period.^[11] The currently visible walls largely result from a reconstruction carried out by Cardinal Albornoz after the destruction of Bettona in 1352. The rebuilt walls partially follow the line of the earlier Etruscan fortifications, fragments of which survive, often incorporated into the medieval structure.^[11]

The blocks are parallelepiped or trapezoidal in shape, sometimes bearing visible tool marks and, in rare cases, traces of rusticated finishing.^[11] A notable section is located to the right of Porta Vittorio Emanuele, to the north-west of the ancient city. The walls are constructed of lithoid tuff, with an external surface that is flat and slightly inclined inward. The stone blocks are carefully cut and laid in horizontal courses, though in some places they follow the slope of the underlying clay.^[4]

Villa del Boccaglione

The Villa del Boccaglione was commissioned by the Della Penna [it] family and, according to some scholars, designed in the 18th century by the architect Piermarini. The villa was built over the remains of an earlier 16th-century structure.^[11]

The building is in neoclassical style and is situated in the plain at the foot of the hill of Bettona. It consists of a central three-story block with rich interior and exterior decoration, accompanied by several ancillary structures including a church, an orangery and stables. The surrounding gardens are a defining feature, while at the rear a horseshoe-shaped park extends into a wooded area containing a small open-air theatre.^[11]

Other secular buildings

On the main square stand the former government residence, the municipal palace, and archival buildings preserving documents dating back to the 14th century.^[8]

Other cultural heritage

The Pinacoteca Comunale in the Palazzetto del Podestà (1371) has a painting by Perugino, the Madonna of Mercy, as well as other works by Jacopo Siculo, Dono Doni, Fiorenzo di Lorenzo, and Della Robbia.

In the 19th century town possessed a theatre and a philharmonic society.^[8]