Discover what to see in Torgiano.
Exploring Umbria advises you to start your tour from Piazza Matteotti, where Porta del Forno once stood, then enter the historic centre via Corso Vittorio Emanuele II. You will come across the Oratorio della Misericordia and the 18th-century Church of San Bartolomeo; part of the castle walls – still visible today along via Tiradossi – were demolished in order to build the church bell tower. From the same street, you can access Parco dei Mulini, an enchanting path that runs alongside the Tiber river. Opposite the church stands the 17th-century Palazzo Baglioni, now called Manganelli, and nearby, Palazzo Pallavicini-Durazzo.
Venturing further on, after a wonderful view of the Tiber Valley, you will reach a wider area in front of the ancient ‘Porta di Sotto’; below, to the left, is the house that belonged to the Signorelli of Rosciano, which had a small oratory within it. At this point, take the tree-lined avenue where you will find other remains of the medieval walls, and towering above, the majestic Torre della Jaccera.
Exploring Umbria then suggests you take Via di Mezzo, where you will find the Palazzo Comunale on the left, on the corner with Piazza Baglioni; on the other side of the piazza you will see the beautiful Palazzo Graziani Baglioni, home of the Museo del Vino. At the end of Corso Vittorio you will see the Oratorio di Sant’Antonio, with a Madonna and Child on the outside attributed to the school of Domenico Alfani, a painter from Perugia and a pupil of Raphael. Going beyond Piazza Umberto I and walking along Via Garibaldi, you will come across the church of Santa Maria del Castello, once connected to the medieval hospital which was located in the piazza of the same name; from here you can take Via del Mulino at the rear of the building and enter a small wine bar, which leads to the Antica Fornace di Torgiano.
If, instead, you continue to the right, you can visit the Museo dell’Olio, housed in a large building that was used to mill olives. You will then reach Piazza della Repubblica, where Palazzetto Malizia is located, home of the MACC: the Museo d’Arte e Ceramica Contemporanea (Museum of Contemporary Art and Ceramics). Returning to Piazza Matteotti, take Viale della Rimembranza which will lead you to Torre Baglioni, Torgiano’s iconic monument, and again to the church of Santa Maria dell’Olivello.
During the entire tour of the village, we suggest you pay attention to the numerous works of contemporary artists who have wanted to pay tribute to the history of Torgiano. These include Nino Caruso, who created the Fonte di Giano in Piazza Baglioni and the Fonte dei Cocciari in Piazza Santa Maria, and the paintings by Mario Madiai. In the narrow streets, you can admire frescoes by Elvio Marchionni and Marc Sardelli, which evoke ancient Torgiano handicrafts.
At this point you will have explored Torgiano to the full. However, Exploring Umbria advises you to go on to discover its surroundings: along the provincial road that goes north stands the beautiful Villa Goga. Not far away, in the same area, you will find Roman tombs dating back to the 1st century AD. In the direction of Deruta, you will see Villa della Montagnola, while if you go towards Bettona, the hamlet of Ponte Rosciano – named after the bridge over the Chiascio built there in 1425 – is well worth a visit: from there go up to the ancient Castello di Rosciano, which is now private property and is used to host events.