Cascia

in the territory of Cascia stood Cursula, inhabited center Roman destroyed in the I century B.C. due to the devastations of the barbaric peoples and of earthquakes, that always upset the village and surrounding areas. A proof of this are the precious archaeological finds discovered in the Plateau of Chiavano, at Villa San Silvestro, where you can still admire the remains of a Roman temple. In the middle ages it was sacked by the Byzantines and the Lombards. Chartered in common in the XII century, Cascia was subdued by the family Trinci and subsequently by Frederick II.

As a large part of the Umbrian city, it is during the Middle Ages that the city knows the period of maximum splendour. First under the domination of the signoria Foligno, was later passed on under the dominion of Frederick II of Swabia, to follow was contesa without success from the nearby city of Norcia, Leonessa and Spoleto. Only the thresholds of the XVI century it was annexd to the Papal State under whose domain remained for less than thirty years, since then maintained its independence. It was elevated to the rank of town in 1596 by Pope Clement VIII. Remained linked to the state of the Church except during the brief Napoleonic period. In 1809, during the French occupation, the territory of Cascia was dismembered to constitute the municipality of Poggiodomo; later, in 1850 ceded the village of Trimezzo in Cittareale, in the then kingdom of the Two Sicilies, passing the state border between the two municipalities. In 1860 it was annexd, with the whole Umbria, to the Kingdom of Sardinia, that 17 March 1861 became the Kingdom of Italy.

At the entrance of the village, a majestic statue of Santa Rita is shown with its symbols: Apis, roses and the plug. The shape of the town is typical of an ancient castle of the slope. Perched on the hill of Sant'Agostino still bears the signs of its illustrious past. The centrality of political, economic and cultural life of Cascia has always been affirmed on a wide surrounding area also through a network of roads of ancient origins that here converge in a radial way connecting this city of Umbria with the Nera Valley, the Adriatic and the ancient possessions of the Kingdom of Naples and the Papal State.

Certainly deserve a visit the Sanctuary of Santa Rita da Cascia, the church of San Francesco, the church of Santa Maria della Visitazione, the church of Sant'Agostino, the small village of Roccaporena, where was born the holy, the hermitage of the Madonna della Stella and finally the remains of the Fortress.

In addition to the spiritual side, the visitor can appreciate local products that make Cascia a flag of the culinary art, which saffron, spelt, legumes, truffles, and roveja, slow food presidium, as well as a refined processing of meats and sausages.

Thanks to its landscape is still intact and the lush nature, the visitor can plunge into the green of the walks thanks to itineraries designed specifically for any need, from simple walks to real trekking routes. Rich is also the proposal for a cultural and historical itineraries linking the city with the rest of the Valnerina and with the neighboring communes, such as: Norcia, Monteleone di Spoleto, Vallo di Nera, Poggiodomo, Sant'Anatolia di Narco, Cerreto di Spoleto, Scheggino and Preci. From Cascia the visitor can reach with other itineraries the Marmore Waterfalls, the city of Spoleto, Assisi and the most important tourist places of the Umbria.

Between the economic activity more traditional, widespread and active there are those crafts, such as the processing of flax, aimed at the production of canvases characterised by figures and themes taken from tradition.