Nocera Umbra

Nocera Umbra can be explored through two distinct themes: the historic traces in the town center and the trails in the surrounding mountains and countryside. Four suggested routes lead through the historic town center and take in the old walls, sights, works of art and churches. You can plan your stay around architecture and art, or turn your attention to the landscape beyond the town center.

Lanes, churches and art

The historic town layout preserves narrow lanes and the former Via del Borgo, dating back to the 13th century. Romanesque and Gothic architecture, traces of frescoes and elaborately decorated portals are also part of the townscape. The different periods can be seen in a variety of forms: in the layout of the lanes, architectural details and the surviving traces of wall paintings.

The Museo Civico di San Francesco is housed in the former church of San Francesco in the historic center. Works preserved there include a cross from the second half of the 13th century, a polyptych created in 1483 by Niccolò di Liberatore, known as l’Alunno, and a work by Matteo da Gualdo. Nocera Umbra Cathedral adds to this art-historical perspective with its 10th-century Romanesque portal.

The Museo Archeologico offers a distinct historical focus, with important finds from the Lombard necropolis in the Portone area. Nocera Umbra thus brings together evidence from different periods—from medieval traces in the street layout to archaeological finds and works in its museums.

Water, gardens and local history

The historic center is also home to the CEDAT, the Centro di Documentazione dell’Acqua e della Terra, in Palazzo Camilli. It presents the water and land of Nocera, including the three main springs: Angelica, Cacciatore and Flaminia. The Angelica spring rises in Bagni di Nocera. Its mineral water was already being drunk there for therapeutic purposes in 1500; later, a thermal center opened near the spring.

The Giardino dei colori aromatici is a multisensory garden that is also accessible to people with disabilities. Its features include quiet areas at the viewpoint, fountains, flower beds and sensory areas. The garden offers a different focus from the museums and historic buildings, with an emphasis on sensory experiences and places to relax.

The Palio dei Quartieri is part of the town’s event history. It began in 1989 as a historical reenactment intended to rediscover and enhance Nocera Umbra’s historic town center. As a cultural point of reference, the Palio complements the town’s architectural and museum-based records of its history.

Hiking trails and landscapes

Monte Pennino is part of the Umbrian-Marche Apennines, reaches 1,571 meters above sea level and is the highest mountain in the Nocera area. Excursions on the mountain lead as far as the Grottos of Sant’Angelo, believed to have been a monastery in the 8th century. The mountain and the grottos thus connect a distinctive landscape feature with a historical reference.

The hiking trails described offer different points of reference. Sentiero 318 starts in Nocera and ends in Cariè; it is intended for suitably equipped tourists and hikers wearing sturdy shoes or hiking boots. Sentiero 306 starts in Nocera Umbra and ends in Bagnara. Sturdy-soled footwear, a backpack, water and a snack are listed as equipment for Sentiero 351.

Near Nocera Umbra is the Diga di Acciano reservoir, which is used for sport fishing, canoeing and diving. Also nearby, the Cascate delle Ferce on the Topino River form a natural waterfall landscape. They were formed by a fault about 80 meters high and a series of steps. The approximate height and the way they were formed give this part of the landscape a different character from the trails on Monte Pennino.

Another historic site near the Angelica spring in the village of Bagni is the Romita di San Francesco. The remains of a chapel apse, the line of the walls and the hermitage where Saint Francis lived in the summer of 1226 have been preserved there. Together with the springs and traces of earlier use, this site extends the view beyond the lanes and buildings of the town center.

Discover more destinations: Ponte Nuovo, Branca, Collescille, Trevi, Collestrada, Sant'arcangelo, Passaggio Di Assisi, Colle Calzolaro.

For the broader travel overview: Perugia.