Norcia

Norcia(Italian pronunciation:[ˈnɔrtʃa]), traditionally known in English by itsLatinname ofNursia(/ˈnɜːrsiə,ˈnɜːrʃ(i)ə/), is a town andcomunein theprovince of Perugia(Italy) in southeasternUmbria.Unlike many ancient towns, it is located in a wide plain abutting theMonti Sibillini,a subrange of theApennineswith some of its highest peaks, near theSordo River,a small stream that eventually flows into theNera.The town is popularly associated with theValnerina(the valley of the Nera). It is a member ofI Borghi più belli d'Italia( "The most beautiful villages of Italy" ).

Nursia Norcia
Comune
Comune di Norcia
Location of Nursia
Nursia Location of Nursia in Italy Nursia Nursia (Umbria)
Coordinates:42°47′36″N13°5′38″E
Country	Italy
Region	Umbria
Province	Perugia(PG)
Frazioni	see list
Government
• Mayor	Nicola Alemanno
Area
• Total	274 km2(106 sq mi)
Elevation	604 m (1,982 ft)
Population (31 December 2014)
• Total	4,937
• Density	18/km2(47/sq mi)
Demonym	Nursini
Time zone	UTC+1(CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2(CEST)
Postal code	06046
Dialing code	0743
Patron saint	St. Benedict
Saint day	21 March, 11 July
Website	Official website

The church of St. Benedict, facing Piazza San Benedetto, in Norcia, since rebuilt after the nave was destroyed in an earthquake on 30 October 2016.

TheCastellina.

The area is known for its air and scenery, and is a base for mountaineering and hiking. It is also widely known for hunting, especially of the wild boar, and for sausages and ham made from wild boar and pork. Such products have been named after Norcia; in Italian, they are callednorcineria.

History

Traces of human settlement in Norcia's area date back to theNeolithicAge.

The town's known history begins with settlement by theSabinesin the 5th century BC. After the conquest by theRomansin the 3rd century BC, it was an ally of ancientRomein 205 BC, during theSecond Punic War,when it was known in Latin asNursia,but the earliest extant Roman ruins date from around the 1st century. The renegade generalQuintus Sertorius,who famously fought aguerrilla war in Spainagainst the Roman government (80–72 BC), was born in Nursia inc.123 BC.Another famous Nursian of Roman times wasVespasia Polla(bornc.15 BC), the mother of the emperorVespasian.

St. Benedict,the founder of theBenedictinemonastic system, and his twin sisterSt. Scholastica,were born here in AD 480. In the 8th century, an oratory was built so pilgrims could pray at St. Benedict's birthplace. Monks came to Norcia in the 10th century. Contemporary monks care for theMonastery of St. Benedict,built over the Roman ruins of the house of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica.

In the 6th century Norcia was conquered by theLombards,becoming part of theDuchy of Spoleto.In the 9th century it suffered fromSaracenattacks, which started a period of deep decadence. In the 11th century, it was part of the domain ofSt. Henry,Holy Roman Emperor. In the 12th century Norcia became an independent commune within thePapalterritories, with an increasing political and economical prestige. The collaboration with the Benedictine abbey inPreciled to the creation of theSchola Chirurgica.Studies at this institution contributed to Norcia residents improving theirswinebreeding. The powerfulSpoletoand the 1324 earthquake thwarted the city's ambitions, and in 1354 it was returned definitively to the Papal authority.

On 24 August 2016, amagnitude 6.2 earthquakeand numerous strong aftershocks struck near Norcia, causing major damage to the towns in the region. The people in the town of Norcia were not injured. The town of Norcia itself only suffered structural damage but this displaced many citizens. However, several small towns around the town received heavy damage and many collapsed buildings.

On 30 October 2016,another magnitude 6.5 earthquakerocked Norcia, causing heavy damage to the city: among other buildings, the nave of theBasilica of St. Benedictwas destroyed.

