Castel Ritaldi

Castel Ritaldi is a village located around a thirteenth century castle. The name is a compound word coming from the combination of the word “Castle” and the name of a feudal lord Ritaldo who was originally from Burgundy. It was part of the Duchy of Spoleto and its history is linked to that of this city. The town of Castel Ritaldi lies along the road that leads from Spoleto to Montefalco The main sites of artistic interest are the Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bruna and the la Pieve di San Gregorio Magno.

Sanctuary of the Madonna della Bruna
One of the monuments to visit is certainly the sanctuary of the Madonna della Bruna ( found a few kilometers from the city center). It is a fine example of Renaissance Architecture inspired by the work of Bramante. It was built on the bank of the river Tatarena, after a miracle happened there. The interior of the church has a single nave , a Greek cross plan, with three equal sized circular apses. There are frescoes by Tiberio Diotallevi (altar ) and Pier Matteo Piergili ( apse ).

Pieve di San Gregorio Magno
Ancient churches which sprang up around the year 1000 are generally called ”Pieve”. The Pieve of Castel Ritaldi , dedicated to St. Gregorio is located just outside of the village in the open countryside. The main point are of interest is the facade. Above the main entrance there once was a rose window which has now been moved onto the steeple. Inside the parish church there is a small sculptural fragment on the right wall with three faces. It is a fragment of a sarcophagus of the fourth century. One also finds two Roman inscriptions: one on a step to the baptismal font, and the other on the altar. Up to 1818 the Pieve di San Gregorio Magno was the parish of Castel Ritaldi.