Norcia between winter trails and cultural heritage

Natural landscapes and winter trails

Norcia lies in the heart of Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini; the surrounding mountains reach elevations of more than 2,000 metres. Winter activities in Norcia include snowshoe hikes through forests and valleys, guided excursions along snow-covered trails and panoramic walks. The Sentiero Natura di Norcia is a 4.5-kilometre tourist hiking trail; the walking time is approximately two and a half hours, with a focus on archaeology and history.

Norcia has mountain bike routes for all levels of difficulty: easy trails along the former Spoleto–Norcia railway line and more technically demanding routes in the valleys. Bicycles and equipment can be rented. The nearest railway station to Norcia is in Spoleto; the Norcia Link bus service connects it with the centre of Norcia in about an hour.

History and archaeology

La Castellina on the west side of Piazza San Benedetto was built as a Renaissance fortress and later served as a residence, the seat of the municipal administration and finally as the Museo Civico e Diocesano. The Museo Civico e Diocesano of Norcia was established after the adaptation works completed in 1979.

At Porta Ascolana, a permanent archaeological exhibition has been set up in a building that incorporates the remains of a Roman cryptoporticus in the southern part of Norcia. The exhibition documents a settlement of huts dating from the 9th to the 8th century BC, as well as a necropolis dating from the 6th to the 3rd century BC.

Churches and townscape

The Church of San Giovanni, one of the oldest churches in Norcia, preserves a wooden ceiling and the Renaissance altar Della Madonna della Palla from 1469, a work by Giovanni Dalmata. The Oratorio di Sant'Agostinuccio has a richly gilded and painted 16th-century ceiling, as well as wooden choir stalls belonging to the confraternity.

The Church of Sant'Agostino has a Gothic main portal from the 14th century. Above it is a 16th-century fresco depicting Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, the Madonna with the blessing Christ Child and Saint Augustine. The Portico delle Misure, attached to the Basilica di San Benedetto, was built from 1570 onwards as a covered grain market by the town and ecclesiastical authorities; nine stone measuring vessels, some with attached metal spatulas, have been preserved.

The medieval city walls of Norcia feature towers and gates along the circuit of the walls; they are fully preserved in their characteristic heart shape.

Archives and notable buildings

The Complesso di San Francesco, dating from the 14th century, now houses the auditorium, the municipal library and the historical archive. The historical archive of the city of Norcia in the Complesso di San Francesco preserves valuable records from Norcia and the surrounding area dating back to the 13th century; more than 12,000 items date from the 13th century to the 1960s.

The Tempietto was formerly known as “la màina” and is considered the most original and best-preserved building in Norcia. In 1354, Vanni della Tuccia decorated the Tempietto with zoomorphic, anthropomorphic, geometric, symbolic and esoteric bas-reliefs. The Teatro Civico was returned to the city of Norcia almost ten years after the 2016 earthquake. Norcia inApp makes the city’s historical, artistic and spiritual heritage more accessible and guides visitors through three themed itineraries in the historic centre.

Local specialities

Prosciutto di Norcia IGP is a renowned product of the Norcineria tradition rooted in Norcia for centuries, the traditional processing of pork. The black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vittadini) is one of Norcia’s most authentic symbols and grows wild in oak, holm oak, Turkey oak and hazelnut forests on well-drained calcareous soils.

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