Città della Pieve, Glorious past

From the top of its hill Città della Pieve looks at the Tuscan and Umbrian lands, watching over its territory, guardian of a great and glorious past in which Umbrian, Tuscan and Lazio traditions and cultures blend. It rises 500 meters and has 7,500 inhabitants. The civic tower is its most crystalline symbol; built in the XII century, it was part of the ancient defensive core; Single, triple and four-light windows decorate it, while the red bricks testify to the subsequent raising of the fourteenth century. Leaning against the Romanesque church dedicated to San Gervasio and Protasio, the church represents the main nucleus around which the village developed. The facade has typically Gothic elements and decorations, while the interior, finished in the 18th century, is in Baroque style, entirely decorated in imitation marble. It preserves notable works by Perugino, an illustrious citizen of the village. The sublime work is the baptism of Christ in a typical Renaissance style; the imposing altarpiece is noteworthy; a wooden crucifix from the 16th century is of exquisite workmanship. The city had its greatest impetus in 1600, when it assumed the urban configuration of an eagle like the nearby Siena of which it was allied during the municipal period. Every year a colorful and lively historical pair is held where the challenge is the ancient bull hunt. The party lasts 12 days in which the city relives the glories of its glorious past.