Among the lush green woods above the rolling hills near the Castle of Cibottola stand the remains of the ancient Convento Francescano di San Bartolomeo
History has it that the convent was built between 1216 and 1226, on land that was donated to St Francis by the Abbazia dei Sette Fratelli located in Pietrafitta and by its Benedictine monks.
Built on behalf of the city of Perugia, the convent exhibits the style typical of the Franciscan religious movement; it is simple and humble yet at the same time it is clearly charming and graceful. It exudes the Franciscan authenticity and religious devotion that were once the heart and soul of the convent. Observing it from the outside, you can easily imagine the hours and hours spent by the friars in silent prayer and the atmosphere of spirituality and benevolence in which they lived.
A number of ancient records attest to the fact that important religious figures were hosted inside the Convent, such as St Francis, Beato Leopoldo, St Anthony of Padua, Friar Masseo da Marignano and others.
Over the centuries the convent was enlarged and was owned by the Conventuali, the Osservanti and the Riformati, and for a long period it was also the site of a novitiate.
The Convent was closed definitively in 1892 and unfortunately it is currently not possible to visit the structure for safety reasons; it is, in fact, in a derelict state and some parts of it have collapsed. Inside, there are some deteriorating remains of frescoes depicting religious figures.