Medieval Todi
This itinerary reconstructs the evolution of the urban and architectural structure of this medieval town within the context of the local realities.
 Todi's outer ring of walls, a 4 km-long structure built in 1244, and the imposing structures of Piazza del Popolo all originate during medieval times. The religious and political focal point of Todi is our starting point. On the East side is Palazzo del Popolo, one of the oldest buildings in Italy, built in 1213 to house the Podestà and the citizen's assembly which met in the Sala delle Pietre, and Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo (1293), home of the municipal and judiciary administrations and the beautiful council hall (Sala del Consiglio).
 To the South is Palazzo dei Priori built in 1334 to lodge the representatives of arts and trades, but quickly transformed (1367) in offices of the pontifical Governor when the city lost its autonomy. The front of the building houses a majestic bronze sculpture of an eagle, the city's symbol, executed in 1340 by Giovanni Giliacco.
The architectural symbols of a free city are contrasted on the North side by the Duomo, an XIth century structure with an elegant facade of Lombard-romanic style. The Church contains many important works, including a frescoe by Ferraù da Faenza representing the Final Judgement (1596) and the beautiful wooden choir sculpted between 1521 and 1530 by Antonio and Sebastiano Bencivenga of Mercatello sul Metauro.
A passing note: this central piazza of Todi is actually a Roman invention, connecting two hilltops and using the space below for water tanks, rather than carry it from the valley. The 24 tanks are an astonishing engineering feat that are now open to the visiting public.
Slightly removed from this central piazza is the temple of San Fortunato, dedicated to the city's patron Saint and bishop during the VIth century, dominating the city from its high point, and reachable from an expressive and scenic perron launched on via Ciuffelli. Built as of 1291 under the direction of Franciscan monks, but completed only during the XVth century, it is characterized by the unfinished upper part of its facade, while the insides offer a typical gothic hall with six large columns supporting the high arches. Inside the fourth chapel of the right-hand nave is one of Todi's most valued works of art: a frescoe depicting the Madonna on the throne with Child surrounded by two angels, completed by Masolino da Panicale between 1432 and 1433, very high quality works and the only one by this master found in Umbria.
The visit concludes with a stop at the Museo Pinacoteca, focussing on the sections which relate the story of the city during the XIIth and XIIIth century and those relating the arts & crafts of the medieval epoch.
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