Cagli
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Cagli | |
---|---|
Comune di Cagli | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postal code | 61043 |
Dialing code | 0721 |
Patron saint | San Geronzio |
Saint day | 9 May |
Website | Official website |
Cagli flows near the town.
History
Cagli occupies the site of an ancient village on the Via Flaminia, which seems to have borne the name Cale, or Callium [3] 39 km (24 mi) north of Helvillum (now Sigillo) and 29 km (18 mi) southwest of Forum Sempronii (now Fossombrone).
In the 6th century it was one of the strongholds of the
When the Duchy of Urbino was handed over to the Papal States in 1631, Cagli became subject to the same economic policies as the rest of the Marche region, principally cereal cultivation. The low yields in the upland Apennine areas brought about an unstoppable decline.
The Unification of Italy stirred up strong anticlerical feelings. The building of the Fano-Fabriano-Rome railway, the construction of the new Municipal Theatre, and new public spaces gave substance to the progressive vision of the future. At the same time, the confraternities were stripped of their roles in city life and the monasteries were confiscated. Cagli's destiny was now absorbed within the wider context of Italy's national history. The railway line was destroyed by Nazi forces in 1944 and the Via Flaminia lost its importance as a major road, marking a long period of decline for Cagli and the surrounding valleys, which was to be reversed only towards the end of the second Millennium.
Main sights
Rocca Torrione
The fortified complex, built in 1481, was designed for Duke
Since 1989, the rooms of the tower - which have a certain sculptural form themselves - have hosted the Centre for Contemporary Sculpture, containing specially commissioned works by sculptors of international renown such.
San Francesco
The Church of San Francesco, dating from 1234, is the pivot around which Cagli was rebuilt in 1289. The marble portal with its inlaid lintel and spiral columns (with the stylized owl on the lower left-hand side) dates from 1348.
In the interior, the recent dismantling of the 19th century vaulting above the apse has brought to light medieval vaulting above with a cycle of frescoes dating to the 1340s. These frescoes are believed to be the work of Mello da Gubbio and show influences of the Sienese painter Ambrogio Lorenzetti. On the side altars the principal works (counterclockwise from the right) are: two fragments of framed frescoes, once attributed to Antonio Alberti da Ferrara, now attributed to the Secondo Maestro of the Oratory of St John the Baptist, Urbino; the Miracles of the Snow by Ernst van Schayck(1617) and a young Gaetano Lapis (1730); a processional wooden crucifix, from the Northern European school, from the second half of the 15th century; an altarpiece (1540) by Raffaellino del Colle. The organ - attributed to Baldassarre Malamini - is the oldest in the Marche region and dates from the second half of the 16th century. Beside it, on the left, is one of three wash drawings by Battaglini da Imola from 1529 (the other two are beside the main altar).
In the piazza in front of the church is a bronze statue of Angelo Celli, by Angelo Biancini, erected in 1959, in front of the loggia built in 1885.
Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia
The church bears the same name as the confraternity that has been based here since 1301. The sturdy portal (1537) is topped by a 16th-century fresco of the Madonna della Misericordia. The interior was decorated with frescoes, of which several large fragments still remain: the Martyrdom of St Apollinia (1455) is by
Church of Sant'Angelo Minore
Passing through the loggia (built in a 15th-century style, though erected in 1560), the interior has an elaborate main altar dating from the mid-17th century. Made from gilded and lacquered wood with great Solomonic columns, at its centre is the painting depicting Noli me tangere (1504), signed "THIMOTHEI DE VITE URBINAT. OPUS", a masterwork by Timoteo Viti, alongside his work in the mausoleum of the Dukes of Urbino.
Town Hall
Piazza Matteotti - once known as Piazza Maggiore - is dominated by the 13th century Palazzo Pubblico, or Town Hall, built to house the city's governors. The building, onto which was added the Palazzo del Podestà (the monumental façade overlooks via Alessandri), was donated by the Comune to Federico III da Montefeltro in 1476. The Duke commissioned Francesco di Giorgio Martini to transform it into a ducal palace, but the works were never completed. The lowering of the raised entrance, the creation of a loggia(of which only the benches and corbels remain), and the vaulted rooms on the ground floor, all date from this period. The area around the clock on the façade date from 1575, while the statue of the "Madonna with Child" is from 1680 and was commissioned in Venice.
