Todi

a city to explore
Todi

Todi is a very old, lovely town located in central Italy, in the Umbrian region, founded around 2.700 B.C. by the Umbrians, and subsequently under Etruscan and then Roman domination.
It is a small town (population c.17,000) on the top of a hill approximately 418 meters above sea level, whose appearance has maintained the characteristics of a medieval city. The houses and historical buildings lay on the sides of the hill, creating an urban setting with a wealth of characteristic nooks, intermixed with lovely views of the surrounding countryside and suggestive architectural moments. Since its ancient origins and throughout its eventful history the town has gradually been enriched with splendid buildings and works of art which have remained intact to the present day.
A few years ago it soared to world-wide public attention when as 'The Ideal City'.

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...............Page 1: the Monuments, Historical Notes
...............Page 2: Views, Jacopone da Todi
...............Page 3: Archaelogical Todi, Museum and Art Gallery

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The monuments

The Cathedral	Above: The Choir: marquetry Left: The Catedral and Inside	The date of its initiation and completion are uncertain. Some maintain that the original structure dates from the 9th C.. The church is in the form of a latin cross with three naves. It is the result of a variety of styles, due to an architectural superimposition resulting from the centuries of construction On the internal wall of the facade there is a large fresco: "The Universal Judgement", a work by Ferrau of Faenza, called Faenzone (1562-1645).
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Piazza del Popolo The place is the heart of city. It presently has an area of more than 4000 mq (96x42 m). The roman Forum was built on this area.	Portions of Roman road are still preserved under the present pavement.	Palace of the Priori, the Palace of the Captain and Palace of the People The constrution of the Palace of the Priori began in 1334 and terminated in 1544. The Palace of the Captain and the Palace of the People, in italian gothic style, are two distinct, yet united, buildings originally separated by a street. The Palace of the People was built first in 1214, the Palace of the Captain built in 1293.
*	Right: Palace of the Captain and Palace of the People. Detail
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Temple and Convent of S. Fortunato		The gothic style Temple was buid between 1292 and 1463 (or 1469) in honor of S. Fortunato, the patron bishop of Todi, who lived around the middle of the 6 th century. It is believed that there originally was a roman temple dedicated to the Capitoline Jove here. The facade is still incomplete but shows the grandeur and magnificence of its conception. Inside there are three	* Left: S. Fortunato view, Portal, Portal detail. Above: the Convent.
	naves of equal height and thirteen chapels with numerous 14th and 15th century frescoes, one of which is "Enthroned Virginand Child" by Masolino da Panicale (1383-1447).[left] Right: Inside, Frescoes
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	Temple of St. Mary of the Consolation The construction of the temple began on May 17, 1509 and terminated in 1607. It is maintained that it was build following a project by architect Bramante.	The temple, that has a central plan (greek cross) with four apses, is one of the most significant products of architectural tradition of the Renaissance. Its expressive syntesys of a space at once antropocentric and theocentric renders in the most faithful expression of the "ideal church".
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*		Vignola Palace The palace is composed of various separate constructions. The original nucleus (the 16 th C. Landi Corradi Palace) was attributed to Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola (1507-1573). It houses various exhibitions.

Historical Notes

The hill of
Todi rises in a valley which in ancient geological times was occuped by
the extensive Tiber Lake. Over eons the lake found an outlet by slowly
eroding the mountains, creating the actual suggestive Forello chasm along
the Tiberìs course towards Orvieto. Todi was founded by the Umbrians
(some cite the date 2700 AC) at the place where, according to legend, an
eagle deposed a tablecloth seized from a tribe camped at the foot of the
hill. Subsequently the eagle became the town symbol. Todi's position along
the boundary of Etruscan empire left it open to the domination and influence
of the more refined Etruscan culture. Commerce and the collection of tolls
along the strategic traffic highways it controlled soon gave Todi a notable
prosperity. Testimony to this wealt were the radical urban transformation
carried out in the fourth century BC and the coining of money, which began
in the next century. From the second century on Todi strengthened its bonds
of friendship with Rome (in this period the second, wider circle of walls
was constructed) and in 80 BC Roman citizenship was granted to the population
of Todi. Subsequently, when Rome undertook the unification of the peninsula,
in 42 BC, it declared Todi a colony (Tuder) and ended its era of indipendence.
During this colonial period the town underwent a second radical transformation:
the forum, the acropolis, the theater, the amphitheater, the baths and
the niches all date from this period. Not long after, the message of Christianity
arrived from Rome. The first paleo-Christian churches were built and subsequently,
from the 8th to the 11th centuries, Benedctine Abbeys were constructed
adjoining them. During the reign of Hadrian there were the first Christian
martyrs - among whom Terenziano and Bishop Cassiano. Towards the end of
the Roman era Todi was sacked and destroyed by the Goths, the Byzantines
and the Longobards. It slowly assumed the aspect of a feudal castle ruled
by a few powerful families. In the 12th century Tdi became a free city
and a period of economic and political renaissance was ushered in. The
city grew to include the newly urbanized farmers; new neighborhoods appeared
and important urbanization projects were carried out. Construction was
prolific - the Cathedral, some churches and the third, and last, circle
of walls (13th century) all date from this period. In spite of the internal
struggle between the Guelfs and the Ghibellines, the free commune became
a formidable military power, reaching its maximum territorial expansion
with the conquest of two important neighbourig cities, Amelia (1208) and
Terni (1217). The contemporary proliferation of Francescan monasteries
is witness to the fascination exercised by this saint's ideals. It was
into this climate of military struggles and religious fervor that Jacopone
of Todi was born, lived, and passionately preached love of poverty and
the renunciation of worldly possessions. Todi lost its autonomy in 136
due to the scheming of Cardinal Albornoz. In 1373 Gregory 11th ordered
the construction of a fortress on the highest part of the city (subsequently
destroyed in the 16th century) and transformed the convent of Montesanto
into a fort. To thwart any attemps of rebellion the Popes handed the government
of the city over to the most powerful tyrants of the age. The 15th century
was a period of decadence - but it was also during this period that the
Temple of St. Fortunato was completed. In the 16th century there was a
renewal of Todi's artistic and intellectual life. The Temple of the Consolation
was build, Angelo Cesi, bishop of Todi from 1566 to 1606, undertook the
construction of several important monumental works and urban development
projects. The most important noble palaces also date from this period.
The urban development of the city practically terminates and the city still
maintains its original basic lay out.

.........Page 1: the Monuments, Historical Notes
Page 2: Views, Jacopone da Todi
.......................Page 3: Archaelogical Todi, Museum and Art Gallery
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