Main sights

The older core of Norcia is almost flat, which is relatively unusual among the towns of Umbria. It is completely enclosed by a full circuit of walls that has survived intact from the 14th century. They stood up despite many earthquakes, of which several were devastating (1763, 1859, 1979). After the earthquake of 22 August 1859, thePapal States,to which Norcia then belonged, imposed a stringent construction code forbidding structures of more than three storeys and requiring the use of certain materials and building techniques.

Roman vestiges are observable throughout the city, especially in the walls of San Lorenzo, its oldest extant church. On via Umberto is a small aedicule or corner chapel, sometimes called a tempietto, with faded frescoes, painted byVanni della Tucciain 1354. Of greater interest are the twoRomanesquearches, densely sculpted with zoomorphic, human, and geometric forms.

The main basilica is dedicated to St. Benedict and is connected to a functioning Benedictine monastery, theMonastery of St. Benedict.Though this edifice was built in the 13th century, it stood on the remains of one or more small Roman buildings, sometimes considered to have been a Roman basilica, or alternately the house in which the twin saints were born. The façade, in Gothic style, is characterized by a central rose window and relief portraying the four Evangelists. Inside, thefrescoof theResurrection of Lazarus(1560) was painted byMichelangelo Carducci.The altar in the left-hand transept housed aSt Benedict and Totila(1621) byFilippo Napoletano.The nave of the basilica was destroyed by an earthquake on 30 October 2016.

The Renaissance church ofSanta Maria Argenteais theDuomoor cathedral. It holds some works by Flemish masters, a richly decorated altar byDuquesnoy,aMadonna and SaintsbyPomarancio,and aSt Vicent Ferrer and the Sick(1756) byGiuseppe Paladini.

The Gothic church ofSant'Agostino(14th century) has many votive frescoes ofSt RochandSt Sebastian.San Francesco, from the same century has a notable portal, surmounted by a Gothic rose window, with pink and white stone decorations.

A fortress, theCastellinawas built in 1555–1563 as the residence of the Papal governors, as designed byGiacomo Barozzi da Vignola.It now houses a small museum with Roman and medieval artifacts, and documents of the Middle Ages and later periods.

In thefrazioninear the town proper, are

• Thepieveof San Salvatore,atCampi,with two rose windows and two portals of different ages. Also in Campi is the parish church of St. Andrew, with an original triangularloggiato.The Church of San Salvatore and that of Sant'Andrea were damaged or destroyed in the 2016 earthquake.
• Thefrazioneof Savelli has the ruins of Madonna della Neve, an elegant octagonal church designed byBramantein the 15th century. It was destroyed by the 1979 earthquake.
• In San Pellegrino is the convent of Santa Maria di Montesanto (14th century), now in poor condition. It has a noteworthycloisterand a church with 17th-century canvasses and a 14th-century wooden statue,Madonna with Child.

On 30 October 2016, a 6.6 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter near Norcia destroyed the nave of the basilica ofSt. Benedict Churchas well as the town's cathedral, with only the facade remaining.

Frazioni

Agriano, Aliena, Ancarano, Biselli,Campi,Casali di Serravalle, Case sparse,Castelluccio,Cortigno, Forca Canapine, Forsivo, Frascaro, Legogne, Monte-Cappelletta,Nottoria,Ocricchio, Ospedaletto, Pescia, Pie' la rocca, Piediripa, Popoli, San Marco, San Pellegrino, Sant'Andrea, Savelli, Serravalle, Valcaldara.

Serravalle (also known as Serravalle di Norcia) lies on theSordo Rivera few hundred meters upstream from its confluence with theCorno.

See also

• 1703 Apennine earthquakes
• October 2016 Central Italy earthquakes

External links

• Official website(in Italian)
• Monastery of St. Benedict
• Information about Norcia(in Italian)
• Storia e informazioni su Norcia(in Italian)
• Norcia.Net Town's tourist site(in Italian)
• UmbriaTurismo(in Italian)
• Norcia – Bella Umbria
• Bill Thayer's site