Trevi Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
Trevi (Latin: Trebiae), an ancient town and comune of Italy, in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, 42°53N 12°45E, at 424 meters (1391 ft) above sea-level on the lower flank of Mt. Serano overlooking the wide plain of the Clitunno river system. It is 10 km (6 mi) S.S.E. of Foligno and 20 km (12 mi) N. of Spoleto.
The population of the comune was 7800 according to the 2003 census, with the town proper accounting for about half of that; the frazioni of Trevi are Borgo, Bovara, Cannaiola, Coste, Pigge, Manciano, Matigge, Parrano, Picciche, S. Lorenzo, S. Maria in Valle.
Most of the town, densely inhabited and of decidedly medieval aspect, lies on sharply sloping terrain, only the very center being more or less flat. It commands one of the best views in Umbria, extending over 50 km (30 mi) in most westerly directions. Trevi is served by the main rail line from Rome to Ancona as well as the line from Florence to Rome via Perugia.
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2 History 3 Monuments 4 Museums 5 Bibliographical Note 6 External links |
Economy
The mainstays of Trevi's economy are olive oil and tourism.
The comuni of Trevi and Spoleto are known for the quality of their oil, a result of near-ideal calcareous soil with excellent drainage, just the right altitude for the cultivation of olive trees, and favourable climatic conditions on the west-facing lower slopes of the Apennine mountain range.
The good train and highway access has made Trevi a convenient base for visiting central Umbria, especially for those relying on public transportation; the unusual number of good restaurants in the comune is partly the cause, partly the result of increased tourism.
Trevi also has some light industry and food processing other than olive oil.
In Antiquity, Pliny the Elder mentioned Trevi as a city of the ancient Umbrians, which has been confirmed by the find of an Umbrian inscription within the territory of the comune, at Bovara, in the 1950s. "Treviae" is also mentioned in the 5th‑century; Bordeaux Itinerary. After the earliest period, the history of which is essentially unknown, but to which the walls in the core hill portion of the town attest, dated to the 1st century BC, the first stage of the development of Trevi beyond the hill took place under the Empire, when Hadrian restored the main road thru the territory, the Via Flaminia, thus spurring the growth of a suburb in the plain at the place now called Pietrarossa, where sporadic excavations over several centuries have brought to light many remains: among them Roman baths that appear to have been still more or less in use in the time of St. Francis, who is known to have visited the area and to have advised people to bathe there.
In antiquity Trevi is said to have had jurisdiction over much of the valley below, all the way to the Monti Martani that form the central backbone of Umbria. The seat of a bishop until the 11th century, Trevi was a Lombard viceroyalty (it. gastaldato), then, in the early 13th century, freed itself of outside rulership to become a free commune. It generally allied itself with Perugia in order to defend itself from nearby Spoleto, and fought several wars with other neighboring communes, with varying outcomes, including invasion by Spoleto in the 14th century and a brief but unhappy rule of the Trinci warlords of Foligno. In 1438 Trevi passed under the temporal rule of the Church as part of the legation of Perugia, and thenceforth its history merges first with that of the States of the Church, then (1860) with the united Kingdom of Italy.
Trevi's best fortunes were in the 15th century, when its commercial importance was such that it was called "il porto secco" — the dry port. In 1470, along with Foligno, Trevi became the fourth town in Italy to have a printing press, managed by the first known printing company. The wealth of this period can still be seen in a number of Renaissance mansions in town.
Trevi has about twenty old churches, several of which are of note:
History
Monuments
Trevi is enclosed in two circuits of medieval walls; in the late 20th century, the inner circuit was shown to be of Roman origin.
The territory of the comune is particularly rich in Romanesque churches: some of those in the plain, erected on the Roman Via Flaminia when that road was in use, and incorporating a fair amount of Roman spolia, remain as markers of the road's course.
Museums
Trevi's main museum is the Museo S. Francesco, attached to the Gothic church of that name, now secularized; it contains some slight Roman lapidary material, but a more important collection of Umbrian painting from the late Middle Ages thru the 17th century: the main work is a good altarpiece by Lo Spagna;. Particularly notable are a group of ex-votos representative of 16th‑ thru 18th‑century folk art.
The Museo della Civiltà dell' Olivo provides an educational look at the olive industry, from the planting of the olive thru its processing into oil; the Flash Art Museum houses contemporary art exhibits.