Acquasparta, the village of natural waters

Acquasparta, listed among the Most Beautiful Villages of Italy, owes its name to the Latin ad acquas partas (“scattered waters”), recalling the extraordinary abundance of springs in the area, located between the sources of Amerino and Furapane, and close to the famous springs of Sangemini and Fabia. Its history is ancient and fascinating: from the fief granted in 962 by Emperor Otto I to Count Arnolfo, whose family developed the first settlement, to 1588, when Pope Sixtus V elevated it to a duchy and entrusted it to Federico Cesi. It was here that his son, Federico II “il Linceo,” founder of the Accademia dei Lincei, lived and hosted scientists and scholars, including Galileo Galilei. A village that intertwines art, nature, and science.

The beauties of Acquasparta

Acquasparta welcomes visitors through two main entrances: the evocative Porta Vecchia, which leads to the oldest nucleus along the “cordoni,” and Corso dei Lincei, the main street that opens onto the square dedicated to Federico Cesi, founder of the Accademia dei Lincei. The heart of the village is the majestic Palazzo Cesi (1561–1579), residence of the famous Umbrian‑Roman family, with elegant loggias, gardens, and splendid halls frescoed by Giovan Battista Lombardelli. Among the works preserved are paintings by Matteo Rosselli and other contemporary Florentine masters, making the palace a refined example of Renaissance elegance in Umbria.

The religious heritage is rich and varied: the Church of Santa Cecilia, built on a Romanesque basilica, houses the remains of Federico Cesi known as “il Linceo”; the Church of the Santissimo Sacramento preserves a Roman mosaic from the 1st century and a seventeenth‑century Last Supper; the Churches of the Crucifix and of San Giuseppe contain works from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries. Outside the walls, the Church of San Francesco (1294) offers fourteenth‑century Franciscan testimonies, while the San Francesco complex – today the Matteo d’Acquasparta House of Culture – recalls the cardinal mentioned by Dante. Along the Via Flaminia, finally, the Romanesque San Giovanni de Butris rises scenographically above an ancient Roman bridge.

Events in the village

Acquasparta keeps its traditions alive through events that animate the village throughout the year. In February, the Children’s Carnival brings joy with allegorical floats parading for three Sundays through the historic center. In June, the Renaissance Festival reenacts the arrival of Federico Cesi in 1614: with parades of more than three hundred participants, gastronomic competitions, and neighborhood performances, the atmosphere is filled with history and culture. In autumn, the New Wine Festival celebrates local flavors with tastings of chestnuts and wines. During the Christmas season, the evocative Living Nativity involves 150 participants in the medieval alleys.

Photo credits Claudio Giovanni Colombo