To the side of the undecorated entrance are three standard measuring units: piede (foot), braccio (arm) and canna (cane): to these should be added the stub of a Roman column known as the "Cagliese quarter" now positioned just inside the main room on the ground floor. The fresco in the lunette on the back wall is of the Madonna with Child, St Michael Archangel and St Gerontius (1536) attributed to Giovanni Dionigi. Also on show - as an extension to the Archeological Museum - are objects including ducal coats of arms of both the Montefeltro and Della Rovere families, communal emblems - including one of St Michael - and a pair of dolphins. From the Entrance Hall, the door to the left of the entrance from the piazza takes you down to the segrete, a dungeon-like basement with ceramic fragments discovered during excavation works, and Medieval masonry including a civic coat of arms, capitols, a rose boss, a garland carving, and drain covers from the civic aqueduct.
Heading out of the Sala del General Consiglio the passageway under the fresco is framed by a 15th-century doorway decorated with the emblems of Duke Federico in bas-relief. From here one enters the courtyard. At its centre is the sculpture "Ordine Cosmico" (1997) by Eliseo Mattiacci. The Archaeological Museum (currently being enlarged) occupies parts of the 13th century Palazzo del Podestà. The fountain at the centre of Piazza Matteotti was built in 1736 by Giovanni Fabbri, to a design by Anton Francesco Berardi the younger.
Cagli Cathedral
This basilica church has been modified over the centuries. The
Church of San Domenico
The church was built by the
Other sights
About 8 kilometres (5 miles) to the northwest of Cagli and 4 km (2 mi) west of the Via Flaminia, at the modern Acqualagna, is the site of an ancient town; the place is now called piano di Valeria, and is scattered with ruins. Inscriptions show that this was a Roman stronghold, perhaps Pitinum Mergens.
Other sights in the town include:
- Ponte Mallio, dating to Roman Republican times (220 BC): it is one of the most imposing Roman remains along the ancient consular road, the via Flaminia. The bridge was built using large blocks (some more than a cubic metre) of which were put into place without mortar. The section of dressed cornelian stone dates from a later restoration, perhaps at the beginning of the Roman Imperial period.
- Municipal theatre, opened in 1878 and designed by Giovanni Santini.
- Palazzo Berardi Mochi-Zamperoli, enlarged in the early 17th century, to designs by Barocci, on the ground floor is the Polo Culturale di Eccellenza, with libraries and archives (in preparation), while on the top floor is the Centro di Documentazione della Scultura (in preparation) with drawings and models of public sculptures by 20th century Italian artists. On the main piano nobile various art exhibitions take place during the year.
- Church of San Giuseppe. This church was once known as Sant'Angelo Maggiore, and was used by the city's governors. Its barrel-vaulted interior is decorated with Mannerist stucco-work. The paintings portray events from the life of St Joseph, while high-relief figures (kings, patriarchs and biblical figures) decorate the niches around the walls. At the centre of the vaulting is Charity, linked by Telamons to the other Theological Virtues. On the two late-16th century side altars are plaster statues of "St Joseph" and "Our Lady of Sorrows", with ornate plaques. On the high altar is an Archangel Michael (1764) between 17th-century frescoes by Girolamo Cialdieri.
- San Nicolo: church and monastery date to 1398.
- San Giuseppe: Franciscan church
Events
- Distinti Salumi is a national celebration of Italian and international charcuterie takes place annually, at the end of April when the town showcases the best charcuterie from the rich gastronomic culture of Italy. Cagli is now known as a national marketplace for high-quality charcuterie and is seeking to become a leader in the promotion of traditional breeds, free range pigs and the production of top quality meat and charcuterie.[4]
- Procession of Cristo Morto, held in the late afternoon of Good Friday: after the deposition in the Cathedral, it ends in front of the church of San Giuseppe, where the two images of Our Lady of Sorrows and Christ are brought before each other. In the evening, four hundred confraternity members, barefoot and hooded, from five confraternities form the religious procession that precedes the carriage bearing the veiled statue of the Dead Christ, in a ritual that remains unchanged since the 16th century.
- Palio and 'Gioco dell'Oca. Old rivalries between Cagli's historic Quarters form the background to this competition, which traces its history back to 1543. The Eve of the event (the 2nd Saturday of August) begins with the investiture of the Captains and the offering of oil to the patron saint. In the evening everyone gathers in the Quarters to share traditional dishes, hoping that fortune will be on their side. On the day of the Palio (the 2nd Sunday of August) the Magistrate, accompanied in procession, displays the trophy of the golden goose. Dice throwers move the score-markers of the respective Quarters on a 54-square board, while young players battle each other in contests which moves them backwards or forwards on the board until the winner is proclaimed. In the evening, there is general celebration or consolation in the outdoor taverns of the four Quarters.
See also
Sources
- ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- ^ Benigni, Umberto (1908). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 3. .
- ^ "Home". distintisalumi.it.
public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Cagli". Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the