Città di Castello. Il fascino dell’arte senza tempo e il Museo Burri

By Sandra Jacopucci

In the heart of Umbria, in the province of Perugia, lies a Renaissance hub—a concentration of works of art and architecture that have witnessed the passage of celebrated artists from Raphael to Burri: Città di Castello.

Guiding us on this itinerary through its ancient streets is Stefano Lazzari, icon of the Bottega Tifernate and creator of Pictography, a patented technique unique of its kind that allows the faithful reproduction—up to 99%—of artworks from any historical period, restoring the magic and materiality of the original. We discussed his innovative work in the field of art at length in one of our articles, still available on Kronostories, clic.

The city is a true treasure chest of beauty where every corner becomes a sensory and cultural experience. For centuries, art here has been made of harmony, light, and perfection. It is a journey that passes through frescoes, altarpieces, and reliefs, bearing witness to the richness of the Renaissance and to the continuity of an artistic tradition that has left an indelible mark on the history of European art.

Raphael was commissioned to paint The Marriage of the Virgin (1504), which was placed inside the Church of San Francesco on an altar dedicated to Saint Joseph. Today, a copy stands there, while the original is kept at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan. As often happens, art travels for various reasons—in this case due to historical circumstances related to collecting and the movement of artworks between the 17th and 19th centuries. The transfer, however, caused considerable disappointment among the people of Città di Castello, as expressed in a marble plaque affixed to an exterior wall of the church

The interior of the Church of San Giuseppe presents a single nave leading to the main altar in a short path dotted with side altars, devotional paintings, decorations, and Baroque gilding not belonging to the original medieval structure, yet lending solemnity to a space that remains intimate and evocative, naturally inviting reflection and prayer.

We are now in Piazza Gabriotti, on the steps of the Renaissance Cathedral of Saints Florido and Amanzio. On the opposite side stands the 14th-century Civic Tower, about 50 meters high, and not far away the Bishop’s Palace, now home to the municipal administration

Entering the cathedral, we are enveloped in a triumph of colors, stuccoes, and gilding that enhance elegant frescoes and paintings. It is a long layering of historical periods: the Middle Ages in the foundations with the almost hidden crypt, the Renaissance in the monumental proportions of the vaults, and the seventeenth century in the decorative elements.

Behind the cathedral, its bell tower stands out for its cylindrical shape—a vertical sign breaking the geometry of the surrounding buildings and guiding the gaze upward.

In 1942, following the wartime death of his brother Vittorio, the young doctor Alberto Burri enlisted and volunteered to go to Tunisia, but he was captured and transferred to the American detention camp in Hereford, Texas. Upon returning, he felt an overwhelming call toward painting, which he practiced without any academic training—as a catharsis, a kind of liberation from an unbearable past. He used material techniques that merged with his original profession as a doctor. Thus, the “Sacchi,” made of jute sacks, feature stitches that resemble surgical sutures—the same he had used to treat wounded soldiers during World War II. The weave of jute, the material used as a support for paintings by Raphael, Titian, and Caravaggio, becomes the protagonist for Burri; indeed, it transforms into the painting itself.

A phrase by Burri, quoted in the book Alberto Burri – L’Amicizia by his close friend Tito Fortuni:

“Not everything is visible to us. We are unable to see X-rays, yet they exist, just as we do not know the other side of the Moon, yet it exists. Painting, too, can represent things that are not visible but do exist.”

Later, the collection was expanded with the second Burri Museum, housed in the former tobacco drying sheds on the outskirts of the city, conceived in this context by the artist himself. These large buildings were restored through an extensive and costly project (including an impressive underfloor heating system) that enhanced their grandeur and proportions.

Today the museum represents an essential point of reference for lovers of contemporary art, as it was for our two guests, Francesca Barbieri, President of the all-female association Soroptimist San Marino, and Alessandro Barulli, a prominent figure in San Marino’s cultural life. With them we walked through the museum’s pavilions, representations of Burri’s “Cycles,” almost like a journey through cosmic space.

We allowed ourselves to be surprised by the colors, dimensions, and materials of the creations, following an invisible thread: the genius of the author. Each room is a world of its own, far from Renaissance masterpieces yet equally fascinating for its intensity and visual impact. It is an experience that strikes deeply, leaving a lasting impression and making visitors feel part of the journey itself.

