Gualdo Tadino
Encyclopedia
Gualdo Tadino, an ancient town of Italy
, in the province of Perugia
in northeastern Umbria
, on the lower flanks of Mt. Penna
, a mountain of the Apennines. It is 47 km NE of Perugia
and 30 km SE of Gubbio
.
. In 217 BC it was destroyed by Hannibal's troops. A similar defeat was inflicted on it in 47 BC by Julius Caesar
and in 410 AD by Alaric
's Visigoths.
In 552, the Byzantine
general Narses
briefly restored Italy to the empire by defeating the Ostrogoth king Baduila in what is now known as the Battle of Taginae
, the exact site of which is not known, but thought by most scholars to be a few kilometers from the town, in the plain to the west at a place called Taino. This suspicion may have received confirmation in 2004.
The ancient city survived that war, only to be destroyed in a later war at the instigation of the Holy Roman Emperor
Otto III in 966. It was later rebuilt, only to be destroyed a second time by fire in 1237. Finally, the Emperor Frederick II
ordered the city rebuilt for a third time in 1239, and it is this incarnation which survives today.
Gualdo Tadino sister cities are: West Pittston, PA (USA) and Audun Le Tiche, France
The city was famous in the Middle Ages for the manufacture of ceramic
ware; in the late 20th century, the ceramic industry was revived, and Gualdo is now an important center for the manufacture of industrial ceramics and bathroom fittings.
to Foligno
, with some trains continuing through to Rome. The journey time to Ancona is typically one hour and 45 minutes, and to Foligno 40 minutes.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, in the province of Perugia
Province of Perugia
The Province of Perugia is the larger of the two provinces in the Umbria region of Italy, comprising two-thirds of both the area and population of the region. Its capital is the city of Perugia...
in northeastern Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
, on the lower flanks of Mt. Penna
Monte Penna
Monte Penna is a mountain on the border between Liguria and Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, part of the Ligurian Appennines. It is included in the Natural Regional Park of the Aveto, and overlooks the Val di Taro; the sources of both the Taro and Ceno Rivers are located in Monte Penna's slope.The...
, a mountain of the Apennines. It is 47 km NE of Perugia
Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of the region of Umbria in central Italy, near the River Tiber, and the capital of the province of Perugia. The city is located about north of Rome. It covers a high hilltop and part of the valleys around the area....
and 30 km SE of Gubbio
Gubbio
Gubbio is a town and comune in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia . It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apennines. See also Mount Ingino Christmas Tree.-History:...
.
History
Gualdo has a long history and was originally an Umbrian village known as Tarsina. Conquered by the Romans in 266 BC and re-christened Tadinum, it was a station on the Via FlaminiaVia Flaminia
The Via Flaminia was an ancient Roman road leading from Rome over the Apennine Mountains to Ariminum on the coast of the Adriatic Sea, and due to the ruggedness of the mountains was the major option the Romans had for travel between Etruria, Latium and Campania and the Po Valley...
. In 217 BC it was destroyed by Hannibal's troops. A similar defeat was inflicted on it in 47 BC by Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
and in 410 AD by Alaric
Alaric I
Alaric I was the King of the Visigoths from 395–410. Alaric is most famous for his sack of Rome in 410, which marked a decisive event in the decline of the Roman Empire....
's Visigoths.
In 552, the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
general Narses
Narses
Narses was, with Belisarius, one of the great generals in the service of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I during the "Reconquest" that took place during Justinian's reign....
briefly restored Italy to the empire by defeating the Ostrogoth king Baduila in what is now known as the Battle of Taginae
Battle of Taginae
At the Battle of Taginae in June/July 552, the forces of the Byzantine Empire under Narses broke the power of the Ostrogoths in Italy, and paved the way for the temporary Byzantine reconquest of the Italian Peninsula.From as early as 549 the Emperor Justinian I had planned to dispatch a major army...
, the exact site of which is not known, but thought by most scholars to be a few kilometers from the town, in the plain to the west at a place called Taino. This suspicion may have received confirmation in 2004.
The ancient city survived that war, only to be destroyed in a later war at the instigation of the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
Otto III in 966. It was later rebuilt, only to be destroyed a second time by fire in 1237. Finally, the Emperor Frederick II
Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick II , was one of the most powerful Holy Roman Emperors of the Middle Ages and head of the House of Hohenstaufen. His political and cultural ambitions, based in Sicily and stretching through Italy to Germany, and even to Jerusalem, were enormous...
ordered the city rebuilt for a third time in 1239, and it is this incarnation which survives today.
Gualdo Tadino sister cities are: West Pittston, PA (USA) and Audun Le Tiche, France
Main sights
- Rocca FleaRocca FleaThe Rocca Flea is a fortified palace in Gualdo Tadino, Umbria, central Italy.It is located in the upper part of the hill on which the town lies. Although it has been speculated that its construction could date to Lombard times, what is known with certainty is only that it predates the town's...
, a 12th century castle which is now the main monument of the town. - Church of St. Francis (13th century), housing frescoes by Matteo da Gualdo.
- Church of Santa Chiara (13th century).
- Palazzo del Podestà.
- Torre Civica (Town Tower).
- Church of St. Benedict, with an external fountain attributed to Antonio da Sangallo the ElderAntonio da Sangallo the ElderAntonio da Sangallo the Elder was an Italian Renaissance architect who specialized in the design of fortifications.-Biography:Antonio da Sangallo was born at Florence....
(16th century). - Civic Gallery, with works by Matteo da Gualdo and others.
Economy
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
ware; in the late 20th century, the ceramic industry was revived, and Gualdo is now an important center for the manufacture of industrial ceramics and bathroom fittings.
Transportation
Gualdo Tadino has a railway station on the line from AnconaAncona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
to Foligno
Foligno
Foligno is an ancient town of Italy in the province of Perugia in east central Umbria, on the Topino river where it leaves the Apennines and enters the wide plain of the Clitunno river system...
, with some trains continuing through to Rome. The journey time to Ancona is typically one hour and 45 minutes, and to Foligno 40 minutes.