Every opportunity is useful to reiterate how Umbria has places that cannot be found anywhere else. A landscape dotted with ancient villages, all so charming that, once you enter them and discover their different characteristics, you cannot help but be enchanted by their charm. The towns of Umbria are worth visiting for a multitude of unique aspects, and some of them encapsulate all of these within their walls. This is also true of Montefalco, a charming fortified town a few kilometres from Spoleto, which, thanks to its variety and attractions, is considered one of the most beautiful towns to visit in Umbria. Among the countless historical and tourist attractions, one historical site stands out for its indescribable artistic value. This is the Benozzo Gozzoli Museum in Montefalco, which is one of the most beautiful things to see on a guided or individual tour of this village.
The famous Ringhiera dell'Umbria, city of Santa Chiara and the delicious Sagrantino wine, offers numerous opportunities for nature and food and wine excursions thanks to its privileged location. Just one example is the Montefalco Trek, a useful opportunity to join in with the increasingly popular trend of healthy and sustainable tourism, with a trekking itinerary combining nature and art. Among the artistic itineraries of Montefalco is the Museum Complex of San Francesco. It is one of the best and most prestigious museums in Umbria and one of the most important examples of Renaissance art in the area. The greatest contribution to this is made by the Franciscan frescoes with which Benozzo Gozzoli recounts the stories of St. Francis.
In addition to their indisputable artistic value, the works are fundamental to understanding the iconographic connection between Sagrantino and Montefalco. Through his unmistakable style, Benozzo Gozzoli's cycle highlights the similarities between the life of St. Francis and that of Jesus Christ, while setting the former in a modern context, typical of the artist's era. This is a distinguishing feature compared to the scenes frescoed by Giotto in nearby Assisi.
How the Benozzo Gozzoli Museum in Montefalco
came about Born in Scandicci in 1420, Benozzo Gozzoli broke with his family's textile tradition by devoting himself to painting. After various experiences, his acquaintance with Beato Angelico marked the beginning of his extraordinary Renaissance artistic career. It was with Angelico that he first came into contact with Umbria, specifically with the frescoes in Orvieto Cathedral. In 1450, Montefalco and Benozzo Gozzoli met, thanks to which he began to express himself fully. After initially working at the monastery of San Fortunato, Fra Jacopo da Montefalco proposed a major painting project that now characterises the Benozzo Gozzoli Museum in Montefalco. Although he carried out other works in Umbria, the artist had a special and intense bond with Montefalco. The museum displays a letter from 1452 in which Gozzoli informed Michele di Felice Brancacci that it was impossible for him to leave Montefalco, the setting for his most important works.