The height of the rooms seems tailored to the artworks, allowing visitors to fully perceive the power and breath of each piece. Here space is not empty—it is living matter, architecture complicit in creation and contemplation.

One senses a kind of fusion between the artworks and their container into a single gigantic work of art. The viewer may try to understand or simply allow themselves to be enveloped by colors, shapes, and textures without demanding explanations—an intensely personal interpretative exercise that offers no solutions but generates emotion and involvement, even allowing the “luxury” of not fully understanding.

The Great Cretto of Burri in Gibellina, in the province of Trapani, was created between 1984 and 1989 using concrete and the materials of the ancient village destroyed by the Belice earthquake of 1968, whose epicenter lay between Gibellina and Montevago. It is a monument to memory—a geometric labyrinth in which white concrete covers the rubble while preserving the traces of the town’s original layout.

The walkable grooves between one block and another are in fact the ancient streets of the town, which was rebuilt about 20 km away as Gibellina Nuova. Where life once thrived, there is now dry land cracked into patterns—the “cretto” from which the work takes its name. One of Burri’s most distinctive elements, it transforms the marks of destruction into a cyclopean open-air sculpture, among the largest in the world. The work covers 66,000 square meters and was completed in 2015 on the occasion of the centenary of the artist’s birth, according to his design and will.

 

Premio Castello – LuoghiInteriori Publishing House

The city, always welcoming, vibrant, and rich in historical memory, builds another bridge toward the future through the Premio Castello (originally called Premio Città di Castello), dedicated to promoting young talents and contemporary writing.

Antonio Vella, a prominent cultural figure in the city and founder of the LuoghiInteriori publishing house and the Premio Castello, which in 2026 celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the event, plays a key role in discovering emerging literary authors and talents.

The award, divided into three main sections—Fiction, Poetry, and Essays—and their related categories, is now curated by his son Andrea, who has passionately continued his father’s initiative in promoting literature and local history.

Two important developments stand out: the recent partnership with the association I Borghi più Belli d’Italia, led by President Fiorello Primi, to promote culture and territory, and the section dedicated to prisoners, “Destinazione Altrove,” an inclusive educational project that opens writing to social contexts often overlooked.

The event boasts an authoritative jury chaired by Alessandro Masi, Secretary General of the Società Dante Alighieri. Jury members include Osvaldo Bevilacqua, alongside distinguished journalists such as Marino Bartoletti, Benedetta Rinaldi, Paolo Conti, Andrea Pancani, actress and writer Daniela Poggi, university professor Claudio Mattia Serafin, advisor to the Minister for Tourism Salvatore Italia, and other prominent cultural figures.

 

La cucina locale

And how could we not allow ourselves a pause to taste the local specialties? These dishes, in their own way, are also works of art.

We enter a restaurant with an ancient atmosphere near the cathedral bell tower, where wood and iron furnishings and terracotta bricks seem to have always been there.

The dishes confirm the image we had formed: nothing disappoints—each plate is refined, balanced, and authentic. There is no improvisation, only memory and love for the land and its past in every detail and flavor.

We taste wild boar stew with rustic polenta, stuffed rabbit with fresh truffle and roasted potatoes, and onion parmigiana served in a charming terracotta dish.

For the occasion, Romolo Lazzari, Stefano’s father and a renowned truffle hunter in an area particularly suited to this prized product, brings a sauce of his own creation based on the precious underground fungus, reserved only for his closest friends—fortunately, we are among them.

But his role goes far beyond the kitchen. He was a pillar for Stefano, supporting him both financially and morally when, still an informatics student, he dreamed of transforming his artistic talent into a profession. Romolo’s sensitivity toward the land and his taste for excellence, in a sense, helped nourish his son’s creativity and determination.

National White Truffle Fair

Among the region’s gastronomic traditions stands the prestigious National White Truffle Fair, a tribute to one of Umbria’s most prized products, which attracts thousands of enthusiasts and gourmets every year. The 2026 edition will be the 46th.

It takes place in autumn, between late October and early November, in the squares of the historic center—particularly Piazza Matteotti, where the main stands are located. As with the artworks and streets of the city, here too one senses a deep connection with the history and memory of the place, where flavors become experience and discovery.

 

Photo credits: Alessandro Sarteanesi, Enrico Mezzasoma, Giorgio Galvani, Sandra Jacopucci.

Leggi in: Italiano